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Revolutionaries elected to European Parliament
Despite an overall swing to
The LCR has a significant role in the trade union left, and in Frances many the right, revolutionary dynamic social movements, such as AC!
socialists, Greens and other
(unemployment) DAL (homelessness), radicals increased their sup-
Ras I'Front (anti-fascist) and the moveport in June elections to the ment in support of the sans-papiers (undocumented immigrants). According to
(almost powerless) European
Alain Krivine,
"the challenge, ever since parliament the big public sector strike in 1995, has been to find a political expression for the
In France, the LO-LCR list won 5.2% radicalisation in the social movement left." [See Rouge editorial on page 5]
(almost one million votes). That means three seats for the Trotskyist LO, and two
In general, French voters moved to the left.
for the Fourth Internationalist LCR.
The extreme right lost five of its ten
Although the LCR is the larger of the
European seats—partly the resultof a two, LO has a longer tradition of electoral participation. So LO spokeswoman split between Jean-Marie le Pen and his
Arlette Laguiller was top of the joint list, former deputy Bruno Mégret. Le Pen's
National Front scored 5.7% and followed by Alain Krivine of the LCR.
will
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2 International Viewpoint #313 July 1999 send five fascist deputies to the European parliament. Bruno Mégret's National Movement scored 3.3% (in France only parties which win at least 5% are represented in parliament). In the 1994 Euro-Elections, the (still-united) National Front scored 10.5%.
France's conservative parties have also suffered splits and lost votes.
Leonel Jospin's centre-left government increased its share of the vote. Jospin's Socialist/Radical grouping increased its score to 22%, wining six new seats, (for a total of 22). The Greens increased their vote from 2.9% to 9.7%, which gives them nine seats (they had none in the outgoing European parliament).
The French Communist Party did not share in this surge of votes for the government coalition. The party's vote declined slightly, from 6.9% in 1994 to 6.8% in 1999. The party maintained its six seats.
Preliminary reports suggest that while some voters moved from the centre-lett towards the Communists, an equal number of Communist voters switched to LO-LCR in frustration at CP participation in the Jospin government. Italy
The Party of Communist Refoundation won only four European Parliament seats, and 4.3% of the vote. In 1994 they scored 6.1%, taking five seats. In the last national election the party scored 8.6%). Among the unsuccessful Rifondazione candidates was Gigi Malabarba, a supporter of Bandierra Rossa, the Fourth International caucus.
Armando Cossuta's right split from the PRC won two seats. Germany
The Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) got its best result ever, 5.8%. (The party scored 4.7% in the 1994 Euro-Election, and 5.1% in the last national election. For the first time it has Euro MPs-six of them.
The Greens lost five of their 12 seats. Their vote declined from 10.1% in 1994 to 6.4%. Netherlands
The Green Left party had a major breakthrough, wining four European Parliament seats (up from one) and 11.9% of the vote. In the 1994 EuroElection they won 3.7%.
The ex-Maoist Socialist Party ("Tomato Party") won 5%, electing its first Euro MP, a comrade well respected by left groups outside the SP. In 1994 the party attracted only 1.3%, and in the last national election 3.5%.
The Socialist Party was the only Dutch parliamentary party to oppose NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.
The fourth internationalist SAP group supported the SP election campaign.
Brit Scot fron Scot as i sup! nati first win Eurc Irel the 199 enol Parl 11.0 part seat the elec from the seat: 199199 four did Del vote Soc 8.69 one Fin two last 13. Elec moI Parl Au: 6.79 the Bel 11.4 Eur Gre slip Cor 6.34 seat
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