Zhou Miao: Overall Strength Is Rising, Regional Differences Are Significant
In 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to linger and recur, while the Ukraine crisis persisted, rendering the global security situation more complex and volatile. The global peace deficit, development deficit, and governance deficit intensified, and human society faced unprecedented challenges. The development of foreign left-wing forces also faced various risks and challenges; they responded proactively in both theory and practice in hopes of making a difference and seeking greater space for development. Faced with a complex international situation, the world’s left-wing forces urgently need to exchange ideas and learn from one another, build consensus, and make new adjustments and responses to promote world peace, stability, and development.
North American and European Left: Intensifying Political Struggles with the Right
In recent years, as the structural crisis of capitalism in Euro-American countries has continued to evolve and political turmoil has intensified, left-wing forces in North America and Europe have also been in a state of upheaval, transformation, fragmentation, and reorganization. Social protest movements in the Euro-American region have surged, providing left-wing forces with certain developmental opportunities and space. In the United Kingdom, low pay and persistent inflation caused the largest strikes in decades, as ordinary laborers from various industries—including nurses, dockworkers, airport staff, subway drivers, bus drivers, firefighters, and miners—carried out strike movements under the leadership of trade unions. Left-wing forces such as the Communist Party of Britain, the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist), and the Young Communist League participated and played active roles. In November 2022, the University and College Union (UCU) organized a strike of over 70,000 university staff, affecting 2.5 million students at 150 universities, making it the "largest strike in the history of higher education" in the UK. In France, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the left-wing party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed), joined other progressives in calling for a general strike. On October 16, 2022, tens of thousands of people held demonstrations in Paris. On October 18, demonstrations broke out again across France; many protesters clashed with police, with a total of approximately 300,000 people participating. On October 27, thousands of workers marched in Paris demanding wage increases. Statistics from the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) showed that over 100,000 people participated in protests across France that same day.
In North America, the U.S. "Poor People's Campaign" organized a massive march in Washington, D.C., on June 18, 2022, with thousands of participants. The American left-wing political organization "Democratic Socialists of America" (DSA) has developed rapidly, actively participating in American political life and organizing numerous social movements; its membership climbed quickly from over 60,000 in 2019 to 92,000 in 2022. Membership in the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) also grew rapidly from 5,000 in 2018 to 11,000 in 2022. Additionally, the seat count of the progressive caucus within the U.S. Democratic Party in Congress rose to 101 in March 2022, exceeding the moderate caucus in numbers for the first time. This caucus advocates for addressing poverty and income inequality, eliminating structural racism, cutting military spending, and strengthening regulation of financial institutions, while opposing "revolving door" politics [1] and the privileges of the wealthy; its first chair was the left-wing Senator Bernie Sanders. In Canada, the left-wing party Québec Solidaire gained one additional seat in the Quebec provincial elections held in October 2022 for a total of 11 seats, ranking third in the National Assembly.
In Europe, the tendency toward a structural rightward shift in the political arena is very evident. Far-right parties in countries such as France, Spain, Italy, and Sweden have developed rapidly and have taken power in some nations. The problem of left-wing fragmentation remains severe, and left-wing forces exhibit starkly different developmental trends: the influence of Green parties, which align with environmental demands, is rising, while traditional left-wing parties such as Social Democratic and Socialist parties suffer from a lack of momentum. Currently, the developmental circumstances of European left-wing parties can be broadly divided into three categories.
