Left Together () is a left-wing political party in Poland. It was formed in 2015 as "Together", and it was one of the eight nationwide committees standing in the 2015 parliamentary election. It was a member of the Progressive International, and it has cooperated with

DiEM25 The Democracy in Europe Movement 2025, or DiEM25, is a pan-European political movement founded in 2016 by a group of Europeans, including former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis and Croatian philosopher Srećko Horvat. The movement was ...

since 2016. In 2022, Razem ended cooperation with both organizations, criticising their "lack of an unequivocal declaration of recognition of Ukraine's sovereignty and the absolute condemnation of Russian imperialism" during the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

. As of 2022, it is headed by a co-leadership consisting of

Adrian Zandberg Adrian Tadeusz Zandberg (born 4 December 1979 in Aalborg) is a Poles, Polish historian and computer programmer, doctor of humanities and left-wing politician, serving as one of the co-leaders of Left Together, Razem (''Together''). Life His paren ...

and

Magdalena Biejat Magdalena Agnieszka Biejat (born 11 January 1982 in Warsaw) is a Polish translator of Spanish-language literature, social and political activist and feminist, and a member of the Sejm of the 9th term (from 2019). She is one of the co-leaders of L ...

. It supports principles of democratic-socialism and has expressed

progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...

views. It also maintains a

syndicalist Syndicalism is a revolutionary current within the left-wing of the labor movement that seeks to unionize workers according to industry and advance their demands through strikes with the eventual goal of gaining control over the means of pr ...

faction.

History

Razem was founded as a response to the unsuccessful attempt to create a left-wing political platform in Poland during the 2015 presidential election. Another reason was dissatisfaction with the role of the post-communist Democratic Left Alliance as the main centre-left party. Many founders were previously activists in the Young Socialists, The Greens or local initiatives, including Kraków Against Games. Razem's main political stances were formulated during the founding congress on 16–17 May 2015, when Razem's first National Board was elected, consisting of Jakub Baran, Aleksandra Cacha, Alicja Czubek,

Maciej Konieczny Maciej Konieczny (born 14 October 1980) is a Polish culture expert, left-wing politician, member of the Board of the Razem (''Together'') party. Life He was born in 1980 in Gliwice in an intellectual family. In his youth he sympathized with na ...

, Magdalena Malińska, Mateusz Mirys, Katarzyna Paprota,

, and

Marcelina Zawisza Marcelina Monika Zawisza (born 3 May 1989 in Katowice, Poland) is a Polish social activist and left-wing politician. She is a member of the National Board of the Razem (''Together'') party. Biography Early life and education She was born in Ka ...

. However, several local structures were active even earlier, in March and April. The party was officially registered on 21 July 2015. Razem registered lists for the 2015 parliamentary election in all electoral districts and received 3.6% of the vote in the election, below the 5%

threshold Threshold may refer to: Architecture * Threshold (door), the sill of a door Media * ''Threshold'' (1981 film) * ''Threshold'' (TV series), an American science fiction drama series produced during 2005-2006 * "Threshold" (''Stargate SG-1''), ...

to gain seats in parliament. However, having met the 3% threshold, the party received state subsidy for their election campaign. In 2016 Razem instigated mass protests (called the ''Black Protest'') against a bill that would impose a complete ban on abortion, proposed by a citizens' initiative.To ona wymyśliła #CzarnyProtest. ''Mówili, że lajkami na Facebooku i czarnym ubraniem nie wygramy. No więc wygraliśmy!''
/ref> In 2016, ''

Foreign Policy A State (polity), state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterall ...

'' magazine included Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk of the Razem National Board, together with

Barbara Nowacka Barbara Anna Nowacka (born 10 May 1975) is a Polish politician. A left activist in Labour United, and later in Your Movement, in October 2015 she became leader of the United Left coalition for the 2015 Polish parliamentary election, bringing tog ...

of Polish Initiative (Inicjatywa Polska), in its annual list of the 100 most influential global thinkers for their role in organising the protest. In 2018, '' Forbes'' magazine included

on its annual European Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the "Law & Policy" category for her role as a co-founder of Razem and one of the organizers of "black protest". Since 2016, Razem has also been cooperating with the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25) pan-European movement, founded by Yanis Varoufakis. In May 2017, Varoufakis has expressed DiEM25's support for Razem in the

2019 European Parliament election The 2019 European Parliament election was held between 23 and 26 May 2019, the ninth parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979. A total of 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) represent more than 512 million peopl ...

. On 6 July 2017 Razem organised a protest against Donald Trump's visit to Poland. Protesters were dressed as handmaids from

Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of non-fiction, nin ...

's '' The Handmaid's Tale'', as a symbol of the stripping down of women's rights both in Poland and the United States. In September 2017, Razem activists filed a complaint with the National Electoral Commission on behalf of the party, alleging that the

Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists The European Conservatives and Reformists Party (ECR Party), formerly known as Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR) (2009–2016) and Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (ACRE) (2016–2019), is a Conservatis ...

had helped to fund a Law and Justice conference during the 2015 parliamentary election campaign in violation of European Parliament rules as well as Polish electoral law. On 29 October, the commission announced that it would investigate the complaint. Razem was reluctant to launch a youth organisation, claiming that the party is already run by relatively young people and does not need a separate entity for teenage activists. Eventually, in May 2019, Razem formed Młodzi Razem (The Together Youth), which recruits supporters between 13 and 25 years of age. The organisation focuses on local activism and minority rights; several of its members are assistants to the party's politicians. For the 2019 parliamentary election, Razem formed a coalition with the Democratic Left Alliance and Wiosna, known as The Left, winning 6 seats in the Sejm. Soon after the election results were announced, the National Board voted to oblige the six elected MPs to donate all income surpassing triple the minimum wage to charity; universally lowering politicians' pay to this threshold was one of the early postulates. Since the

electoral list An electoral list is a grouping of candidates for election, usually found in proportional or mixed electoral systems, but also in some plurality electoral systems. An electoral list can be registered by a political party (a party list) or can ...

was formally registered to SLD, Razem's candidates could not receive funding from their own party. Instead, they made personal donations after having cashed out "appreciation bonus" from the party's budget. The situation caused uproar and was met with opposition within Razem. Since January 2021, the party regularly releases a podcast "Partia Razem mówi ciekawe rzeczy" (''The Together Party talks about interesting stuff''). Episodes consist of interviews, discussions, solo talks, and speeches recorded during the parliamentary sessions. Outside of this, Razem livestreams on Facebook and YouTube.

Ideology

Economic, tax and labour policy

The party advocates labour rights and opposes

deregulation Deregulation is the process of removing or reducing state regulations, typically in the economic sphere. It is the repeal of governmental regulation of the economy. It became common in advanced industrial economies in the 1970s and 1980s, as a ...

and

privatisation Privatization (also privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation when ...

of public services. Among its main goals are strengthening redistribution, adopting a

35-hour workweek The 35-hour working week is a part of a labour law reform adopted in France in February 2000, under Prime Minister Lionel Jospin's Plural Left government. Pushed by Minister of Labour Martine Aubry, it was adopted in two phases: the "Aubry 1" law ...

, raising the income tax threshold to the equivalent of 12 times the minimum wage (ca. $3,200 as of 2016), establishing progressive corporate tax, and creating a healthcare programme funded directly from the state budget. It also wishes to completely remove special economic zones from Poland. The party's economic program is partially inspired by the

Nordic model The Nordic model comprises the economic and social policies as well as typical cultural practices common to the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden). This includes a comprehensive welfare state and multi-level coll ...

. The party considers itself part of the anti-austerity movement. British economist Guy Standing describes Razem as "the first authentic movement in Poland representing the precariat".Głos prekariatu – Guy Standing
at YouTube

Social policy

Razem is

on social issues, supporting

drug liberalisation Drug liberalization is a drug policy process of decriminalizing or legalizing the use or sale of prohibited drugs. Variations of drug liberalization include: drug legalization, drug re-legalization and drug decriminalization. Proponents of drug ...

, sex education in schools and LGBT rights. It also strictly follows gender quotas and is for liberalising Poland's abortion law. The party is not known to be particularly antireligious, however it does hold secular agenda, including opposition to teaching Catholic religion in public schools, outlawing the conscientious objection right, limiting state funding of the Church and taxation thereof. It has opposed the introduction of Single Member Electoral Constituencies for elections to the Polish Sejm, which in their opinion leads to the creation of a two-party system. The party maintains a nuanced attitude towards the Polish People's Republic: while condemning its authoritarian practices, it is respectful of its legacy in terms of social progression and modernization. The party also opposes the so-called decommunization laws and the Institute of National Remembrance, which they deem are used by the ruling

PiS Pis ( oc, Pis) is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France. Geography Localisation Hydrography The river Auroue forms most of the commune's eastern border. Population See also *Communes of the Gers department The fol ...

party to wage a war against the historic memory and legacy of the political left. Razem believes that Poland should "actively engage in the fight against climate change" and expresses its willingness to "take the necessary steps to adapt the economy

f Poland F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''. Hist ...

to the challenges of climate change".

