Translated “Avante!” article by Jorge Cadima, Member of the International Deparment
Currently, in Greece and France, major struggles have taken place. Left-wing self-proclaimed governments – or even the “radical left-wing” – are performing the anti-labour and social policies decided by the great financial capital. But the resistance has demonstrated, on the streets and strikes, organized by the trade-union movement and other political organizations concerned with the defence of workers’ rights and not of those who receive the profits.
One ought to remind the promises – and illusions – of change, which presided Hollande’s election, in 2012. A change of the European Union’s guide-lines and the promise of the ending of “austerity” policies. Currently, the FSP Valls government tries to impose a new labour legislation, just like the troika. Since March, and during successive struggle day’s journeys, hundreds of thousand French come out, on the streets, in order to defend life and work conditions. The state of exception, decreed by Hollande upon the Paris terrorist attempts, have been a pretext to undertake brutal repression. Far from any “national solidarity towards the struggle against terrorism”, the French government choose the moment to launch a ferocious attack against the people. It is particularly obvious that the anti-social offensive and the state of exception, are not unconnected. During the great capital Forum, in Davos, prime-minister Manuel Valls announced to the BBC that the state of exception ought to become “ prolonged indefinitely, for the necessary time”.
In Greece, the “radical left-wing Syrisa” – so promoted by a certain European left-wing, as the BE, which hung on to Tsipras neck, during the days of electoral glory to, soon after, ignore who is currently, promoting another ferocious attack against the martyr Greek people. And this time, with a pension system “reform”. As a proclaimed opponent and resistant towards the EU dictates, Tsypras government became a reliable executor of austerity policies coming from the European Commission, European Central Bank and the IMF. But Tsypras government has gone too far, collaborating with imperialist militarism. Betraying decades of solidarity of the people of Greece with the martyr people of Palestine – celebrating another anniversary of its catastrophe (Nakba) next week – becoming an ally of Netanyahu. Upon manoeuvres and military agreements in 2015, Tsipras visited Israel describing Jerusalem as its “historical capital”. Even that country’s media stated that “ on account of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the dispute on Jerusalem, many countries refused to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and quotes an Israeli ex-diplomat: “ Tsipras statement is unprecedented, specially concerning an European leader” (in i24news.tv, 2015.11. 26).
It is convenient to remember these facts, not only by being historically true, but in order to take some conclusions. On who spoke the truth and who failed it. On the role of some forces, that proclaim to belong to the left-wing, but, capitalizing the people’s discontentment, become the executants of the great capital policies when the traditional parties have no conditions to assume that same role. In order to understand the role of people like the Syriza ex-minister Varoufakis that, having abandoned the government, when Tsipras capitulated, still has the desire of - just as Obama – to advise the British to vote to stand for the EU, that so much suffering has inflicted to peoples. (in The Guardian, 2016.04.05).
Many sell illusions to peoples, with promises of easy and painless solutions. But, as the PCP has underlined, without a rupture with the great financial capital and the institutions at its service dictates – such as this irreformable European Union and more and more aggressive and dictatorable – where promises are but illusions. Illusions that help save the system. And that, when changed into treason, run the risk of opening way to even worse realities. Only the path of struggle ought to open the ways towards the future.