An important initiative
A healthy foundation
THE first Assembly of the European Left can be considered a success — one that
For the first time in our history, we were able to bring together - around a clear plat-
International Viewpoint #247 July 1993 form that we had a central role in drawing up - one of the most significant currents solidarity has been posed now for of left social democracy (Tony Benn), the most significant elements of those forces several years by the evolution of which have emerged from the Communist Parties, as well as a few progressive ecopolicies of the different governments and by the
The militant tone of the initiative (a rally and not only a simple academic gathering)
reorganisation of capital. The encouraged the beginnings of a unitary dynamic between the different European currents present. It also helped get new signataries of the appeal from other forces.
Single Act of 1986 and the
On the day after the gathering, a meeting brought together representatives from the
Maastricht Treaty have been at the
PDS (ex-East German CP), the United Left (Spain), the Workers Socialist Party (Belheart of these problems for nearly gian section of the Fl, the Danish Red-Green Alliance, and, from France, the Red and three years.
Green Alternative, the Movement of Citizens, the Alternative-Socialism-Democracy, the Refounders and the LCR (French section of the FI).
CLAUDE GABRIEL -
The Belgian CP, the Portuguese Manifesto group, the AKOA (former Greek CP which has clearly moved leftward) and the German VSP participated as observers at this
Paris, June 25, 1993
The Labour Party left was absent, but Tony Benn said he was prepared to associate himself with any initiative taken around the Paris Appeal. A message from Marcelino
HESE first attempts to gather
T
Camacho of the Spanish Workers Commissions conveyed the same commitment.
those forces to the left of the
"Maastricht" social democrats
The meeting decided to request other political and union currents to sign the Paris in debate and exchange are thus
Appeal, and to form a working group that would organise another assembly in the rather belated.
autumn of 1994 in another European capital.
The list of participants at the Paris
The agreement remains very fragile. The considerable weight of forces that emerged
Assembly shows that most organisations from the Communist Parties might make it difficult in the future to attract forces from present are the products of the crisis of the ecologist and social democratic currents. A number of the parties involved are curtraditional reformist parties. Either they are rently having essential strategic debates (for example, a not insignificant part of the splits or they are radically oppositional cur-
Spanish United Left wants to come to an agreement with the PSOE government).
rents. There are also - either present in
Moreover, while some of the participating organisations want to move toward greater
Paris or signataries of the appeal — a few cooperation, specifically in the run up to the European elections (for example, the Ita-
Communist Parties whose evolution means lian Party for the Communist Refoundation), others don't want to go any further than that from now on we can look forward to the creation of an informal framework for debates (forces such as the United Left and unity in action with other currents in the the French Communist Refounders, who do not want to commit themselves to any workers movement.
cooperation which would place them in opposition to the leadership of the French
It is the crisis of the workers movement
- and particularly of social democracy and
In such conditions, the holding of the Assembly and the meeting represent a political
Stalinism — that enabled us to pose in a new victory from three points of view: the ability to take the initiative, the creation of a fraway the question of solidarity and unity mework, and the establishment or strengthening of links.
faced with the attacks of the employers and
European governments. The delay has been
There were of course bad points: the Assembly was not very convivial, and the workcostly in terms of the social relationship of shops were not very productive even though the speakers were usually very representative. These are areas for future improvement. * forces and rank-and-file resources. Therefo re, the Paris Assembly took place in a political and social context which, for the moment, limits opportunities to experiment.
The June 12 meeting therefore reflects a contradictory state of affairs. All the organisations and currents present are engaged in efforts to oppose the disasters of the capitalist crisis, to oppose the policies of austerity and plans for European unification. But there is an enormous disparity in the area of political perspectives, the means of struggle and the perception of capitalism itself. So, on the logists.
meeting.
CP). one hand there is a strong desire to debate and react, but on the other there is tremendous political heterogeneity.
The important thing is that it was possible to take this international and public initiative alongside ecologist currents, left reformists and revolutionary Marxists. This could be an important step for the future, and could be translated into concrete activity in the various social movements like, for example, anti-racism or union struggles.
A purely "political" approach — or purely electoral, given the upcoming European elections in June 1994 — would not have had the same effect as the Paris Assembly. The effective use of pluralism and unity that prevailed in the Paris debates should prove a precious tool in coming social struggles. Some of the currents represented have a real weight in their countries and play a recognised role in the social movements.
Indeed, this is the point: to exert creative
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THE June 12 Paris Assembly has created a significant space for reflection and debate. The question of pan-European EUrOPE should be built upon by our current.
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GERMANY