Brexit Fallout: European Left Calls for Unity

In the wake of the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union, various left-wing political organizations across Europe have issued statements emphasizing the need for stronger political opposition and international cooperation.

Left Unity's Response

Left Unity, a UK-based populist political party, released a statement on Friday criticizing the right-wing organizers of the Leave campaign. They vowed to “step up the fight against neo-liberalism here—opposing all cuts, defending the NHS, fighting for decent housing—and across Europe.”

The party’s executive committee expressed regret that working people in Britain were “deceived and manipulated” into believing Brexit would alleviate austerity. They maintained that the problems facing the UK “cannot be solved on a national basis” and require international solidarity.

DiEM25 Calls for a Democratic EU

DiEM25, the political alliance co-founded by former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, attributed the Leave campaign’s success to the “anti-democratic reign” of the EU establishment. They argued this made it impossible for the British people to envision a democratic EU.

A New Challenge for Pan-European Democracy

DiEM25 stated they would use the Brexit vote to “promote its radical agenda of confronting the EU establishment more powerfully than before.” The group believes the EU’s disintegration is accelerating and that a pan-European democratic movement is crucial to avoid a descent into “xenophobia.”

“We can proudly look the powers-that-be in Brussels, Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris etc. in the eye and tell them: ‘We tried to save the EU from you. But you have poisoned the EU so badly by silencing the voices of democrats that, though we tried, we could not convince the people of Britain to stay.’” – DiEM25

Global Justice Now and Concerns Over Trade Deals

Global Justice Now, an anti-poverty advocacy group, called for renewed democratic mobilization, stating the Brexit decision “opens up a world of uncertainty in which we must now navigate in a positive direction.”

Director Nick Dearden criticized pro-Leave MPs for “pandering to nationalism” and fostering anti-immigrant sentiment. He also criticized their promotion of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), warning it could privatize the NHS and harm environmental regulations.

Dearden emphasized the importance of opposing “toxic trade deals, corporate power grabs and above all defend the rights and dignity of migrants.”

Calls for Continental Opposition to Austerity

Left Unity concluded by calling for a “massive political opposition to neo-liberalism, against austerity and poverty” across Europe. They expressed hope in the progress of the left in Spain and Portugal, while also voicing concern over the rise of the far-right.

Podemos, a leftist party in Spain, responded to the vote by stating the need to “end austerity to end this disaffection and this existential crisis of the European project,” advocating for democratization, social rights, and human rights.