State of the political left in France

[LoL84]

Hi comrades,
As I did not find a topics speaking about France, I will give a a report on the place to you on the French left.
The largest organization is the Socialist Party (http://www.parti-socialiste.fr/) a social-démocrat organization. It is a party which is directed by completely rightist leaders. It has been with the capacity in alternation with the right for twenty years. But there is powerful running of opposition of left interns contrary to the other European socialist parties where the left are split or was transfered.
At its sides, there are The Greens - Ecological Party (http://lesverts.fr/) who has the same type of organisation with leaders rightist and of the currents of left powerful.
Then there is the French Communist Party (http://www.pcf.fr/) who became social democrat since the end of the Eighties and the collapse of Stalinism. Contrary to certain countries of Europe, the Communist Party still represents a force impossible to circumvent on the French political scene. It has more than 100 000 members and has strong bonds with the largest trade union in France the General Confederation of the Workers. There exists much of current of opposition interns inside of which many Stalinist but also some trotskists. But this opposition exhausts year by year bus much the Stalinist ones leave the PCF to found several small group.
Between all that, there are a small party which was created by old Greens and PCF which is called The Alternatives (http://www.alternatifs.org/) who is located between the left reformist and the radical left. But this party has a very weak influence and its existence will perhaps not be very long.

Since ten years, the revolutionary left trotskist has an increasingly large audience. The 3 parties trotskists arising at the elections acquired 10% of the votes to the presidential elections of 2002!
There is first of all the Revolutionary Communist League (http://www.lcr-rouge.org/) the french section of the Fourth International. It's my organisation.
It is a party which is the result of the fusion of the French section of the fourth international one and of a guevarist group after the events of May 1968 in France. Its characteristic it is that practically all the currents of the trotskism are present there. There are many internal currents representing different the fourth international one of which the international one of the SWP.
Then there is Workers Struggle (http://www.lutte-ouvriere.org/) an important trotskist organisation too. It is downward current bartist.
Barta thought that the organization of the French section of the fourth International one was bourgeoise and that it was necessary to found an internal mode inspired of the Party Bolshevik of Lénine.
And finally, there is it Workers' Party (http://www.informations-ouvrieres.presse.fr/) It is a Party which has all the working political currents (Socialist, Communist, anarchist) but which is dominated by the current trotskist which founded this party. This party has an influence quite less than the two first but has much more members thanks to the fact that it is not obligatory to be a trotskist to adhere to it.
Then the anarchists has two organizations rather large even if they have very little influence in France.
First of all, there are an organization plateformist, libertarian Communist it's Libertarian Alternative (http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/). They are very unit and conduct many campaigns in company of the trotskists and Communist Party.
Then there is the Anarchist Federation (http://federation-anarchiste.org/). who had much influence until in the Eighties before collapsing, victim of many Split. The AF is in general very sectarian and refuses any collaboration with the organizations which are not libertarian.
To also note an organization rather large antifascist related to the libertarians No Pasaran Network (http://nopasaran.samizdat.net/).

It should be noted that the Maoists do not exist practically any more in France. There is not any more but of small groups without influence.

About the trade unions, There is thus the general Confederation of the workers (http://www.cgt.fr/internet/), the largest trade union of the working class whose policy is influenced much by the direction of the French Communist Party. There are many internal currents of opposition formed by the social democrats, the Stalinist ones or the trotskists.
Then there is Working Force (http://www.force-ouvriere.fr/) which is Split of general Confederation of the workers financed by the CIA in 1953 to fight against the PCF and its influence through its trade union. It has an odd policy which is sometimes very on the left and sometimes too soft. Much trotskist is there but without much influence.
Then there is the French Confederation of the Workers (http://www.cfdt.fr/edito.htm). The trade union of the Socialist Party. It is a treacherous trade union like its social democrat leaders. This trade union is losing its members in an impressive way these last years because it refused to follow a combative policy against the reforms of the Chirac government and which it has to let make.
Then it there the Unified Trade-union Federation (http://www.fsu-fr.org/) who is especially established in the workers of the public utility. It follows the same policy as the general Confederation of the workers with also of many currents of internal oppositions.
Finally there are Solidaires (http://www.solidaires.org/) a trade union launched by members of the Revolutionary Communist League and Libertarian Alternative there are about fifteen years and which are having more and more influence by following a very combative policy.

