What EU citizens need is not division and authoritarianism as promoted by the right-wing forces, but a social and just Green New DealThe meeting held Thursday, 1 April, between the representatives of national conservative and right-wing populist forces of Poland (Morawiecki of Law and Justice party), Hungary (Orban of Fidesz party) and Italy (Salvini of the League party) is not the first attempt to form a new bloc of “sovereigntist” parties in Europe.“Democratic principles are under attack in Poland and Hungary and the national conservative and right-wing populist forces espoused already unacceptable strategies, which aimed at undermining the European recovery deal in an effort to conserve their power” – declared Heinz Bierbaum, President of the Party of the European Left.“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been denouncing that the ongoing economic and health crisis represents a serious threat to democracy.

In its wake, right-wing populist forces – both old and new – are trying to take advantage of the emergency to spread their authoritarian discourses”“We have to be watchful. The position of national conservative forces is not compatible with the principle of solidarity. Through their xenophobic and authoritarian discourses, they have already used the pandemic as a pretext to restrict freedoms, to increase police powers, to discredit journalists and to incite hatred against migrants and women” – continues Bierbaum.“The EL will keep working closely with other progressive forces committed to strengthening solidarity, democracy and social cohesion. What EU citizens need is not division and authoritarianism as promoted by the right-wing forces, but a social and just Green New Deal, which prioritizes protecting people and the social-ecological transformation” – concludes the President of the European Left.