The first category includes left-wing parties that have developed rapidly within their countries or specific regions, successfully gaining governing status or exerting significant influence on the political landscape despite not holding power. In the UK, Sinn Féin, a left-wing party advocating for Northern Ireland’s withdrawal from the UK, defeated the pro-British right-wing Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections in May 2022, becoming the largest party in the Assembly. In France, La France Insoumise has developed rapidly; in the June 2022 National Assembly elections, the New Ecological and Social People's Union (NUPES)—a coalition composed of La France Insoumise, the Socialist Party, the Communist Party, and the Greens—performed exceptionally well. Its seats soared from 57 to 142, leaping to become the second-largest group in the National Assembly and directly leading to a "hung parliament." In Malta, the left-wing Labour Party won the general election again in March 2022, and Labour leader and Prime Minister Robert Abela successfully secured reelection. In Serbia, the Serbian Progressive Party led by Aleksandar Vučić again won the presidential election, while the electoral alliance led by Ivica Dačić, chairman of the left-wing Socialist Party of Serbia (an ally of the Progressive Party), won 31 seats in the parliamentary elections. The Socialist Party’s predecessor was the League of Communists of Serbia; after this election, the Socialist Party again cooperated with the Progressive Party to form a new government, and Dačić successfully became First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The second category refers to cases where left-wing parties hold governing positions, but right-wing forces—especially far-right forces—exhibit strong momentum, severely challenging the left’s governing status. In Germany, Die Linke (The Left), the successor to the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) that ruled the former East Germany, lost all its seats in the Saarland State Parliament. Meanwhile, the influence of the Green Party has significantly increased, with its parliamentary seats growing substantially in some states; in the Schleswig-Holstein elections, it defeated the Social Democratic Party (SPD) to become the second-largest party in the state parliament. In Portugal, the left-wing Socialist Party led by António Costa won 120 out of 230 parliamentary seats in the January 2022 elections, successfully forming a majority government. However, the Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU), a left-wing electoral alliance composed of the Portuguese Communist Party and the Ecologist Party "The Greens," suffered a heavy blow, with its seats falling from 12 to 6. In Spain, Pedro Sánchez, candidate of the left-wing Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), won the 2019 general election and became Prime Minister, but the right-wing People's Party (PP) shows a clear recovery trend, and the emerging far-right party VOX has jumped to become the third-largest party in the country. In the Castile and León regional elections in February 2022 and the Andalusia regional elections in June, the PP defeated the PSOE; as VOX’s influence continues to climb, the developmental prospects for left-wing parties are not optimistic. In Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, the candidate of the left-wing Austrian Green Party, was successfully reelected as president, but the largest party in parliament is the right-wing Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), and the Chancellor is Karl Nehammer, chairman of the ÖVP. In Denmark, the left-wing Social Democratic Party led by Mette Frederiksen again became the largest party in the November 2022 parliamentary elections, but the seats held by the right-wing Liberal Alliance grew substantially, and the newly formed right-wing Denmark Democrats leaped to become the fifth-largest party in parliament, presenting no small challenge to the left.
The third category involves the continuous development of right-wing forces, particularly the far-right, resulting in the left losing power or becoming increasingly withered. In Italy, a center-right coalition composed of Brothers of Italy (FdI), the League, and Forza Italia won the election; Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy became the largest party in parliament with 26% of the vote. In Sweden, a right-wing alliance of the Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats, Moderate Party, and Liberals ended eight years of left-wing rule in the September 2022 general election; the support for the far-right Sweden Democrats rose sharply, surpassing the Moderate Party to become the second-largest party in parliament. In the Czech Republic, left-wing influence is very limited; in the September 2022 elections for one-third of the Senate, all 27 seats went to right-wing parties, leaving the left with nothing. In Latvia, the Social Democratic Party "Harmony," previously the largest party in parliament, lost all its seats, dealing a heavy blow to the left as right-wing forces generally dominated the political landscape. In Bulgaria, the right wing occupies the mainstream, and the influence of the far-right Revival party is rising rapidly.
