Build An Anticapitalist Alternative For Socialism!
“With an 84% participation of the electorate, Sarkoszy, the right-wing candidate beat the Socialist Party candidate, Sególene Royal.[1] The elections show, on one hand, radicalisation and massive mobilisation of the bourgeois and petty bourgeois electorate backing Sarkoszy. And, having two candidates representing capitalist continuity, naturally the original version (Sarkoszy) beat the copy (S. Royal)
On the other hand, this election reflected the maze in which part of the workers’ and popular electorate is in, greatly increased by the campaign of these candidates that moved along the brim of the class: the call made by the Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) and by Lutte Ouvriere (LO) to vote S. Royal en the second shift, helped towards more confusion.
The “original” Sarkoszy did not hesitate in posing demands of the extreme right on such issues as immigration and insecurity[2], while this one sought to divide workers (.) This is the traditional territory for the extreme right, a logic according to which the adversary of a workers is not the employer but another worker: the immigrant or the unemployed.
On the other hand, the “copy” S. Royal, with lot of beating about the bush, defended something very much like the same thing, keeping inside the framework of capitalist treaties, beginning with
Both candidates has essential agreement in the counterreform, in the rejection of regularisation of the “paperless”, the imposition of the moral order on the youth, the dismantling of social achievements, the integration of trade unions into the state (.)
Was the useful vote unavoidable?
The confusion, the maze caused by the two right-wing candidates (Sarkoszy and Royal) and the forces they represented, were constantly belied by the everyday class struggle (.) There is an evident contradiction between the development of the class struggle and its distorted reflection in the elections.
For years, on the deformed territory of elections, workers used to reject rulers stemming out of the right as well as the “let-wingers” who had applied anti-workers measures based on the European treaties. For years, workers have shown their will to resist by means traditional to class struggle.
It is within this context that the decision of LO and LCR to call for a vote for S. Royal in the second shift contributed to increase confusion among workers and, objectively, to erase class frontiers. In this context, for revolutionary Marxists there is no fatality of “useful vote”. Actually, a really proletarian and internationalist party, an anti-capitalist party that, with suitable programme and demands, is fighting for socialism should get out of the dynamics of “useful vote” and seek means to strengthen the revolutionary party and workers’ mobilisation. That was not what LO and LCR have shown us in the course of this campaign.
What now?
At present Sarkoszy announces his intention to accelerate the putting into practice of his programme. The PS sticks to their pro capitalist programme. The “renewal” or “re-foundation” drives it to seek an agreement with the new “democratic movement”, the ex UDF of F. Bayrou. Thus F. Hollande, first secretary stated, “it is necessary to create new strategy, a great socialist party that may cover the entire space on the left.” Along the same line, the French Communist Party (CPF) claims for the re-emergence of the progresists. with legislative elections in view.
Meanwhile, the working class and the young people keep on demonstrating their determination to defend their interests, their achievements and their future with strikes and demonstrations, with the traditional methods of class struggle, in spite of their trade union leaders who wish to integrate the state and to accompany the projects of the MEDEF (organisations of French employers).
Historic interest of working class requires that we should reject the traps and the confusion and class collaboration and get together for the only desirable split: the split with the establishment, split with capitalism and move for socialism,
On May 6th, contrary to what LO and LCR indicated, militants, trends, sectors and organisations that regard themselves as of the working class, among them the GSI, have resisted the pressure and the blackmail and have made a point of manifesting their rejection of both candidates of the bourgeoisie.
It is now a task for these militants to act in defence of class trade unions, independent from the state and the employers in the country and in the European Union, their split from the confederation of European trade unions (CES) and the international trade union confederation (CSI). It is necessary to build, in all the trade unions struggle tendencies working for the unity of the working class, faithful to the historic interests and tending towards a CUT, a united central of workers free from bureaucrats.
It is the task of these militants to develop a discussion and common action in class struggle, in quest of a revolutionary alternative, the construction of an instrument that the working class needs: an internationalist, anticapitalist workers’ party for socialism.
GSI
May 14th 1007
[1] Voting in
[2] Referring to positions take by Jean Marie Le Pen, candidate of the National Front, who in previous election contested in the second shift
[3] Treaty signed in 1990 on the basis of which European Union was built
