With the neoliberal attack on the European periphery in full scale, but also the impending European election on the horizon, the Left is bracing itself for a more dynamic role in the European Union. According to opinion polls the European Left group (GUE/NGL) is expected to form the third largest group in the European parliament, affecting broader policy changes and coordinating the resistances to neoliberalism and the rise of the far right. But strikes, protests and criticism are not the only means to actually change the course of things to come in the continent. Instead, the takeover of power is necessary, a prospect highly likely in the case of Greece and a future possibility for more political forces in other EU countries as well.

The preparations necessary to stand up to the challenge of governance was the focus of the conference, “Left in Government – why, what and how?” that took place on March 20-22, 2014 in Athens, Greece. The three-day event attracted a diverse group of academics, politicians and policy-makers from the Left from both North and South America, as well as numerous European countries. The full list of speakers can be seen here. They all stressed the fact that Alexis Tsipras' candidacy for President of the European Commission symbolizes the vision of the Left for Europe, one that is based on development, labour rights, democratic institutions and social cohesion. The international conference was organized by the Rosa-Luxemburg Stiftung and with the cooperation of the Nikos Poulantzas Institute and transform!europe.

Uniting behind Alexis Tsipras and SYRIZA, the speakers recognized not only the momentous opportunity for a Left government in Europe to start halting the neoliberal division of Labour but also that SYRIZA can be a paradigm for change for the Left in all 27 members of the European Union. Professor of Political Science, Leo Panitch, co-editor of Red Pepper magazine, Hilary Wainwright and Member of the European Parliament, Liêm Hoang-Ngoc, and members of the Icelandic Left, among others discussed the necessity of having internal structures in place when transitioning from opposition to running the State, and shared their experiences of having defining role in their national governments.

Also in attendance were SYRIZA MP and Vice President of the Hellenic Parliament Yiannis Dragasakis, Euclid Tsakalotos, MP and co-author of, “Crucible of Resistance: Greece, the Eurozone and the World Economy” and economist and Director of the Nicos Poulantzas Institute, Haris Golemis.

The speakers focused especially on the importance of capacity building and professional development of parties' members. Leo Panitch gave the example of the Left in Bolivia, who found themselves at a disadvantage for not being properly organized to run the State upon being elected into power. Another pressing matter for the Left, and particularly for SYRIZA, is how to prepare members of the party—across the board—for their roles in government, while maintain activity on the grassroots level. As echoed by numerous speakers, if a party loses touch with needs and expectations of the populace, the vision of the Left cannot be transformed into a sustainable reality.

As expected, the political climate in Greece, and the meteoric rise of SYRIZA, was an area intense focus. Alexis Tsipras presented his vision for a new Europe, stressing the importance of creating a political system based on democracy, transparency and accountability, as well as increased attention to civic-mindedness. To succeed, such a system must be supported and demanded by, both politicians and citizens alike.

Seeking to put an end to the destructive neoliberal narrative of austerity and the poisonous fallacies of the North-South divide and to focus instead on cultivating sustainable economic policies for growth, Alexis Tsipras reiterated his commitment to strengthening Europe and promoting cooperation in the Eurozone. Acknowledging the need for cohesive reforms nationally, he discussed key highlights of his economic and social program for Europe, calling for a “New Deal” in Europe that would not only help ease the austerity-driven humanitarian crisis, but also stimulate growth in all countries decimated by austerity.

“We are living in an era, where everything national is European and vice-versa. That doesn't mean the weakening of the nation state, but it means that while solutions are provided in the European scale, decisions are taken in the national level. Europe is the field for social, class and political struggle of the Left”.