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1. Given the intense and dangerous operation of speculation orchestrated from the centers of decision of big capital, PCP alerts to the disquieting maneuver that the PS and PSD (the Socialist and Social-Democratic Parties) – associated with the circles and interests of financial capital and the economic groups –are carrying out to intensify the attacks upon living condition and the rights of workers, and pursuing their policies of economic and social disaster. The Political Committee of the Central Committee of PCP underlines that the situation of our country is the result of the disastrous right-wing policies and their submission to the interests and blackmail of national and international big capital and reiterates that the answer to our national problems demands and urgent rupture with this policy, and a new policy, patriotic and left-wing.
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2. The recent speculative movements by financial capital targeting the Portuguese economy, together with similar operations directed against other European countries, are the expression of the structural and systemic character of the present crisis of capitalism.
Blatantly refuting the discourse of "recovery" and "light at the end of the tunnel", the international situation continues to be marked by a persistent economic recession and a predictable long period of stagnation – accompanied by an increase in unemployment, the negative evolution of demand, by de-industrialization, and by increasing public deficits – that will lead to new and even more dangerous explosions of crisis, of security, militarist and anti-democratic shifts in the system and the deepening of inter-imperialist rivalries.
3. The "wave" of financial speculation aimed at the most vulnerable and dependent economies of the Euro zone is the result of the financialization of the world economy, the destruction of the productive sectors of these economies and is the expression of the volatility of financial markets. The Rating Agencies, the most visible element, is also an expression of a greater and more decisive issue –the process of capitalist integration and its associated instruments: promotion of free and deregulated circulation of capitals, liberalization of markets and growing financialization of the economy; the reduction of public investment under the pretext of the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP); deregulation of labor relations and devaluation of wages as factors of increased exploitation; the liberalization and privatization of public services; the concentration of economic and political power at the global and European levels.
The "scores" of the Ranking Agencies, recently targeting Portugal, Greece and Spain, translate a clear option about the present moment and the targets of an artificial and selective dramatization of the associated public deficits and financial speculation. But they are also inseparable from the political decisions of big capital and the big powers (as the reactions of Germany and the European Union notably reveal) and express the submissive character that economies, as that of Portugal, have in the framework of the dominant interests of the European Union and the Euro.
The new "wave"of speculation is equally inseparable from from a new qualitative stage in the development of the current crisis of capitalism, with the intensification of the processes of concentration and centralization of capital and the deepening of inter-imperialist contradiction in the economic arena and, in particular, the monetary question among European powers, like Germany, and the USA.
The discourse of "responsibility" and "regulation" propagandized a few months ago was rapidly abandoned given the ravenous speculation and exploitation of the present crisis of capitalism. The "speculators" against which some show indignation are none other that the worshiped markets of yesterday which those same people claim to wish to "calm down" by satisfying their impositions once again.
4. PCP alerts to the vast offensive against the rights of workers and peoples aiming to bring forth from the present crisis a new framework of relations between Capital and Labor that is even more favorable to the processes of exploitation.
What is truly occurring is an unacceptable and criminal processes of capitalist concentration and centralization operation in conjunction by big transnational capital and the major global capitalist powers. This financial capital, which received billions of Euros from State safes, is exactly the same that is now speculating on the fragility of the public budgets created by those same supports and by economic dependency. The same governments that raced to save financial capital, during the first explosion of the present crisis, are the same that, lamenting "the speculative attacks and the turbulence of the markets", now race to approve new plans of capitalist exploitation that rolls out the red carpet to the pillaging by financial capital while transferring the costs of the theft onto the workers and peoples.
What is clear with the most recent events and decisions – as is so clear in the case of Greece – is that big capital aims to increase the exploitation of workers and peoples and potentiate its own profits (counting on the the active collaboration of submissive governments) and not "help" or "support" the more debilitated economies, as has been falsely invoked.
Given the news of the unacceptable measures imposed on Greece by the European Union and the IMF, approved and defended by the Greek government, the Political Committee of PCP expresses its solidarity towards the workers of Greece, their class trade union movement and to Greek communists.
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5. In the European Union, the crisis is used for the concentration of the economic and political power, for greater strides in the liberalization of markets and for the consolidation of the directive of its great powers.
One by one, the dogmas of the European Union and the instruments designed to impose an accelerated capitalist integration, fall by the wayside: from the Stability and Growth Pact to budgetary issues, from the role and orientation of the European Central Bank to the Euro itself. The deeply neoliberal character of the announced 2020 Strategy; the selective dramatization of the public deficits and the Greek test model; the insulting proposals, interferences and ultimata (like those of Angela Merkel) well reveal the level of falsehood behind the discourses of solidarity, cohesion and a "social Europe" and clearly place in evidence the reals purpose of the instruments contained in the treaties and common policies.
