Party of the Radical Left

The Party of the Radical Left (Serbian: Партија радикалне левице, romanized: Partija radikalne levice; abbr. ПРЛ or PRL) is a left-wing political party in Serbia, founded in September 2020 as the successor to Social Democratic Union. The party has no seats in the National Assembly, and is yet to contest the parliamentary election.

Party of the Radical Left

Партија радикалне левице
Partija radikalne levice
LeaderCollective leadership
FoundersIvan Zlatić
Jovo Bakić
Founded7 September 2020
Preceded bySocial Democratic Union
HeadquartersBelgrade, Serbia
IdeologyDemocratic socialism
Left-libertarianism
Eco-socialism
Social progressivism
Socialist feminism
Anti-clericalism
Anti-nationalism
Antimilitarism
Political positionLeft-wing
European affiliationDiEM25
European Left
National Assembly
0 / 250
Vojvodina Assembly
0 / 120
Belgrade Assembly
0 / 110
Website
prl.org.rs

History

Party founding

The party was established in September 2020, although its establishment was announced in November 2019, and postponed several times, due to technical difficulties, but also ideological disagreements within the membership of the Social Democratic Union (SDU).[1] Notable founders of the Party of the Radical Left include Ivan Zlatić, political activist and the last leader of the SDU and Jovo Bakić, recognized sociologist and a university professor. At the 12th regular Congress of the SDU, which had an electoral character, the party adopted the proposals for its new program and statute, changing the party's name to the Party of Radical Left.[2] The twelfth Congress of the SDU represented the end of the process of uniting the various extra-parliamentary left-wing organizations gathered around the Social Democratic Union into a parliamentary struggle, which began with the invitation of the SDU in mid-2018. This process continued through joint actions of various Serbian leftist organizations and student initiatives from Belgrade and Novi Sad, against violent evictions, as well against the construction of mini-hydro power plants, during 2019 and 2020. At the September 2020 Congress, a new composition of party bodies was elected.[3]

Objectives and ideology

The Party of the Radical Left was founded as a political initiative of workers, trade unionists, unemployed and students in Serbia. Like its predecessor, the Party regarded itself as the moral and ideological heir of the historical left-wing Serbian Social Democratic Party of Dimitrije Tucović, as well of Yugoslav Anti-Fascist Resistance Movement. The new party announcing the struggle to build a just economic system, protection of human and labour rights and the existential security of every member of the society, as well making an socialist and secular republic, based on equality, solidarity, freedoms, democracy, internationalism, anti-imperialism, anti-nationalism and anti-fascism, in which people will be more important than profit, with guaranteed free health care and education, gender equality and minority rights. The party has been profiling itself as the most vocal opposition to the right-wing populist, corrupt and authoritarian SNS-led regime in Serbia, which has been in power since 2012.[4] Party membership maintains cooperation with orher left-wing organizations and initiatives in Serbia, such as Do not let Belgrade d(r)own and Marks21, as well as some leftist parties from the neighboring countries, including the New Left and the Workers' Front from Croatia and The Left from Slovenia, as well with the other European Left parties, GUE/NGL, Progressive International and Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 of Yanis Varoufakis.[5]

References
  1. Partija u kojoj je Jovo Bakić odložila osnivanje, Danas, 17 December 2019
  2. "SDU postala Partija radikalne levice, izabran novi sastav predsedništva". N1 Srbija (in Serbian). Retrieved 2020-09-07.
  3. "Osnovana Partija radikalne levice". NOVA portal. 2020-09-07. Retrieved 2020-09-07.
  4. Zlatić: Radikalna levica je suočavanje sa stvarnošću
  5. DEKLARACIJA O REGIONALNOJ SOLIDARNOSTI, Socijaldemokratska unija
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