For all questions do not hesitate! And sorry for my low english.

[Organic Revolution]

hurrah.. no maoists!

[redstar2000]

Welcome to the board. :)

I have a question: do any of these groups sponsor message boards like this one? Are there any good independent left message boards in France?

And another: are any of these groups actively opposing French imperialism in Haiti or in Africa? Or opposing American-British imperialism in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.?

In the English-speaking world, we normally get very little reliable information about the revolutionary left in Europe...so anything you post here will be read carefully and with great interest.

Don't forget we also have a forum in French.

http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showforum=26

But I hope you will let us know "what's happening" in English as well.

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[YKTMX]

I love the French!

Tutte Ensemble!

[LoL84]

Welcome to the board

Thanks! ;)


I have a question: do any of these groups sponsor message boards like this one? Are there any good independent left message boards in France?

There are two French forums rather active.
Initially there is the Forum Marxist-Revolutionary (http://forumtrots.agora-system.com/lcr/) created by militants of Revolutionary Communist League. I am moderating there.
Then there is the Forum of the Friends of Working Struggle (http://forumlo.cjb.net/) created by militants of Working Struggle.
And finally there is Redforum (http://redforum.propagande.org/) which is a forum of redskins where gather militants of various organizations of extreme-left.


are any of these groups actively opposing French imperialism in Haiti or in Africa?

Yes, of course, and more particularly all revolutionary left. Last November, we organized a demonstration against the intervention imperialist of the French army in Ivory Coast who gathered the Revolutionary Communist League, Workers Struggle, Workers' Party, Libertarian Alternative ou Anarchist Federation.
The French Communist Party has anti-imperialists positions but it is never in the action. Actually, the old chauvinistic French workers and anti-American are made to like its positions.
The Socialist Party, it, never opposed the imperialism.

Concerning the war in Iraq, it was special since all the French political scene was against joining behind the position of Chirac. There were two organizations named "Action Against the War" and "Iraq Solidarity" which directed the movement anti-war and in which many militants of left were invested.

[The Feral Underclass]

Originally posted by [email protected] 29 2005, 05:54 AM
Then there is the Anarchist Federation (http://federation-anarchiste.org/). who had much influence until in the Eighties before collapsing, victim of many Split. The AF is in general very sectarian and refuses any collaboration with the organizations which are not libertarian.
What would be the purpose of working alongside authoritarians?

[LoL84]

To conduct campaigns all together against employers to have more force.

[The Feral Underclass]

Originally posted by [email protected] 29 2005, 02:17 PM
To conduct campaigns all together against employers to have more force.
Are you saying that the Anarchist Federation in France has nothing to do with local or national united front campaigns?

[LoL84]

yes, you understood

[Andy Bowden]

Do the Lutte Ouvriere - workers struggle - still give their members code names?

Is this not a little bit paranoid, considering there is not at present a revolutionary situation in France?

[The Feral Underclass]

Originally posted by [email protected] 29 2005, 03:05 PM
yes, you understood
I don't believe that this is true. I bet you money that there are AF members who work in united front campaigns.

Actually joining forces with authoritarian organisations though is pointless and will achieve nothing.

[LoL84]

Do the Lutte Ouvriere - workers struggle - still give their members code names?

Yes it is exact.


Is this not a little bit paranoid, considering there is not at present a revolutionary situation in France?

