Translated "Avante!" article by Pedro Guerreiro, Member of the PCP Central Committee and of the International Department
In view of the capitalist system ’s continuous deepening crisis and the growing contradictions which show up the great European Union powers and their financial and economic groups, highlighting Germany, seeking for “outcomes” which might better respond to their objectives /purposes, considering the crisis’ consequences ( which, once again, they unleashed), safeguarding to the utmost their interests and, if possible, using it to strengthen its economic and political power instruments.
It is within this framework that the widely and exhaust announced intentions and purposes of alteration on the European Union treaties must be understood. And as expected, instead of the latter questioning the major policies within the core of the European capitalist integration - the very same ones which are in the origin of the current economic and social situation of the majority of the European Union countries, namely Portugal,- they instead, aim at their reinforcement.
In other words, the great capital, highlighting the German, and considering the moment has come to carry out another hard attack on national sovereignty ( to what is “left over…”),in order to secure the policy budget control of the Euro zone countries.
Ambition could not be clearer: to wholly control the states’ economic policy. Disrespect towards the Portuguese people’s sovereignty ( and towards the institutions that have to guarantee and exercise it) would be so serious that apparently “two” options would be presented: carry out the settled European Union policies ( or in other words, by its German-French directorate) or, before its inevitable economic consequences, be sanctioned and watch its sovereign rights being entirely questioned, at the mercy of any European Union “pro-consul”. The absurd has reached unto the announcement of the intention of suspending a country’s right to vote concerning decisions it might have to obliged to apply - what , in practise, would mean the imposing of the suspension ( expulsion) of its rights as a Euro zone member, and carry on submitted to its policies.
The real contours, scope, time and form of settling the new federalist leap in preparation, are not clear, and it stands out one is before a serious and unacceptable threat unto workers and the Portuguese people, which, at heart, has as an objective the perpetuation of the European Union policies and interference imposition ( along with its institutions), currently settled by the aggression pact - which would become institutionalized -, and the country’s condemnation to dependence and underdevelopment.
The current reality and the new leap within the European capitalist integration now announced, upon 26 years of EU integration, demonstrate the path unto the country’s problems’ solution and the response to the workers and the Portuguese people ’s needs will not pass by the decision of those who always administrated and submitted to this “integration“ , nor by the institutions under their power (Commission, Counsel or European Union’s European Parliament).
Well on the contrary, the necessary path is the rupture with this current European capitalist integration and its federalist, neo-liberal and military direction, more and more outstanding. The path towards the strengthening and the free power of national sovereignty and the recovery of the necessary instruments for the exercise of a patriotic and left-wing policy, on which the country’s economic development will have as a foundation, at the workers’ and people’s service, within a framework of. cooperation with all peoples.