The Left (Slovenia)

The Left
Levica
Leader Luka Mesec
Founded 24 June 2017 (2017-06-24)
Merger of Party for Sustainable Development of Slovenia
Initiative for Democratic Socialism
Preceded by United Left
Ideology Democratic socialism[1]
Eco-socialism[1]
Anti-capitalism
Soft Euroscepticism
Political position Left-wing to far-left[2]
European affiliation Party of the European Left
Colors Red and green
National Assembly
9 / 90
European Parliament
0 / 8
Website
www.levica.si

The Left (Slovene: Levica) is an eco-socialist[1] political party in Slovenia. The party was established on 24 June 2017 by the merger of the Party for Sustainable Development of Slovenia (TRS) and Initiative for Democratic Socialism (IDS). The party is a successor of the left-wing electoral alliance, the United Left.[3]

Background

United Left was an electoral alliance between the Democratic Labour Party (DSD), Party for Sustainable Development of Slovenia (TRS), and Initiative for Democratic Socialism (IDS).[4][5] The alliance was also founded by a "fourth group" of non-party civic groups and movements, and autonomous individuals.[6] It was intended to provide an alternative to the traditional political establishment which came under intense public scrutiny following the 2011 Slovenian parliamentary elections, and serve as a political outlet for the ideas of the 2012–13 Slovenian protests (termed "Pan-Slovenian uprisings"[7] in Slovene).[8] After a lengthy unification process, two of the allied parties merged into a single entity.

The merger was finalized on 24 June 2017, when the first party congress was held. The merger was accompanied by an exodus of IDS members who hitherto opposed unification.[3] In keeping with IDS custom, the party leader holds the title of "coordinator". During the founding party congress, Luka Mesec was elected as coordinator (a position he previously held in IDS), and Violeta Tomič (previously leader of TRS[9]) was elected deputy coordinator.[10][11]

Initial logo

On 5 July 2017, Matjaž Hanžek left Levica parliamentary group to become an unaffiliated MP, thus leaving the party with only 5 parliamentary seats. He cited the "incorrect and undemocratic" unification process as the main reason for his departure. He expressed his wish to continue his work as chair of the parliamentary investigative committee looking into the TEŠ 6 affair (the committee was established as a result of a United Left initiative spearheaded by Hanžek).[12][13][14] He was the founder[15] and previously served as leader of TRS,[16] but he stepped down[9] and subsequently also left the party prior to unification.[15][17]

Shortly after the 2018 parliamentary election, the party was also subject to criticism due to allegations by party technical staff of relatively low pay, burdensome workload, and poor work relations (particularly with parliamentary group secretary, Matej Kolenc). Three of the party's eight aides announced their resignation and unofficial reports alleged others were also contemplating departure. Mesec, speaking about the affair, promised increased compensation for party staff, and voiced sympathy with the staffers regarding the hefty workload, explaining that due to high productivity of Levica parliamentary group relative to its small size, both MPs and political aides needed to overwork in order to accomplish as many political goals as they did during their first term.[18][19]

2018 parliamentary election

In the 2018 Slovenian parliamentary election, The Left garnered 9.33% of the vote, winning 9 parliamentary seats.[20] All 5 serving MPs were re-elected for second terms.[21] Nataša Sukič (who had hitherto served as the city councilor in Ljubljana)[22] was also elected on the party's ticket, becoming the first openly gay member of parliament in the nation's history.[23]

After the Christian conservative New Slovenia reneged on coalition talks with the five centre-left party core led by PM contender Marjan Šarec (leader of the eponymous election runner-up LMŠ party), The Left became the presumptive coalition partner in Šarec's efforts to attain a parliamentary majority.[24] The Left's insistence on a NATO membership referendum was widely regarded as a deal-breaker for the more atlanticist coalition core parties.[25][26] Shortly after NSi's departure from coalition negotiations, however, the Left announced that it will not demand that a committment to a NATO referendum be included in the coalition agreement.[26][27]

Platform and policies

Policies

In November 2014, United Left proposed the diplomatic recognition of the State of Palestine.[28]

In March 2015, a proposed legal amendment intended to institute gay marriage that was put forward by United Left passed with overwhelming support of parliament. The change was, however, subsequently rejected during the Slovenian same-sex marriage referendum later that year. UL MP Tomić vowed to continue to fight for the approval of the law change, calling the result of the referendum a temporary setback.[29][30]

United Left proposed providing free school lunches for all children from economically disadvantaged families,[31] and expanding the scope of those who qualify as such.[32]

United Left introduced bills to allow industrial hemp cultivation for foodstuffs production (passed),[33] increase the maximum allowed concentration of THC in industrial hemp to allow for cultivation of more hardy native industrial hemp cultivars,[34][35] and the cultivation and prescription use of medicinal cannabis (passed).[36][37]

