Actors within Change
Processes of transformation of left parties

16.-18. December 2005 in Berlin,
Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, Conference Room

A wind of change blows in Europe. Waves of strikes and demonstrations, the successful european campaign against the constitutional bill at hand, the emergence of local, regional, national and european social panels, the change within unions, social movements and left parties as well as the foundation of several european formations alter Europe’s face. Neoliberalism fights a hegemonial crisis and its outcome is uncertain. That basically depends on the left parties’ ability to become capable of governance themselves. It is a conflict within society in terms of a change in balance of powers and the emergence of alternative, reformative majorities. At the same time the Left has to constitute itself in a new way – in its interaction with its citizens, as a social movement and initiative, as union and pressure group, as cultural and intellectual power, as party and participant in parliamentary and executive power (from local up to european level). The workshop focuses on the questions of (1) how left parties define their social functions under the new conditions, (2) which specific tasks derive from this , (3) which changes in their structure and functioning are in the focus of party reform. 16. December 2005, 17pm –20 pm
round table: “New political trends of the Left in Europe” 1. Panel: Parties within functional change (17. December 9 am – 13 pm) 2. Panel: The constitution of an emancipated and solidary formation of opposing forces, pluralism and the parties’ ability to act and react (17. December 14 pm – 19 pm) 3. Panel: Experiences of the Left in Germany (18. December 10 am-12 am) 4. Panel: Reforms of structure, function and cooperative relationships of left parties (18. December 13 pm-15 pm) Registration under: Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Cornelia Hildebrandt, hildebrandt@rosalux.de, Tel.: 0049 30 443 10168 Franz-Mehring-Platz 1, 10243 Berlin

The ongoing merger between PDS and WASG, by which a unified left party will be establihed in Germany has found widespread attention throuout Europe because of its unique problems and aspects. To help understand the discussions related to this process we have created a new division of this website, "Emergence of an unified german left" which will collect all documents and essays related to the new Linkspartei.