The Central Committee of the PCP analysed the results of the legislative elections that took place on 5th. June and the resulting foreseeable developments. It carried out an analysis of the economic and social situation of the country, specially the issues arising from the programme of aggression and submission drawn by the IMF/ECB/EU. It discussed and set down the Party´s main tasks.
Regarding the election results and concerning CDU, the Central Committee considers that they represent a new and stimulating sign of the sustained growth of recent years.
The result obtained represents an increase, albeit small, in terms of electoral expression and the number of deputies (from 15 to 16), with the election of a deputy in the Constituency of Faro, constitutes a factor of undeniable significance in terms of a broader acknowledgement of the role of PCP and its allies in the national political life. The ballots of more than 440 thousand voters who expressed their confidence in CDU is even more important and to be valued given that it was necessary to overcome the prevailing resignations and fears, overcome the concealment by those who never revealed their real programmes and political intentions, as well as fight artificial bipolarizations.
In view of this result one has to denounce the unabashed mystification that the court of analysts and commentators at the service of big business carries out, using the significant electoral setback of the BE [Left Bloc] and halving the number of its deputies, proclaim a loss of the parties to “the left of PS”, thus trying to devalue CDU´s result.
Regarding the results obtained by PSD, far from the votes it gathered before, they are clearly a direct expression of the discredit reached by PS who, in these elections, suffers as a result from the persisting struggle of the workers and the populations, not only an unequivocal condemnation of its policy, while obtaining one of the lowest voting ever. But the votes obtained by PSD are, above all, the results of a crafty campaign meant to hide its responsibilities in the country´s situation, conceal its identity and common path with the worst aspects of the PS government and hide its real purposes and action programme.
PCP draws attention to the fact that, the resignation of José Socrates – already accompanied by appeals from Passos Coelho [PSD leader and presumptive PM] for a wider support to the structuring measures and the emphasis by some PS leaders on what they call “responsible opposition” – constitutes an indispensible decision to open the way for a full involvement by PS, to support the materialization of the programme by the foreign troika that PS, PSD and CDS subscribed.
The result of this election – representing a majority of deputies gained by PSD and by CDS – cannot be disconnected from the set of promises and intentions that these parties spread, always concealing the memorandum they signed with the IMF and the European Union represents, in fact, their only and true action programme.
The Central Committee of the PCP notes and strongly condemns the attitude and statements by the President of the Republic, on the eve and even the day of elections, which constitute not only an intolerable pressure on the voters, expressed in the unacceptable and illegitimate denial to the citizens who could decide not to vote, the right to protest and opinion on the future of the country, and also a clear interference in the electoral choices of the Portuguese based on the insistence on “who will govern” and the promotion of those who agree with the programme of foreign interference that he unabashedly embraced.
We are aware that hard times await the workers, the people and the country. Not only because the country’s situation holds serious and severe problems, but specially it is the intention of the right-wing policy and of those who are preparing to execute and support it, to increasingly burden the living conditions of the Portuguese at the expense of largesse and supports to the economic and financial capital groups. Hard times that will demand a firm answer of resistance and struggle by the workers and the popular masses and all those who will be hit by the measures that will have to be approved by the government and the Assembly of the Republic.
A struggle that will have PCP´s presence and determination to side by side defend the rights and employment, valorise wages and pensions, support the small and medium size farmers and businessmen, make the banks, the economic groups and large fortunes pay the price of the crisis that they themselves created.
The votes now gained by PSD and CDS, but also by PS, cannot of course be invoked to legitimize the programme of foreign interference that they kept concealed, not even to justify the measures of more injustice, exploitation, impoverishment and decline that they are preparing. Hence PCP reaffirms the illegitimate character of this pact that PS, PSD and CDS imposed on the country.
In this context, it is with great concern that we witness the escalation of opinions, pressures and intents, including by PSD and CDS, who not only point to the Constitution of the Republic as an encumbrance against the projects of selling the sovereignty and increasing the exploitation of the Portuguese people, and assume its explicit and implicit subversion as the aim of their no longer disguised action in the dynamics of materializing a true constitutional coup.
The set of measures foreseen in the “Memorandum of Understanding” represents a new stage in the process of accumulation of capital that is underway in the European Union.
A programme of intervention to run until 2013 and meant to answer the interests of the creditors, speculators and banks and unload on the people more than 30 thousand million Euros in interest and which big business wants to see implemented immediately.
A programme which, while trying to impose an unprecedented regression in the living conditions of the people, ensures a direct handover of 12 thousand million Euros to the financial groups, besides 35 thousand million Euros in guarantees by the State to the banks and the sale of BPN, “cleared” of the losses, loading on the Exchequer losses that can reach five thousand million Euros, on top of more than two thousand million Euros from public funds buried in BPN and BPP.
A programme that openly confesses will result in worsening unemployment during the next two years, possibly affecting more than a million workers and an economic recession at least until 2013, effects that will further difficult the payment of the debt itself.
PCP, with the increased authority of having been the first force to propose it last 5th. April considers urgent the path of renegotiation of the Portuguese foreign public debt. An unavoidable decision, more useful if held before the appearance of the trail of destruction caused by the “austerity measures”. This is why PCP will present in the Assembly of the Republic a proposal to this effect
The Central Committee stresses that the “adjustment programmes” already imposed on Greece, Ireland and Portugal by the EU/ECB/IMF “troika”, which could be extended to Spain and other countries, besides the massive plunder of wealth created in these countries, institutionalise permanent mechanisms of interference that empty the organs of democratic sovereignty and tend to turn sovereign countries into protectorates and colonies of the great capitalist powers, This is the quantitatively new reality facing Portugal.
PCP considers that the defence of the national sovereignty has gained a decisive importance, not only to ensure the independent and progressive development of Portugal, but also to preserve the democratic character of the Republic´s institutions. The times that lie ahead demand a PCP which is stronger, forger of resistance and struggle against the right-wing policy and for a patriotic and left-wing policy.
Continuing the action “Portugal producing”, we believe that it represents the most solid and consistent proposal to lift the country from the path of withering and retreat that big business wants to impose. In this context we will continue to battle for the materialisation of a vast set of measures and policies, namely strong public investment, triggering of exceptional clauses to safeguard the productive apparatus and the micro, small and medium sized companies and lowering the costs of production factors.
PCP will intensify its intervention and political action at all levels and will present initiatives in the Assembly of the Republic: to valorise wages, namely to increase, still in 2011, the national minimum wage to 500 Euros and 25 € raise in retirement pensions; to combat precarity; to restore the cuts in social benefits, namely family allowances and unemployment subsidies; to strengthen National Health Service, public free and quality Education and Public and Universal Social Security.
The Central Committee stresses the importance of the organisation, as once again witnessed in the mass struggles and election actions and points the need to continue the materialization of the action “Forward for a stronger PCP”. And also underlines the importance of holding the “Avante” Festival on 2, 3 and 4 September and calls for a renewed commitment of the party collective to ensure its success.
