KOL

The development in Luxembourg must be seen and understood within the framework of the Europeanwide development. This Europeanwide development itself is marked by an inner contradiction: on the one hand, the necessity of the unification of Europe in opposition to US imperialism, Japanese and Russian imperialism and, on the other hand, the aggravation of the inner-European contradictions in the face of the imperialist claim to hegemony, especially on the part of German imperialism.

The development of the small state is therefore marked by this general development in the surrounding Europe.

For purposes of better understanding: Luxembourg with only 400,000 inhabitants living within an area of 2,500 square kilometers has a capitalist-imperialist character, but because of its status as a small state, it cannot implement its own imperialist ambitions. This applies to its own material, political and military ability as well as to the interimperialist contradictions within the European Union.

That is why the bourgeoisie of Luxembourg is satisfied with offering up the small state as a kind of service company for European imperialism, as a financial center, as media location, as president of the EU Commission, as a tax haven and as a country of the banking secret.

But because of the policies of cutbacks in social services coming from Brussels, Luxembourg is increasingly being drawn into the whirl of European class struggle as a whole. Only a few weeks ago, tens of thousands of farmers from the EU demonstrated in Brussels and in Luxembourg against the agricultural policies of the European Commission.

The policy of social demolition, of flexibilization and privatization which is pursued by the European Union as a whole, leads to a constant increase in the number of people receiving minimum wages, minimum income and starvation pensions and in the number of unemployed and homeless, even in the allegedly richest country in the world.

Drugs, crime, prostitution and corruption are constantly increasing. And in addition, the catholic church holds the entire country in its grip like a Mafia organization.

But the bourgeois government is not capable of solving the basic problems like structural unemployment. On the contrary, it is constantly creating new problems.

This result of this policy is the rise of social movements encompassing entire sectors. In the middle of last year, a general strike against the attacks upon the pension scheme took place in the civil service. Last month, a general strike took place among students. They demanded better conditions in schools along with the introduction of the comprehensive school and the separation of church and schools. Manifestations against arbitrary actions of the capitalists are taking place more and more often in small factories.

But the class collaboration policy institutionalized in Luxembourg in the "tripartite" (capital, state and trade-union bureaucracy) still exercises its influence.

We therefore consider it our main task to combine all protests and manifestations in a general social campaign of class struggle with a fundamental perspective.

As to the development of our organization, which was established in 1987, we had a major internal crisis to deal with three years ago. By setting new political tasks and restructuring our organizational work we were able to wrestle down liquidationist tendencies and gain valuable experience for further party-building.

We try to bring this experience into the class struggle. In view of the fact that Luxembourg is such a small country, and in the face of the Europeanization and internationalization of the conditions, the central motto for all our activities is: