Last weekend, a meeting of post-Soviet leftists took place in the heart of Germany, in the city of Göttingen (Lower Saxony), in which PSL members and supporters from Germany, France and Spain took part.
Our comrades from Projekt “OM10” — a left-wing communal organization that provides housing and space for socialization for both refugees and left-wing, anti-war and anti-authoritarian activists — acted as partners of the meeting. They provided a platform for discussions and organized overnight accommodation for some of the participants.
For PSL comrades who, for various reasons, were unable to come in person, the opportunity to join the discussions online was organized. In the spirit of local traditions, the participants did not limit themselves to political discussions: they cooked food together, played basketball and got to know the city, known for its left-wing and democratic initiatives. The sometimes heated but almost always constructive discussions focused on the situation of post-Soviet immigrants in EU countries against the backdrop of the ongoing rightward turn.
Participants discussed the role of left-wing political organizations, both immigrant and local, including the PSL itself, in politicizing immigrants and defending their labor and civil rights. The experience of interaction with major parties and trade unions was considered: La France insoumise, Force ouvrière in France, and the Left Party (Die Linke) and the Ver.di trade union in Germany. Independent initiatives such as Migrantifa were also discussed.
There was also space to summarize the participation of the PSL and its activists in various events, both in an organizational and personal capacity. Significant events such as the international meeting “BASIS-2025” in Bishkek, “Left Camp” near Berlin and the Forum of Left Emigration in Cologne and their significance for the left diaspora from post-Soviet countries were discussed. Naturally, plans for the near future were also discussed: prospects for interaction with a number of organizations were outlined and upcoming events were planned (announcements – coming soon!).
The participants also assessed the current work of PSL, noting its current status and prospects, as well as the difficulties of migrants – representatives of different countries and regions of the former USSR, who face many financial, psychological and logistical obstacles that make it difficult to participate in events, rallies and presentations. The overall impression from the extended meeting of the activists was positive.
The participants left with the idea that talking about future meetings under the roof of Projekt “OM10” should not be done with the proviso “if anything”, but with the certainty of “when”.