Yes it's paranoid. The Revolutionary Communist League, the organization of which I am member, like all the other organizations trotskists in France functioned in this way until in the Eighties.
Because during all the twentieth century, we lived, in France, which one named the "Stalinist night". The Stalinist ones had a complete hegemony on the working class and they pursued the trotskists in a physical and political way.Thus, it was impossible, for us, to go in a trade union and to say that we were a trotskist bus if not we were made drive out by the Stalinist ones. It is for that that all the organizations trotskists had adopted a clandestine mod and the militants was known only with their pseudonym.
Since the end of the Eighties and the fall of Stalinism, we do not have any more this kind of problem and we can now militate without us to hide.
But Working Dtruggle-Lutte Ouvrière considers that the bourgeoisie democracy can be as dangerous as Stalinist repression and to continue with guard this operating mode. It is very paranoiac like reasoning. We agree.


I don't believe that this is true. I bet you money that there are AF members who work in united front campaigns.

If I ensure you that it is true. The AF is never present in the unit collective moinde as such. Only members with title indivudel takes part in it.

[LoL84]

Now, here of the infos on the social topicality and policy in France. To summarize the previous months, France voted on May 29 about the adoption of the European Constitution, which wanted to legitimate the capitalist framework of the European Union.
A historical campaign was installation clearly revealing the existence of two lefts. One which is subjected to the interests on capital and a left anticapitalist.
The Socialist Party invited to vote "yes" like The Greens - Ecological Party and the others invited to vote "no".
About the trade-union, the French Confederation of the Workers invited to vote "yes", Working Force decided not does not give of instruction of vote and the others invited to vote "no".
A unit campaign of "no" of left was set up gathering the French Communist Party, all the extreme-left and even Alternative Libertarian which invited to vote for the first time. Only the Anarchist Federation did not invite to vote. But also with all the trade unions inviting to vote "no" and of associations of the social movement All together behind a text named the call of the 200.

Thus "no" gained in France the 29 and it is mainly of left.

This weekend will take place a meeting of work which will join together the thousands of local collectives which were created in all France during the campaigns. We will discuss there action to be taken for the collectives.

Here the article published in "Rouge (Red)", the weekly newspaper of the LCR.


MEETINGS AROUND "NO" OF LEFT
To continue all together

Studious weekend for the militant ones and militants of "no" of left... This 1 July, the national collective of the Call of the 200 is on the initiative of a first European meeting of forces antilibérales and anticapitalists. And, the following day, it is the whole of the collectives having led, on the ground, the campaign of the referendum (one does not count any far from a thousand), who sees oneself invited to a meeting of work and experience sharing. These two go must allow to draw up the inventory of fixtures after a historical victory and to give a progress report on the challenges which it is important to take up.
Being the European battle, the crisis which will have revealed the meeting of Brussels like the contempt posted by the elites for waiting of the people do nothing but highlight a little more what we say during the program: one needs another construction European, social and democratic, ecological and peaceful, in honest rupture with liberal and capitalist logics.
This conviction leads now the LCR to propose with the European forces joined together on July 1 to work together with the preparation of a great conference for another Europe. With load, for this one, by narrowly articulating its action with that of the forces altermondialists or to the process of the European social forums, to determine the requirements and initiatives which the chaotic state of the European Union imposes: large campaigns aren't they essential to emergency measures such as the abrogation of all the liberal directives, the defense of the public services, the abandonment of the Pact of stability or the questioning of independence of the European central Bank?
With load also, for such a conference, to check if it is possible to largely gather, on the continent, not only around the claim of the total and final withdrawal of the liberal constitutional treaty, but still around the requirement of a truly democratic process constituting, i.e. taken charges by the people themselves of them, through for example the election of an assembly charged to work out proposals which the citizens would have then, everywhere, to discuss and to ratify. European level with that of the national level, it has only one step there. Who will be crossed on July 2 by the assembly of the militant collectives.
Vis-a-vis a deaf government with the verdict of the ballot boxes and which announces, pêle-mixes, an aggravation of its liberal policy, a new turn of sedentary screw and new attacks against the rights of the immigrants, the hour is with the mobilization. Illegitimate, the right could not still continue two years its harmful action. It is strong of this conviction that the League proposed, to those its allies of the campaigns chief clerk which would wish it, to engage a large campaign for the departure of Chirac, the dissolution of the French National Assembly, new general elections.
If the political crisis had been suddenly sharpened and resulted in a dissolution of the Parliament, we would propose all to our partners in the committees of "no", of the unit candidatures around a programme of rupture with liberal capitalist logics.
In the same direction, we propose to define unit topics of action together to fight the policy of the government: requirement of the dead halt of privatizations and another distribution of the richnesses by the social minimum and wage increase, defense of the right of the unemployed and the right to strike, etc.
Beyond, it is clear that the hope born on May 29 could not damage in one the social-liberal alternation. A rupture has been essential with the policies led for 25 years, by governments of right side or left. The campaigns of the referendum was at the same time research and translation of the potentialities of such an alternative.
Trade unionists, associative, political altermondialists, militants acted with the elbow with elbow lasting of the months, and they finally gained a success whose shock wave shakes now capitalist Europe. It rests with to them to continue, in the unit, for the action and the political debate. Locally, in the departments, the areas, nationally. Why not, in the next months, of the States General against liberalism?
Such are the proposals that our organization at the time of the appointment of this weekend will carry. With the concern which they are a springboard to approach the future effectively.

