GUE/NGL MEP Barbara Spinelli, who today represented the Group at a 'Conference of Presidents' meeting in Rome between EP political groups and the incoming Presidency, said: “We want to see a break with the status quo in European politics; the Italian Presidency must listen to European citizens. A clear message emerged from the elections and it must be taken into account: people are seeking a clear break with neoliberal policies and austerity.

“To change Europe, this obsession with figures must end, we must look beyond numbers. We must now move away from the ideological primacy of competitiveness and start building a more cohesive Europe.”

Spinelli set out some of the GUE/NGL's priorities for the next six months of the Italian Presidency: real action on youth unemployment; an immediate departure from the outrageous secrecy surrounding the negotiations on an EU-US trade deal (TTIP); rethinking foreign policy, with particular emphasis on the Mediterranean, Russia and Ukraine; and tackling tax evasion, corruption and organised crime at the EU level.

GUE/NGL Press Contacts:
Emily Macintosh +32 470 85 05 08
Gianfranco Battistini +32 475 64 66 28
European United Left / Nordic Green Left
European Parliamentary Group