Revolutionary Marxist Organization A/synechia (Greece)
COUNTRY REPORT to the 7th ICMLPO
1999-2001, main events:
War against Yugoslavia (this was the second big war of the New World Order; the first was the war against Iraq, and now we are entering the third one: the ”war against terrorism”). Birth of a broad anti-war movement
· Anti-war mass and combative protests all over Greece during months, embracing the whole society. One example: the anti-war activity of comrade G.P., member of the Organization and youth activist, who at that time was accomplishing his military service as sailor in the destroyer ”Themistocles” (this ship was sent by the Greek government to participate in the NATO aggression). He wrote an open letter declaring that he refuses to obey NATO orders – this letter was published all over Greece provoking a big discussion in the society, as well as enthusiasm among the youth. A militant demonstration was organized when the ship was leaving the port. The slogan launched by the sailors ”Hands off Yugoslavia! We will not fight for the US and Germany!” became the main slogan of the anti-war movement. Inside the ship, the comrade organized tens of his colleagues, continuing the protest and spreading tracts calling the crew to refuse to participate in the aggression. This example shows that the strength of the anti-war anti-imperialist sentiments, able to be expressed even within the armed forces.
· Internationalist Campaign of our Organization, with the participation of delegations of the AKP/Norway, MLPD/Germany, TKP(ML)/Turkey, CP/Bulgaria, Communists Forum/Italy. Two main axes:
- against the NATO war
- against the European Union (the campaign was held during the period of elections for the ”European Parliament”)
We must underline the shameful attitude of the biggest part of the European ”Left” in front of the war. This ”Left” kept silent – when it did not participate in the bombardment, like the French ”communist” party, the Italian ex-”communists”, etc.
· Mass mobilizations and protests, brutal repression by the special forces. Four members of our organization were among the 13 people arrested in Athens and brought to justice under heavy accusations (”constitution of terrorist gang”, etc.). They were liberated after the development of a mass solidarity movement.
· Blockade of roads and neighborhoods by the police, thousands of FBI and other agents, etc., in order to make possible for Clinton to ”visit” Athens. He was obliged to limit his visit in less than 24 hours, instead of the initial plan of a 3-days visit.
· The two main bourgeois parties won together 87% of the votes. The ”socialist” party remained in government.
· The Left in all its expressions shrunk electoraly, in spite of the previous two years of struggles.
Most recent developments:
· Mass mobilizations and two general strikes (the most successful and combative of the last 15 years) against the ”reform” of the social security and pension schemes. For the first time, the private sector’s workers and employees participate massively in the strikes and the demonstrations. This development came just a few months after the electoral victory of the two bourgeois parties.
· Macedonia, once a favored protectorate of the imperialists, is now ravaged by its own creators. The imperialists exploit the situation and intensify further their intervention in the Balkans. New foreign armies of occupation arrive in order to ”pacify” Macedonia.
· The US ”war against terrorism” provokes new anti-imperialist mobilizations in Greece. Initiation of a reactionary campaign in order to eradicate the ”backward, old-fashioned anti-US sentiments” of the Greek people.
As far as the dependence is concerned:
· There takes place a systematic liquidation of the country’s productive base, orchestrated by the EU directives.
· The multinational corporations are more and more directly involved in the economic life; they control a big part of the economy.
· The biggest public enterprises have been partly or totally privatized or closed down (shipyards, energy, telecommunications, transports).
· Greece is transformed into a transit area for the foreign armies that occupy the neighbor countries, as well as into a provider of several other services to imperialism, including US-NATO military bases.
· The pressure increases for a complete alignment of the Greek government with the imperialists’ demands to ”arrange” all ”open issues”: Aegean Sea, Cyprus, Greek-Turkish relations.
· The ”need to fight against terrorism” is used by the imperialists as lever of pressure.
1. The dependence of Greece by various imperialist centers deepens, both qualitatively and quantitatively.
2. The Balkan crisis and the developments in the broader region influence intensively the political, economic and social evolutions in our country.
3. There is a development of struggles, which have two spearheads: (a) anti-imperialist, anti-US, anti-war character - patriotic sentiments; (b) resistance against the attack of the capital, and the restructuring imposed by the EU.
4. These struggles are more massive, more combative than they were in the past; however, they still have a spontaneous character, while at the same time they are more radical and advanced than the policy of the official ”Left”.
In Greece the official ”Left” has two wings, and there is an open antagonism between them. The social-democratic, pro-european ”Coalition” is flirting lately with the anti-globalization movement. The revisionist, brejnevite ”communist” party takes neo-revisionist characteristics and entrenches itself. For the time being, it seems improbable that a third regrouping will appear. There is still no other political current of the Left having mass character and repute among the people.
Both wings have an unacceptable stand in front of the new war. The ”Coalition” puts on the same level the aggressors and the aggressed. The revisionists use the new war in order to justify the social-imperialist Soviet invasion in Afghanistan; in this way they help the isolation of the anti-imperialist positions. Both demand the ”non implication of Greece” in the war, but they ”forget” the anti-imperialist duties: Withdrawal of Greece from the NATO, EU and WEU; Closing of all the NATO military bases, etc.
We are facing a major problem, and we must sincerely accept this reality: up today, there is not a convincing, for the masses, alternative in front of the ”realist positions” and ”dilemmas” put by the bourgeoisie in Greece:
· ”We are very fortunate that we have been accepted in the Economic Monetary Union and we are a member state of the EU – the situation is of course bad, but otherwise it would be even worse”
· ”Look in how much better situation we are, if compared to the other Balkan countries”
· ”We are obliged to align with the US and the EU – otherwise we will become a target too”
This lack of alternative perspective for the people, this cynical pseudo-realism, is something that prevails in Greece, and maybe in other countries too. We have to frankly accept it, in order to try to cover the gap.
We can say that, since the 6th IC, there have taken place concrete steps towards the building of the Communist Organization in Greece.
· We have been actively implicated to all the struggles that developed in our country during this period (teachers, students, general strikes, anti-imperialist movement, etc.), and this participation gave to us valuable experience.
· In comparison with 1999, we have increased our political and organizational presence in more cities and regions. Now we are present in almost all the big cities of Greece, included those of several islands.
· Since May 2000, our (up to then monthly) paper ”Aristera!” is published every 2 weeks.
· We promote in a consequent way the internationalist solidarity (organizing campaigns and protests in Greece, participating in international meetings and seminars, and trying to be actively present in the anti-globalization movement; we sent delegations in Prague and Gothenburg, and a big group participated in the Genoa protests – in all these activities we promote the line ”Smash the imperialist globalization”, and we raise the issues of anti-war and anti-EU struggle).
· We make efforts for the regrouping of militant forces within the Left and we took various relative initiatives. Actually we are working broadly with a pamphlet entitled ”In the Country, in the Society, in the Left: The Situation Must Change!”.
Our main problem remains the slow rhythm of cadres’ creation, the weakness of responding to new necessities, and the difficulty in abolishing harmful habits and ”rules” inherited from the past.
Actually the whole Organization is in a process of preparation in order to face the new situation that is developing after the attacks in the US. This is necessary, as our country is very close to ”hot” regions. At the same time continues the process of internal discussion in front of the future Founding Congress of the Communist Organization.
We also inform you that actually we are preparing a Day of Anti-war Mobilization. In this day (10 November) we will organize, among others, a big mass meeting in Athens – for which we intend to demand your solidarity in the form of a brief video-recorded or written message.