Foreign and defence policy

Razem supports an active role for Poland in the international community, citing the United Nations and OSCE as the most important organizations in that context. The party is a strong supporter of the European Union and has taken a stance against Brexit. The party believes that the EU, in its current form, represents the interests of 'big business', but has nonetheless found 'indisputable successes' and could be reformed to create a 'progressive' pan-European social and tax policy. The party is a proponent of stronger

European integration European integration is the process of industrial, economic integration, economic, political, legal, social integration, social, and cultural Regional integration, integration of states wholly or partially in Europe or nearby. European integrat ...

. The party further proposes the creation of an

EU army The Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) is the European Union's (EU) course of action in the fields of defence and crisis management, and a main component of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). The CSDP involves the deplo ...

. On the other hand, it has criticised the Eurozone, stating that it had been 'poorly thought-out' and could lead to financial shocks in 'weaker Union economies', however adding that if the 'reformed' Eurozone were to become 'truly solidary', it would fully support Poland's adoption of the Euro. The party has declared that it is convinced that NATO was 'not a sufficient tool' to ensure the lasting security of Poland and Europe, instead preferring the creation of an EU Army through the

Common Security and Defence Policy The Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) is the European Union's (EU) course of action in the fields of defence and crisis management, and a main component of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). The CSDP involves the deplo ...

. It strongly supports efforts for international

arms control Arms control is a term for international restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation and usage of small arms, conventional weapons, and weapons of mass destruction. Arms control is typically exercised through the u ...

and disarmament as part of a larger 'peace policy'. The party states that it opposes 'all forms of

imperialism Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...

' and has condemned the

2003 invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...

, which they deem to be a violation of international law. It has also condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy, what they deem to be the

Kremlin The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty, Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of th ...

's 'nationalist hysteria', 'extreme conservatism' and 'legally sanctioned

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitude (psychology), attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, h ...

', as well as the Russian annexation of Crimea. It criticised the

as "Putin that has repeatedly broken international law by infringing upon the territorial integrity of a neighbouring country" . At the same time, it has criticised 'the policy of the conservative-liberal Ukrainian government'. It has stated that, if in power, it would 'support social justice

n Ukraine N, or n, is the fourteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabet# ...

and limit the influence of the Ukrainian oligarchy'. The party opposes TTIP and CETA, as they believe they will "lead to the undermining of financial stability and rapid growth of debt". It poses a welcoming stance to

refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

s entering Poland and considers it an obligation of the Polish state to 'help the most deprived'. It also opposes the construction of border barriers. The party has expressed sympathy and support for the

Syrian Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indi ...

and

Turkish Kurds The Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Turkey. According to various estimates, they compose between 15% and 20% of the population of Turkey.; ; Sandra Mackey , “The reckoning: Iraq and the legacy of Saddam”, W.W. Norton and Company, ...

and has condemned Turkey's ruling AK Party, which they consider authoritarian and discriminatory. Razem and other The Left politicians actively support the Belarusian protesters in Warsaw, following the hijacking of the Ryanair plane.

Structure

Left Together is headed by a co-leadership consisting of

and

. Until November 2022 the party had no singular leadership. Instead, it was governed by five branches: *Congress — the supreme authority of the party; elects the members of the National Executive Board, Council and Audit Commission, enacts the party program *National Council — the legislative body *National Executive Board — the executive body; members of the Board also act as public representatives of the party *National Audit Commission — the control body *National Court of Arbitration — the judicial body This structure is mirrored on the local level, with the District Assemblies, Boards and Councils. As of January 2021, the Board consists of five people: Anna Górska, Bartosz Grucela,

Paulina Matysiak Paulina Matysiak (born 2 October 1984) is a Polish local government official and political activist, serving on the national board of the democratic socialist Lewica Razem party and member of Sejm since 2019. Biography She completed her MA i ...

History

Ideology

Economic, tax and labour policy

Social policy

Foreign and defence policy

Structure

Members elected to the IX term Sejm

Election Results

Sejm

European Parliament

Presidential

See also

References