International

'Now that others are promoting confrontation, left forces in Europe must resist this and do our best to restore peaceful cooperation. The population of Europe does not want to see a new Cold War. We should listen to the people and actively answer those who irresponsibly dedicate themselves to building a new wall across Europe.’ These were amongst the arguments presented by SP Senate leader Tiny Kox, during a working visit to the European Parliament in Brussels.

Kox was visiting Brussels as president of the Left Group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe(PACE), for talks with the European Parliament United European Left Group (GUE/NGL) at the invitation of group president Gabi Zimmer of Germany’s Die Linke (‘The Left’). Kox and Zimmer secured agreements on improved cooperation between their two groups. In addition, Senator Kox held bilateral meetings with representatives of Syriza, Podemos and Sinn Fein, three parties which are enjoying enormous popularity in their countries as a result of their call for a social route out of the crisis. He also spoke with people from France’s Front de Gauche (Left Front) and of course the SP’s own delegation in Brussels.

In his speech to the left group Kox warned of the pressing danger of a new Cold War. Some politicians were trying to spin yarns around this, but the population certainly don’t want any such thing. The SP Senator noted the distressing lack of reliable information on the crisis in Ukraine and the involvement of Russia, the European Union, NATO and the United States. In Kox’s view the Left in Europe has the task of standing up against any and all Cold War rhetoric. He condemned the ongoing narrowing of opportunities for parliamentary-level contacts with Russia. ‘Certainly in times of international crisis, elected representatives of the people must accept their responsibility and keep talking to each other, however difficult that may sometimes be.’

Kox also spoke with the Russian ambassador to the EU about the dwindling parliamentary contacts. Last week Russia’s PACE delegation walked out of the Assembly when their voting rights were rescinded following a majority vote marshalled by British and Baltic representatives. In Kox’s estimation, both the rescinding of the rights and the walk-out in response were wrong.