[Severian]

Originally posted by [email protected] 29 2005, 01:31 PM
Thus "no" gained in France the 29 and it is mainly of left.
Mainly left, yes...but the fascist National Front also called for a "no" vote.

And wasn't the basic content of the "no" campaign, even by CP and other left organizations, nationalist and protectionist? Keep job in France and so forth.

On Lutte Ouvriere, whatever their faults (and I don't doubt they have many) they do deserve credit for one thing: they refused to support Chirac in the last presidential election.

While every other sizable group on the French left voted for Chirac, with or without clothespins on their noses, in order to stop LePen.

When the German Social Democrats voted for Hindenburg in a doomed attempt to stop Hitler, at least they had the excuse that there really was an immediate threat of a fascist takeover.

[LoL84]

Mainly left, yes...but the fascist National Front also called for a "no" vote.

Yes well on "not" chauvinistic, racist the and nationalist one existed in the campaingn. But the force of our campaign unit it is that we succeeded in changing give it and imposed one "no" left, social, democratic and antiliberalism. According to the surveys, "no" was mainly of left.
At the beginning of was campaign, in November, the question "for or counters Europe?" Thanks to us, it became then for or counters liberalism?


And wasn't the basic content of the "no" campaign, even by CP and other left organizations, nationalist and protectionist?

Not, the framework of "the call of the 200" which was used as a basis for the unit campaign was strictly designed to avoid any bringing together with "no" the souverainist. Thus the "Movement of the Citizens", a party of left souverainist, did not join our campaign.

What is of primary importance in this dimension, it is that it is a vote of class. 90% of the workmen, 70% of the employees and 80% of the unemployed voted "not" and that through campaign, us, as a revolutionary, we knew to bring answers to the questions that was posed the working class which are not nationalist but anticapitalist.



Concerning call to be voted against Le Pen in 2002, it is a debate which we still have in a virulent way in France within the radical left. In 2002, between the two turns of the elections there was an enormous movement of mobilization, in particular in youth, against the National Front and the values which it represents. In all that, we could only invite to vote against Le Pen, while saying clearly that we would express against Chirac as of the election of this one. Lutte Ouvrière preferred to remain in withdrawal but on the whole, they missed, once again, of this movement which mobilized a large part of the French working class.

[redstar2000]

For what it's worth, I think the French vote against the European Constitution was a marvelous accomplishment...parts of the document were translated into English and it was, indeed, nothing but a blueprint for turning European social conditions back towards the 19th century and the working class into little more than serfs.

I'm one of those "ultra-leftists" who think voting in bourgeois elections is a waste of time...but for this referendum, I would have made an exception.

The capitalists seem determined to push ahead with a second vote sometime in the next year or so...I hope the margin of defeat is even bigger.

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[Sabocat]

In a conversation with Miles (Communist League), he suggested that while no Marxist could have voted for the EU Constitution, it's ultimate no vote basically divided the working class in Europe which will ultimately lead to France, England etc, to outsource labor and further exploit workers in Eastern Europe, much like the U.S. has done to India etc.