6. The Euro and the Economic and Monetary Union merely aim to serve the interests of financial capital and the big European powers. They do not seek cooperation and the balanced and sustainable development of all peoples, but the strengthening of the capacity of the most powerful to impose its laws and continue to ravage resources and intensify unequal trade, with the maintenance of a Europe of exploitation, unemployment and poverty.
Our country is not condemned to inevitable surrender before financial capital and big powers. Recovering national sovereignty, the capacity to intervene in our own economy, develop and protect our productive sector, create employment, bet on a strong and dynamic State business sector, take party of our comparative advantages, diversity economic relations, namely with the so-called emerging economies, intervene decisively for a change in the current course of the European Union, and decisions that are with the reach of the Portuguese people and that constitute the only real line of combat against the vulnerability of our economy.
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7. PCP alerts to the maneuvers that PS and PSD and preparing: under the pretext of the situation and shadowed by a condemnable attitude of capitulation, they aim to stake new and more serious steps against worker's rights and the living conditions of the Portuguese people.
The meeting between José Sócrates and Passos Coelho [the leaders of these two parties] and the resulting undisguisable mutual commitment in pursuing and accelerating each and all of the threats contained in the SGP discredits the staged distancing with which PSD sought to give the impression it does not totally identify with the essential options assumed by the PS and is a clear sigh that what is being prepared are new sacrifices and not an answers to problems.
In name of the speculative threat that PS and PSD have in sight – in an elucidating confluence of interests of big capital – it is the handing over of more money to speculators.
PCP alerts to the fanciful ideal sold by José Sócrates and Passos Coelho about signs of trust to "calm" the marks, which is not only a manifest confession of national capitulation, but also a anticipated declaration that PS and PSD are preparing to favor those who speculate and blackmail.
Whan what is demanded is a new policy, and energetic position against the restriction of the Economic and Monetary Union and the demand to an end of the speculation that is dragging the country to disaster, what big capital claims for and that PS and PSD adopt are new cuts in wages, in unemployment subsidies and other social benefits, longer working hours, the privatization of State services and companies.
PCP denounces the new restriction now announced for the unemployment subsidy that, beyond demonstrating a despicable indifference to human dignity, stands as a deliberate instrument at the service of an increase of exploitation, lowering of wages and an incentive to lay-offs, claimed by big business bosses.
8. As PCP as long alerted to, the central problem of the country is not the public deficit or public debt, but the external global debt (public and private) resulting from de-industrialization, the decay of the productive sector, privatizations, the dominion of foreign capital and a monetary and exchange policy conducted by the ECB, that is highly prejudicial to our exports and productive activities.
The solution to the national problems is inseparable from a strong affirmation of our sovereignty, which presupposes a decisive struggle against speculation, a trust in our productive sector, the valuing of wages, and a dynamic public investment. A policy that inverts the one-way course of deepening inequalities and injustices and that imposes upon financial capital, on huge profits and stock market speculation a tax that ends with the shocking regime of luxury and fiscal waivers.
But also demands a courageous and patriotic attitude of affirmation of national interests and of demanding in the European Union measures that can counteract speculation and the attacks on our sovereignty. An attitude that defends a rupture with the neoliberal and federalist course of the European Union that presides over the orientations of its economic and monetary policies and demands and end to the "Stability and Growth Pact".An attitude that has as its central axis a rupture with the anti-social policies of the European Union well laid out in the "2020 Strategy". An attitude that defends a real convergence founded on social progress, the support to national production, public investment, the strengthening of public services, employment with rights. An attitude of firm struggle against the "free" circulation of capitals, namely demanding the end of fiscal safe-havens and financial derivative products, as well as a genuine fight against financial and stock-market speculation.
9. What the situation imposes is a patriotic affirmation of national sovereignty and the demand of the defense of national interests. What the situation imposes is a left-wing policy that decisively breaks away with the tracks of decline and regression that the successive governments have imposed on the country. What the situation imposes is, rejecting and condemning the attitude of national betrayal of the dominant classes to the interests of big powers, an affirmation of a new course capable of defending the sovereign development of the country, the elevation of the living condition of the workers and people, and the promotion of progress and social justice.
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10. The Political Committee of PCP underlines the decisive role that the mass struggle – in particular the struggle of the laboring and working class – can and should assume in resisting this new offensive.
The grandiose day of struggle on May 1st and the national action called for by CGTP-IN for May 29th are the expression of a movement of protest and firm determination in striking back and resisting the new projects of intensification of the exploitation of workers. The Political Committee of the Central Committee of PCP appeals that all militants, by their action, clarifying and mobilizing contribute to broaden the current of those that struggle and resist against new attacks on rights and affirm by their action and unshakable confidence in a more just, developed and sovereign country.
11. The action of PCP, centered on denouncing the SGP, on affirming a new policy and a new course for the country, with the objective of holding 500 initiatives until the summer, constitutes a central element in the popular clarification and mobilization to resist the projects of the government and to point the country and the Portuguese towards and alternative, left-wing and patriotic policy capable of answering the main national problems.
