The Five Star Movement, Italy’s populist party led by former prime minister Giuseppe Conte, has recently joined The Left, the most left-wing formation in the European Parliament. This move marks an end to the party’s year-long lack of political affiliation on the European stage. The Left includes members like France Unbowed (LFI), Germany’s Die Linke, Spain’s Podemos, Greece’s Syriza, and Ireland’s Sinn Féin, all of whom embrace various degrees of Eurosceptism. In the recent June elections, The Left secured 39 seats in the hemicycle, two more than before. With the addition of the eight MEPs from the Five Star Movement, the total seats for The Left will now be 47.
The decision for the Five Star Movement to join The Left was confirmed after The Left held its constitutive meeting in Brussels. The Five Star Movement will have observer status for the next six months to ensure “political convergence” between the two sides. This condition, which reveals ideological differences, will be applied reciprocally. The Left expressed confidence in a press release that they will cooperate constructively with the Five Star Movement to work together for the people and the planet. Pasquale Tridico, head of the movement’s delegation in the European Parliament, is optimistic that the party will stay within The Left for the entire duration of the legislature and collaborate to advocate for a more socially conscious Europe, opposing poverty and austerity policies.
The Left, previously known as GUE/NGL, advocates for fair taxation, worker’s rights, income equality, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare. The group is vehemently opposed to austerity policies, neoliberalism, the privatization of public services, and migration rules that are considered repressive and unfair to asylum seekers. Despite its progressive outlook, The Left has taken a critical stance on the EU’s response to Russia’s war on Ukraine, opposing the provision of lethal equipment to the Ukrainian army. The Five Star Movement shares this position and has openly criticized Western allies for continuing their supplies of weapons to Ukraine. The party argues that the money used for ammunition should instead be redirected to finance social services, focusing on protecting the social rights of citizens rather than engaging in a “crazy race for rearmament.”
Before aligning with The Left, the Five Star Movement had attempted to join other political groups such as the Socialists, the Liberals, and the Greens, all without success. Now, with their membership in The Left, the Five Star Movement aims to work towards a more socially conscious Europe and advocate for policies that oppose poverty and austerity. The party is committed to collaborating with their new colleagues in The Left to push for a fairer, more equitable society. In the coming years, the Five Star Movement will continue pursuing their goals within The Left and remain dedicated to their shared values and objectives for the benefit of the people and the planet.
