February 13, 2011

The Central Political Committee (CPC) of SYNASPISMOS, which met on 12-13 February 2011, expresses its warmest solidarity with the people of Egypt and Tunisia, who revolted against tyrannical and corrupt regimes, demanding bread, work, freedom, democracy and dignity, and who achieved their first victories by overthrowing Hosni Mubarak and Ben Ali.

We greet the left and progressive forces of both countries, the young people, the workers and the unemployed, scientists and artists, trade unions and all multifaceted movements, who joined forces under difficult conditions to realise hopeful democratic uprisings with significant impact throughout the Arab world and on the already changing world balance.

The problems that triggered these revolts are not only Egypt’s and Tunisia’s or of the greater Arab world. They are expressions of an unequal, unjust, extremly exploitative and environmentally destructive neo-liberal capitalist world order. They are directly connected with the global capitalist crisis which is underway and deepening, taking an even greater dimension in the so called “third world” due to the worsening of the food crisis.

Serious blame must be laid upon the western powers, the US government and the dominant forces of the EU, for the support they have provided - and continue to do so - to the authoritarian regimes of the Arab world, in the name of “stability”, the “war on terror”, and for securing access to the region’s resources, especially oil. They are also to be blamed for their double standards with regard to the Palestinian issue, as well as for the fact that by exporting arms both to Israel and Arab countries they have contributed significantly in turning the Middle East into the most militarised region in the world.

The CPC of Synaspismos considers that the Arab peoples and all the peoples of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, can and should determine their destiny themselves, without foreign intervention; they should embark towards true democratisation, guaranteeing constitutional freedoms and rights for dignified work conditions and social justice; they should promote peace for their troubled region, a region which must be declared a nuclear-free zone and which must be freed from occupations and foreign military bases.

We believe that the struggle towards solving the Palestinian problem, a key issue regarding peace in the Middle East, can get a strong push by the democratic changes taking place in Arab countries, especially Egypt. A contribution in this direction are the recognitions by several countries of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital. Our proposal is for the Greek government to adopt the same position, without further delay.

The European Left must move towards a new and comprehensive internationalist common action with left and progressive movements, trade unions and other social collectives of the Arab world and the Middle East. In our view, the continuing uprisings carry strong messages for the whole of the Mediterranean, Europe and the world; messages that strengthen hopeful geopolitical developments and may be of benefit to the class interests of the working people.

This new situation taking shape within our wider region, a region of great contradictions and volatility, makes even more imperative and urgent the radical redefinitions proposed by Synaspismos and SYRIZA in relation to the Greek foreign policy. The insistence of the PASOK government in promoting the development of special relations with Israel, especially in military field, is a tragic and extremely dangerous choice. Some even support the creation of a “Greece - Cyprus - Israel” axis.

On the contrary, Synaspismos considers that all the recent developments generate new and significant possibilities for the evolution of our country’s relations with the Arab countries within the framework of a multidimensional and actively peaceful Greek foreign policy, the only type of policy suitable to serve our national issues as well.

CENTRAL POLITICAL COMMITTEE OF SYNASPISMOS.
Athens, February 13, 2011