May 30, 2005May 30, 2005
.This is, I would say, a historic day, truly a spring day for Europe, because of what happened in France. For this is not just a national French event, it is an event which we hope will set its seal on the progress of European integration.
On behalf of SYNASPISMOS, I would like to make a few comments.
First, the message from the French people is amazing. And we, symbolically, through this image, are sending a bouquet of red flowers to the French women and men who gave a lesson in democracy to all the establishments of the member states and to the European Union itself. This bouquet is directed in particular to the leaders and members of the forces and parties of the Left in France, who constituted the coordinated backbone of social France, which was awakened and fought this battle successfully.
The message of the French referendum is an enormous social and class “No” to the Europe of the unbridled market and the big corporations. An enormous social and class “No” to the complacent elite that rules France, Brussels, and the governments of the other European countries.
A great social and class “No” to the policies which, both in France and in the European Union as a whole, foster unemployment, social inequities and the new poverty. “No” to policies that abolish the social state, dissolve labour relations, reduce salaries and pensions, and strike at the social security system. It is an enormous social and class “No” to the Europe of the markets, of multinational corporations and of Atlanticism.
Second. The French “No”, the “No” of the Left in France, is not “No” to the venture of a United Europe. Absolutely none of the major parties and forces that fought together in the “No” campaign has raised an issue of France withdrawing from the European Union. Not one of these forces sought the dissolution of or disengagement from the effort to unite the peoples of Europe. It was a great “yes” to the struggle and the effort to promote another course for Europe, a different Europe, one of jobs and social solidarity, a social and ecological Europe. A Europe far from American planning, Atlanticism and war. It was the continuation of the great movements that had appeared all over Europe, with particular intensity in France, against the invasion of Iraq and Europe’s participation in it. It is “yes” to a Europe that will have its own voice in favour of justice, solidarity and peace in the modern world.
Third. The dissatisfaction of European citizens with the particular path being followed by European unification had already been recorded. It had become obvious, especially during the recent elections to the European Parliament, in which the percentage of abstentions was spectacular, showing precisely this distance, dissatisfaction and alienation of the citizens from the European venture.
The new element brought by the referendum in France is that the peoples and citizens of Europe are now actively engaging in the process of European unification, and that politics, which constitutes an element of European tradition and disputes the financial choices of the establishment, has returned to Europe.
A new era has started, during which the peoples and the working peoples of Europe are beginning to wake up and want to put their own seal on the course of Europe.
Fourth. The protagonists of the French people’s “No” were the forces of the heterogeneous, radical Left. It was they who placed their seal on the French people’s “No” through the unprecedented process of coordination and common action.
There was cooperation among the people of the Left, radicals, dissident socialists, communists, and Trotskyites, a current that we believe will infuse strength into efforts such as that being made by the Coalition of the Left (SYN), such as that of the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) in Greece, in all countries of the European Union.
I should like to stress here the particular role played in Greece by the Coalition of Radical Left (SYRIZA) in organising discussions and reflection on the issue of the European Constitution, in face of the silence imposed by the procedures selected by the Greek Government, which shepherded the Constitution telegraphically through Parliament in 2-3 days.
The forces of the Left are called upon today, through their broad cooperation, to stand in the front ranks of the struggles and efforts to achieve an alternative course for the European Union and its member states.
Fifth. The French “No” expresses a profound crisis in the French Right, which currently holds the governance of the country; it also expresses a profound crisis in social democracy in France and elsewhere.
It is characteristic that the French “no” comes after the reduced majority for the Labour Party in the recent British elections. It comes after the overwhelming defeat of the German social democrats in Rhine-Westphalia and shows that the forces of social democracy are in a state of profound crisis all over Europe. Especially if we take into account that a crusade was conducted all over Europe by most leaders of social democratic parties - unfortunately also with the participation of the President of PASOK Mr Papandreou and the former Prime Minister Mr Simitis - to save the bankrupt leadership of the French Socialist Party. We saw more than half the supporters and voters of the Socialist party coming out in favour of collaboration with the Left in favour of No.
It can be seen today in Germany, where a new party has appeared, in England with the appearance of Respect and other movements, and in France, that a very significant number of adherents to social democracy refused to approve the choices of compromise and consent by their leaderships, and instead followed the path of the European Left. On this occasion, we call upon the members, friends and followers of PASOK, who yesterday felt their heart beating happily and who were moved by the results of the French “No”, to reinforce this great effort at collaboration proposed by the Synaspismos and realised in different forms, such as the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA).
Sixth. The Party of the European Left, of which the Synaspismos is a founding member, can play a much more substantial role in European developments today.
The Party of the European Left as a whole supported and still supports the Left’s “No” to the European Constitution and is called upon in the near future to take major initiatives on a continent-wide level to mobilise the peoples of Europe.
The Presidents of the parties that are members of the European Left Party are convening next Sunday and Monday in Rome, where we will have an opportunity to meet with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of France Georges Marie Buffet and other leaders of the European Left parties.
Seventh. The French people’s “No” is also linked to issues of concern to Greece. I believe it is clear that the reason why our Government did not want to hold a referendum on this issue in Greece, despite repeated requests by SYN, is related to the result anticipated in France, which would have shown the followers of the two parties in the two-party system that the people’s choice of a different Europe was very strong. Despite this, the Pasok and New Democracy parties both identified themselves with “yes” by voting for the European Constitution.
The Government bears a very serious responsibility for refusing to hold a referendum, and both the Government and Pasok have a responsibility for identifying themselves with a “yes” that is bankrupt in the societies of Europe.
Eight: On 16-17 July 2005 the Summit Meeting of the 25 members of the European Union will be held. We can see various efforts being made in an attempt to treat the French people’s “No” with technically illegal and ethically unacceptable means.
We believe that all these measures constitute an effort to resuscitate a Constitution that is ethically, politically and legally dead. And we call upon the Greek Government, and the Prime Minister himself to make it clear to the Summit Meeting of Leaders of the European Union that Europe is seeking another path, since legally and politically, if one member-state does not ratify the European constitution, it cannot be valid.
Finally, the French people’s No shows something very important which has come up before in current events. The peoples with their stance and their struggles can hinder or prevent the plans of the ruling elites of the complacent. Nothing is inevitable, pre-determined and definitive; there is no such thing as one sole path, there are alternative proposals and ways out which the peoples can impose.
This is why the French referendum fills us with optimism and shows the working people that they can play a leading role in shaping a better future both for Europe and for its member-states. Thank you very much
Athens, 30 May 2005