Left-wing Forces in Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East: Seeking Development Amidst Crises
In 2022, several countries in Asia and Oceania held elections, and the development of left-wing forces was generally stable. Although left-wing forces in countries such as Japan, South Korea, and India performed poorly in elections, they still maintain considerable influence. Left-wing forces in Oceanian countries like Australia and Papua New Guinea continued to develop and achieved electoral victories. In Japan, the 26th House of Councillors election was held on July 10, 2022; the emerging left-wing party Reiwa Shinsengumi gained three seats, while support for traditional left-wing forces like the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party again saw varying degrees of decline. In South Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, candidate of the right-wing People Power Party, narrowly defeated Lee Jae-myung, candidate of the left-wing Democratic Party of Korea, in the March 2022 presidential election.
In India, where numerous political parties exist, the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi holds a dominant position. While the overall developmental trend of left-wing forces has been poor in recent years, they still possess significant influence. In July and August 2022, BJP candidates Droupadi Murmu and Jagdeep Dhankhar were elected President and Vice President, respectively, by absolute majorities. Since losing its governing status in Tripura in 2018, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) lost another seat in the June 2022 Tripura Legislative Assembly by-election. However, the CPI(M) still retains substantial influence: the Left Democratic Front (LDF) it leads has maintained consecutive rule in Kerala; the "Grand Alliance" involving the CPI(M), the CPI, and the CPI(ML) governs in Bihar; and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), a center-left coalition in which the CPI(M) participates, governs in Rajasthan. Simultaneously, the Indian left possesses strong mobilization power for organizing protest activities. In March 2022, several trade unions affiliated with the CPI(M) and the center-left Indian National Congress organized a nationwide general strike to protest the policies of the Modi government. The CPI(M) called it "one of the largest general strikes in the history of the Indian working class," and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) stated that approximately 250 million people participated. In Nepal, due to internal strife among Communist factions and continuous interference from external forces like the U.S. and India, the center-left Nepali Congress became the largest party in the November 2022 elections. The seats won by the CPN (UML), the CPN (Maoist Centre), and the CPN (Unified Socialist) all saw significant declines. Although the Democratic Left Alliance—composed of the Nepali Congress, the CPN (Maoist Centre), and the CPN (Unified Socialist)—won the election, power-sharing negotiations between the Nepali Congress and the CPN (Maoist Centre) collapsed afterward. In the resulting "hung parliament," the CPN (Maoist Centre) announced a new governing alliance with the former opposition CPN (UML), and Prachanda, leader of the CPN (Maoist Centre), assumed the office of Prime Minister. In Malaysia, the center-left political alliance Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) won the most seats in the November 2022 general election but failed to win a simple majority, leading to Malaysia’s first "hung parliament." Ultimately, under the appointment of Malaysia's Supreme Head of State (Yang di-Pertuan Agong) Abdullah, Pakatan Harapan candidate Anwar Ibrahim became the new Prime Minister. In Timor-Leste, José Ramos-Horta, candidate of the left-wing National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT), defeated Francisco "Lú-Olo" Guterres, candidate of the left-wing FRETILIN, in the second round of the presidential election in April 2022.
In Australia, Anthony Albanese, candidate of the left-wing Australian Labor Party, won the federal parliamentary election in May 2022 and assumed the office of Prime Minister. In this election, the influence of the left-wing Australian Greens continued to climb; they currently hold 12...
With four Senators and four MPs, the Greens have become a pivotal left-wing force within Australia. In Papua New Guinea, the National Parliament elections were held in July 2022; the Pangu Pati, a left-wing party, saw its seats rise sharply from 9 to 39, leaping forward to become the largest party in Parliament. In the same election, other left-wing parties including the Social Democratic Party, the United Labour Party, and the Green Party performed well, all seeing increases in their seat counts. In 2022, due to the intensification of conflicts between domestic political factions and meddling by the United States behind the scenes, the Middle East remained turbulent and war-torn; yet left-wing forces struggled forward. In Lebanon, where sectarian parties hold far greater influence than left-wing parties, the country has remained in political flux since the 2019 crisis, seeing frequent changes of Prime Ministers. It was not until May 2022 that the first parliamentary elections were held, in which neither the Hezbollah nor the Lebanese Forces camps secured a majority, leaving an economically depressed Lebanon in a political stalemate. It is worth noting, however, that the Lebanese Communist Party historically won one seat in this election, and the Progressive Socialist Party, another left-wing party, secured eight seats. In Israel, the right-wing Likud bloc, led by former Prime Minister Netanyahu, maintained its status as the largest party in the November 2022 parliamentary elections, and Netanyahu once again served as Prime Minister. These elections saw a powerful rise of far-right parties, with the Religious Zionist Party's seats rising sharply to become the third-largest party, while left-wing forces represented by Hadash-Ta'al, the Israeli Labor Party, and Meretz suffered heavy losses.