United Left MPs co-authored legislation that enshrined water access as a constitutional right.[38][39]

In May 2016, United Left proposed legislative changes that would curb the presence of trans fat in food (approved).[40][41][42]

UL MP Franc Trček co-sponsored a bill to lower burdensome excise taxes on Slovene microbreweries to help make these more competitive by enabling faster initial growth (i.e. more hiring, investment, and product development).[43]

In March 2017, United Left proposed that self-employed persons be guaranteed the right to compensated sick leave[44] (the proposal was dismissed by the Ministry of Health).[45]

In April 2017, United Left proposed excluding employee benefits from the minimum wage (under existing law, the principal wage could be lower than the minimum wage as long as employment benefits pushed the total compensation sum over the mandated minimum wage threshold).[46][47] In December 2017, The Left proposed increasing a minimum wage 20% in excess of the cost of living.[48] In February 2018, The Left proposed excluding child benefit payments when determining welfare payments (under extant law, many families received lower welfare payment because they also qualified for child benefits, and some ended up not qualifying for welfare payments at all).[49]

In September 2017, The Left called for an emergency session of the Committee on Infrastructure, Environment and Spatial Planning, to address the failure to utilise allocated EU Cohesion Funds for the alleviation of energy poverty.[50]

In October 2017, The Left proposed the renationalisation (repurchase and restructuring) of the nation's largest grocery store chain, Mercator, which was privatised in 2014, as the strategically important retailer was experiencing an uncertain future under the by then failing parent company, Agrokor.[51]

In November 2017, The Left proposed legislation banning the sale of single-use/disposable plastic bags, utensils, cups, and wrappings, and microplastics (passed),[52] and convened an extraordinary session of parliament to address the loss of student status (and, consequently, various benefits, including healthcare) of some 2,000 students due to recent legislative changes (resolved).[53][54]

In December 2017, The Left called for an emergency session of the Committee on Labour to address poor working conditions in newsagents' shops,[55] and proposed expediting the landholdings denationalisation legislative process and curbing damages due (the protracted denationalisation of landholdings and consequent damages largely relate to former Catholic Church holdings).[56]

In January 2018, The Left proposed an amendment to energy legislation that would allow (multiple) individuals to invest in renewable energy facilities in geographically remote areas and have the value of electricity added to the grid by the facilities deducted from their electricity bill.[57]

In March 2018, The Left proposed limiting executive compensation in publicly and municipality owned companies to five times the wage of the lowest paid employee in the company (died in committee).[58][59]

Electoral results

Parliament of Slovenia
Year Popular vote % of popular vote Overall seats won Seat change Government
2018 83,108 9.33%
9 / 90
 Increase 9 gov't support

