Gabriele Zimmer celebrates the high points of the 2009-2014 parliamentary term but criticises the management of a crisis she argues Europe had seen coming.

5 years at the helm of Parliament’s Groups: the European United Left

Time to take stock for the European  United Left / Nordic Green Left.

Their motto is to change Europe  and stop enforced budget cuts.

summarises the work  of the parliamentary group's 35 members.

Gabriele Zimmer, welcome.  2009 to 2014, five years.

What has been the most  important moment for you?

For me personally, it was being  elected President of my parliamentary group

about halfway through  the legislative term.

Or when we linked up  with people from social movements

and realised that when we take a stand  in Parliament, this is indeed noticed

What about the economy? The major topic  of the last five years has been the crisis.

How did you view this  from the perspective of your group?

And what would you do differently today?

It was already clear before this legislative  period that the crisis would hit hard,

and that the issue of how the EU combats  the crisis would dominate this period.

So therefore I'm not happy  with the way we handled it.

For example?  -I think the crisis management

because it primarily relied on people  to shoulder the effects of the crisis

when they were the least responsible,  while those who caused it were spared.

Just look at how the banks' private debts  were converted into public debts

and the subsequent massive cuts  to national budgets

which, in countries such as Greece,  Portugal, Spain and Ireland,

resulted in almost impossible  living conditions for people.

Why wasn't more done?  Parliament's left-wing isn't all that bad.

Weren't you able to liaise with the others,  the Social Democrats, the Greens?

There was opportunity for real cooperation.

Only on certain points.  The Social Democrats initially supported

the ideology of austerity  and claimed that such was the situation,

the Greeks hadn't set themselves up  properly, had lived above their means,

and therefore they would now  have to endure cutbacks.

Until they came to realise that the measures

prescribed in the name  of the Troika and the EU

would fail and wouldn't put the burden  of financing the debts on those responsible.

Do you now think that no-one in the Troika  knew where the journey was headed?

I think no one is prepared  to take the blame.

There are vast differences of opinion  within the Troika about its self-concept,

but also about who is actually responsible  for the Troika exerting pressure

to reduce wages, to cut jobs, to privatise  public property and state institutions.

Now nobody wants to take the blame  for this, and that's what I think is wrong.

They should own up to it  so that they can be held accountable,

and forced to change their policies,  otherwise it's all up in the air.

You would have acted differently?  -Yes, of course.

By not establishing bailout funds  for the banks, but holding them responsible;

by holding the financial market  speculators responsible;

and above all by financing future investment  programmes that support the social aspect,

the creation and retention of jobs, as well  as small and medium-sized enterprises.

A lot could have been done.  -According to statistics,

the conservatives  are dominating Europe.

But your own election prospects  aren't all that bad.

People say there might well  be a surprise, as it were.

You mean the future of the Left  or of the Parliament?

The future of the Parliament  including the future of the Left.

I see, okay, let's look  at it from this angle.

We had a small taste of what's to come a  few weeks ago with the Estrela report vote,

trying hard to overturn important values  and retract established standards,

particularly regarding women's rights  to self-determination.

There were arguments about recognising  all lifestyles and marriages.

I expect the election campaigns  will draw this into focus even more.

And I fear there will be an increase  in national conservatism,

something resembling  a European Tea Party.

The utter intolerance I detect in some  does make me shudder.

Gabriele Zimmer, thanks for talking to us.  -Thank you.