Latin American Left: Welcoming a New "Pink Tide"
In recent years, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and other events has further exacerbated systemic economic and social crises in Latin America, accelerating the "pendulum effect" in Latin American politics. In 2022, left-wing political movements continued to sweep across the continent with unstoppable momentum. In Colombia, left-wing forces achieved significant growth; in the March 2022 parliamentary elections, left-wing forces represented by the Historic Pact for Colombia, the Liberal Party, and the Green Alliance all saw varying degrees of seat increases. Subsequently, Gustavo Petro, the candidate of the Historic Pact coalition, won the second round of the presidential election in June, becoming Colombia's first leftist president in the post-war era. In Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the candidate of the left-wing Workers' Party (PT), defeated far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro in the second round of the presidential election on October 30, 2022, returning the left to the helm of Latin America's largest nation. In Barbados, the left-wing Barbados Labour Party, led by Mia Mottley, won every seat in the House of Assembly in the January 2022 elections, with Mottley securing a second term as Prime Minister in a landslide victory. In Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, leader of the left-wing Dominica Labour Party, won the December 2022 general election and was reappointed Prime Minister. To date, left-wing forces hold power in countries including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba, Honduras, and Nicaragua. More than 80% of the Latin American population lives in countries governed by the left, marking a historic climax for the Latin American left-wing political movement. Although this new "Pink Tide" has greatly shifted the regional balance of political power, left-wing parties still face severe tests of governance. In December 2022, Peru's left-wing president Pedro Castillo attempted to dissolve Congress but was impeached, removed from office, and arrested by military and police; currently, the left-wing coalition holds only one-third of the seats in Congress, while the right-wing opposition led by Keiko Fujimori remains the dominant force, leaving the left facing many constraints. Looking at the development prospects of this new "Pink Tide," although Latin America possesses the objective conditions for left-wing growth, deep-seated economic maladies are difficult to reverse. Left-wing parties themselves face internal issues such as corruption, and they contend with intense suppression from the right and continuous interference from external forces like the United States. The political pendulum effect is unlikely to be eliminated in the short term.
The African Left: Steadily Expanding Influence
The African left-wing movement has a long history and has achieved noteworthy developmental milestones in recent years. In 2022, as several African nations held elections, left-wing forces maintained a generally positive trend of steady development despite specific challenges. In the Republic of the Congo, left-wing forces hold a dominant position; the Congolese Party of Labour (PCT), led by Denis Sassou Nguesso, won 112 seats in the July 2022 parliamentary elections, while the second-largest party, the left-wing Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS), secured seven seats. In Senegal, the Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (PASTEF), a left-wing party founded in 2014, has shown rapid momentum; it won only one seat in the 2017 elections but historically secured 56 seats in the July 2022 elections, leaping forward to become the second-largest party in Parliament. In Angola, João Lourenço, the candidate of the left-wing People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), was successfully re-elected as President, and the party maintained its status as the largest in Parliament with 124 seats in 2022. It is notable, however, that the right-wing National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) continued its upward trend since 2012, with its seats growing rapidly from 51 in 2017 to 90, firmly establishing itself as the second-largest party and posing an increasing threat to the left. In Kenya, Raila Odinga, the candidate of the left-wing Orange Democratic Movement, lost by a narrow margin to William Ruto of the right-wing United Democratic Alliance in the August 2022 presidential election. Nevertheless, the Azimio la Umoja coalition led by Odinga and the Kenya Kwanza alliance led by Ruto formed a largely balanced political landscape in the parliamentary elections, with both alliances holding 33 seats in the Senate, and 158 and 179 seats respectively in the National Assembly. In Lesotho, the Revolution for Prosperity party (RFP), established just in March 2022, swept to 56 seats in the October parliamentary elections to become the largest party. The left-wing Democratic Congress (DC) won 29 seats, maintaining its position as the second-largest party. Emerging left-wing parties, the Basotho Action Party and the Socialist Revolutionaries, won six and two seats respectively, ranking fourth and eighth.