References

  1. 1 2 3 Nordsieck, Wolfram (2018). "Slovenia". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  2. ↑ "NSi decides to withdraw from centre-left coalition talks". The Slovenia Times. 17 July 2018.
  3. 1 2 "STA: Merging of the Left marked by departures from IDS". english.sta.si. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
  4. ↑ "Leftist Groups Form United Left to Join Forces in EU Election (in English)". The Slovenian Times. 1 March 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  5. ↑ "United Left to contest European elections (in Slovene)". The Daily. 1 March 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  6. ↑ User, Super. "4. skupina: civilnodružbena gibanja in posamezniki". www.zdruzena-levica.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2017-06-25.
  7. ↑ "Foto: Največja vseslovenska vstaja do zdaj. Protestiralo 20.000 ljudi". Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
  8. ↑ "Levice ni več, zato je tu nova levica". www.delo.si. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
  9. 1 2 "Violeta Tomić odslej na čelu stranke Trs". www.delo.si. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  10. ↑ "Mesec: Iz strahu pred desnico se sredina sama spreminja v desnico". Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  11. ↑ "Od Združene levice ostala samo še Levica, Mesec prevzema vodenje" (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  12. ↑ "Matjaž Hanžek zapušča poslansko skupino Levice | Dnevnik". www.dnevnik.si. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  13. ↑ "Združena levica s podpisi za preiskavo o odgovornosti politike pri Teš 6" (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  14. ↑ "Hanžek: Sooner or later a connection will be unveiled between affairs and politics :: Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija". www.rtvslo.si. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  15. 1 2 "IDS in TRS se bosta v kratkem zlili v eno stranko – ZL". www.delo.si. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  16. ↑ "Matjaž Hanžek ostaja predsednik stranke TRS". www.delo.si. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  17. ↑ "Skupna pot Združene levice misija nemogoče | Dnevnik". dnevnik.si. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  18. ↑ "Delavci Levice nezadovoljni, Mesec obljublja zvišanje plač". Dnevnik. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
  19. ↑ "Raj za peščico poslancev, izkoriščanje za strokovce". Svet24.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2018-06-24.
  20. ↑ d.o.o., SRC. "http://dvk-rs.si/arhivi/dz2018/en/#/rezultati". dvk-rs.si. Retrieved 2018-07-23. External link in |title= (help)
  21. ↑ "Ni več Gorenaka, Erjavca, vrača se Jelinčič ... in ostalo o novem sklicu DZ-ja". Grem Volit (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  22. ↑ "Nataša Sukič". www.ljubljana.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  23. ↑ "Prva razkrita LGBTQ+ oseba v slovenskem parlamentu | MLADINA.si". Mladina.si. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  24. ↑ "Šarec nadaljuje pogajanja: po umiku NSi v igri Levica" (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  25. ↑ "Je koalicija z Levico sploh mogoča?" (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  26. 1 2 "V Levici so se pripravljeni pogajati, a pričakujejo bistveno drugačno koalicijsko pogodbo". Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  27. ↑ "Levica še brez vabila Šarčeve koalicije, ne bi pa več vztrajala pri Natu". Časnik Večer d.o.o. (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  28. ↑ "Za priznanje Palestine kljub večinski naklonjenosti le dva glasova podpore". Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  29. ↑ "Sprememba zakonske zveze potrjena, istospolni pari se lahko poročijo". Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  30. ↑ Press, Associated (2015-12-21). "Slovenians vote against same-sex marriage in referendum". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  31. ↑ "S 1. februarjem brezplačna kosila za vse socialno ogrožene otroke?" (in Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  32. ↑ "Koalicija za več brezplačnih šolskih kosil". Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  33. ↑ "Poslanci podprli gojenje industrijske konoplje za prehrano ljudi". Agrobiznis (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  34. ↑ "Konoplja je priložnost | MLADINA.si". Mladina.si. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  35. ↑ "Do poletja tudi predlog za dekriminalizacijo uporabe konoplje" (in Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  36. ↑ "Prvi korak proti legalizaciji marihuane v medicinske namene" (in Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  37. ↑ "Konoplja v predalih poslancev". Dnevnik. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  38. ↑ "Poslanci potrdili zapis pravice do pitne vode v ustavo". Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  39. ↑ ""Začetek uresničevanja mokrih sanj slovenske levice"" (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  40. ↑ "ZL bi omejil transmaščobne kisline po danskem vzoru". Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  41. ↑ "Vložili zakon za obvezno omejitev nevarnih transmaščob v živilih" (in Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  42. ↑ "Toliko transmaščob dovoljuje uredba" (in Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  43. ↑ "Mali pivovarji bodo plačevali manj trošarin, a se cene piva najverjetneje ne bodo spremenile". Dnevnik. Retrieved 2018-09-05.
  44. ↑ "V ZL predlagajo, da bi bili do bolniškega nadomestila upravičeni tudi samozaposleni". Dnevnik. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  45. ↑ "Bolniške za espeje ne bo – Združena levica bo vztrajala". Svet24.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  46. ↑ "Združena levica predlaga izločitev dodatkov iz minimalne plače". Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  47. ↑ "Iz minimalne plače bi izvzeli vse dodatke". www.delo.si. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  48. ↑ "Dvig minimalne plače želi Levica doseči tudi s pritiskom javnosti". Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  49. ↑ "Levica predlaga izločitev otroškega dodatka iz odmere socialne pomoči". Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  50. ↑ "40 odstotkov energetsko revnih gospodinjstev, evropski denar ostaja neporabljen - Levica". Levica (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  51. ↑ "Levica za državni nakup Mercatorja". Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  52. ↑ "Poslanci soglasno podprli priporočilo vladi za prepoved uporabe plastičnih vrečk" (in Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  53. ↑ "Poslanci bodo reševali stisko študentov, ki so ostali brez zdravstvenega zavarovanja". Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  54. ↑ "»Izbrisanim« študentom bodo vrnili zavarovanje, tudi za nazaj". www.delo.si. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  55. ↑ "STA: Levica zaradi delavcev v trafikah zahteva skic nujne seje matičnega odbora". www.sta.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  56. ↑ "Odbor DZ dal vladi dva meseca za opredelitev do sprememb denacionalizacijske zakonodaje". Dnevnik. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  57. ↑ "Omogočimo skupnostim samooskrbo in vlaganje v obnovljive vire energije - Levica". Levica (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  58. ↑ "Sprememb v omejitvah plač direktorjev javnih podjetij ne bo". Prvi interaktivni multimedijski portal, MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  59. ↑ "Levica brez podpore za omejitev plač direktorjev" (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2018-03-16.
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