TODAY, hundreds are gathering in central London for the the ¡No Pasaran! conference — to confront the rise of the far right and plan for co-operation and co-ordinated action to meet the threats we face.

There is no doubt the issue is taken seriously in our movement: Esther Lynch, confederal secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation is joining us, alongside trade unionists, activists and politicians from across the continent, together with our shadow home secretary Diane Abbott MP, film maker Ken Loach and author and activist Tariq Ali. Dozens of organisations and campaigns are supporting the day’s events.

The urgency of this issue is growing. The far right has had a real boost with the election of Trump to the White House; they are increasingly internationalised, well-funded and well-organised. Sometimes their victories come through the ballot box, but the ongoing economic and political attacks on Venezuela are another example of how aggressive and resurgent far-right politics operate — and military intervention to hammer that home may not be far away. The victory of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil has already extended this wave into Latin America — and Trump’s eyes are also on Cuba and Nicaragua. What is happening in Latin America requires close scrutiny because this could be the shape of things to come elsewhere if we don’t get organised.

The far right is also very much on the offensive across Europe and has made deeply troubling advances, both in governmental terms and in the way it has shifted the narrative of mainstream parties. This is the biggest upsurge since the 1930s, coming after decades when such forces were consigned to the absolute margins of politics. It’s hard to believe that the far right has made a comeback but it’s happening with frightening rapidity. From street attacks and mobilisations to government office, they use Islamophobia, anti-semitism, xenophobia and racism to spread hate and fear. They attack trade unionists and the left, and the rights and liberties of us all.

These developments must be countered by rapid and effective mobilisation from the labour and progressive movement. We must be united in Britain and across Europe, and beyond, to defeat this immensely dangerous political turn. This is vital because far-right domination of European politics would spell disaster for millions across the continent.

The ¡No Pasaran! conference in London today, named for the Spanish anti-fascist cry of the 1930s – “they shall not pass” – is designed to help shape the necessary unity and coordination. It is bringing together left and progressive forces from Europe and further afield: to work together, analyse, and strategise to counter the far right; to promote viable political alternatives and coordinate an effective response. The conference is an initiative of Transform, a journal of the radical left linked to the European Transform network, partnering such organisations as the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Germany and Espaces Marx in France.

The conference is taking place over six venues in Bloomsbury, in central London. Speakers and delegations are coming from many countries, including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Estonia and Brazil. A large delegation is joining us from the new student movement in Hungary — Szabad Egyetem — which has been organising against Orban’s “slave law”.

This conference is looking at a range of areas including:

• the increasingly authoritarian and “nativist” — “our country first” — turn of neoliberal governments
• electoral advances of far-right parties and a shift to the right in governing parties such as the Conservatives in the UK
• the link between far-right protest movements and these electoral advances
• the empowerment and utilisation of far-right extra-parliamentary forces by governing/parliamentary far-right parties, and
• international coordination between far-right parties and movements across Europe, with input from the US.

It will look at these developments as part of the general economic and social crises arising from the neoliberal project, in particular since the economic crisis of 2008 which has resulted in a massive attack on — and fall in — working-class living standards. Workshops are investigating the extent to which working-class resistance to this onslaught has been weakened and dissipated by the use of racism and the weaponisation of the migrant crisis. Historical experiences of fascism and the lessons that can be learned from previous resistance will also be investigated.

Speakers will also look at the impact of the generally desperate state of the traditional parties of European social democracy (notwithstanding the resurgence of the Labour Party) and their failure to oppose neoliberalism and put forward viable political alternatives.

It is a key priority of the conference to be genuinely European, bringing the voices of the activists and communities in Europe to be heard and engaged with in London. In the late 1990s and early 2000s there were successful efforts to mobilise British contingents for anti-globalisation and anti-war protests across Europe and hosting of speakers from across Europe (and beyond) was a common feature of political events. It’s now urgent to renew this positive interaction and work towards a real coordination of activity across Europe — a genuine solidarity which will help us not only join the struggle against the far right, but win it.

The conference is followed by a cultural evening, showcasing “Lampedusa: a story of two Europes”, the acclaimed play by award-winning writer Anders Lustgarten, starring Louise Mai Newberry and Steven Elder. Tickets are still available for this evening if you can come down to central London for 7pm. The evening rounds off with the amazing Dodo Modern Poets and Kurdish Music and Song with Resho Zelal.

European Conference ¡No Pasaran! Confronting the Rise of the Far Right, March 2 2019: 9.30 to 5pm Bloomsbury Central, 235 Shaftesbury Ave, London WC2H 8EP