Currently, some left-wing forces in African countries are also facing crises of decline. In the Gambia, the newly formed National People's Party led by incumbent President Adama Barrow won the April 2022 parliamentary elections with 18 seats, while the left-wing United Democratic Party and the People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism suffered setbacks, winning 15 and 2 seats respectively—decreases of 16 and 2 seats compared to the previous election. In São Tomé and Príncipe, the Independent Democratic Action party, considered centrist, won a majority with 30 seats in the September 2022 elections, while the left-wing Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe – Social Democratic Party (MLSTP-PSD) saw its seats fall from 23 to 18.
Conclusion
At present, the political game between the left and right around the world is becoming increasingly complex, with left-wing forces facing many new opportunities and challenges. From the perspective of opportunities, the political and economic crises spreading across the West have provided a social foundation for the revival of left-wing forces. In recent years, complex factors such as the lingering pandemic, great power competition, and the Ukraine crisis have resonated together, leading to a global economic recession, extreme polarization of wealth, and a sudden surge in the cost of living, triggering strong public dissatisfaction. In 2022, the density and scale of labor movements and protests in many countries—including the United States, Britain, France, and India—grew significantly, and public approval for labor unions rose markedly. A 2022 annual Gallup poll showed that support for unions in the U.S. reached a historic record of 71%, its highest level since 1965. Social protest movements triggered by political and economic crises are important forms for exposing the inherent contradictions of capitalism, articulating left-wing propositions, and promoting organizational building. Looking ahead, while the prospects for global economic recovery are uncertain and social fractures may be difficult to heal in the short term, left-wing forces face new windows of opportunity for development.
From the perspective of challenges, despite increasingly close exchanges between global left-wing forces, internal divisions remain the greatest obstacle to a grand coalition of foreign left-wing forces. In 2022, foreign left-wing forces conducted in-depth exchanges and discussions on major theoretical and practical issues through the World Social Forum, the 7th "Common Vision for the Left" seminar, the Internationalist and Anti-Imperialist International Conference, and the 6th European Left Forum. They achieved new developments through their reflection on, criticism of, and transformation of capitalism, creating favorable conditions for deepening theoretical research, strengthening organizational power, and enhancing comprehensive influence. However, the global left has diverged on issues such as the nature of the Ukraine crisis; left-wing forces in the Global South, represented by India, Vietnam, South Africa, and Bolivia, hold a relatively positive evaluation of Russia, while left-wing forces in Northern countries are more critical. In fact, various differences and debates within the left-wing camp have a long history and are widespread. Facing the new opportunities and challenges brought by the turbulent situation, the left in all countries should distinguish between the "mainstream and the tributaries," [2] set aside disputes, strengthen the exchange and mutual learning of theories and action strategies, and move forward on the basis of building consensus. In particular, faced with the increasingly fierce clash of political ideological trends, left-wing forces need to consider how to promote left-wing unity through new organizational forms and strategic thinking, replacing "competitive confrontation" with "solidarity and symbiosis," and avoiding "limiting oneself to a small circle." [3]
(The author is affiliated with the Institute of Marxism Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)