It's a perspective that I hadn't considered, and actually on thinking on it, see the point to that.

Having said that, I also could not have voted yes on a constitution which basically openly attacks labor, grants extended police powers, hog ties unions etc.

It appears to have been a lose, lose proposition.

I found the political activism from the students with regards to the "Bac" and all it's social ramifications pretty encouraging as well. It seems that the youth in France are not willing to succumb to neo-liberal policies. Hopefully, that means a great future for France's left.

Welcome to the board LoL84. I look forward to more contributions from you.

Or in my rudimentary U.S. high school French....

Bienvenue aux forum gauches révolutionnaires !

[Catcher-in-the-rye]

Originally posted by [email protected] 29 2005, 11:50 PM
In a conversation with Miles (Communist League), he suggested that while no Marxist could have voted for the EU Constitution, it's ultimate no vote basically divided the working class in Europe which will ultimately lead to France, England etc, to outsource labor and further exploit workers in Eastern Europe, much like the U.S. has done to India etc.


As for me, I can't see what you find so convincing in Miles' argument. The no vote did not divide the working class in Europe or paradoxically strengthened the ruling classes.
Unfortunately, the working class in Europe is not so united. But it's coming and the no vote is a starting point : Social Forums and Euro strikes are being planned and the radical left has the opportunity to unite at the european scale thanks to this unprecedented situation. Be sure this is good news.

By the way, what's the Communist League ? Which country ?

[Sabocat]

By the way, what's the Communist League ? Which country ?

U.S. although associated with other groups in other countries. You can check it out Here (http://www.communistleague.org/)



The no vote did not divide the working class in Europe or paradoxically strengthened the ruling classes.

But it didn't strengthen the unity of the working class though did it? I'm not sure that it didn't strengthen the ruling class or the capitalists either, as it seems more likely that they will further exploit the Central and Eastern European labor pool. Potentially, with this cheap labor pool, won't it also hurt the working class in Western Europe?



Like I said, I actually was glad that the "no" vote won, and I wouldn't have voted for it myself, however it was an interesting perspective that Miles put forth.


Social Forums and Euro strikes are being planned and the radical left has the opportunity to unite at the european scale thanks to this unprecedented situation. Be sure this is good news.

If there are indeed Euro strikes planned then that is good news. Thanks for your insight.


Welcome to the board by the way.

[LoL84]

To supplement what I said on the social and political topicality French:

After the victory of "no", May 29, Chirac resigned its Prime Minister and named a new government whose Count De Villepin is the Prime Minister. Nicolas Sarkozy, news appears emblematic the ultra-liberal right, fact part of this government.
This government is even more offensive and attacks all our rights. It attacks the fair labor standards act, it attacks the unspecified Contract at duration by spending to with it one probation period 2 years in which the employer can lay off constantly, it attacks the unemployed by wanting to force them to accept underpaid employment while that Sarkozy, Minister of Interior Department follows a policy of extreme-right side.

Here a article published today in the weekly newspaper of the LCR about the government.


The wounded animal

Paradox of the situation: May 29, 55 % of the voters reject the European Constitution. It is one "no" solid mass, undeniable, social, antilibéral, which repudiates once again Chirac and its government. One month afterwards, the new Villepin-Sarkozy government confirms that it is one of the more reactionaries of the fifth Republic. Whereas the majority of the population asks more for stable and guaranteed employment, more rights, more social security, more public services of quality, the government, him, break-in the fair labor standards act, generalize flexibility and the precariousness of employment with the lengthening of the probation period at two years, starts again privatizations and, under the impulse of Sarkozy, breaks out in a new sedentary campaign.

Then why such a contradiction? The wounded animals are often most aggressive. But beyond the formula, there is the crisis, a social and political crisis without precedent. And this crisis implies to make crucial choices, to slice in the sharp one, from where the escape ahead néolibéral. Far from making a pause, the Villepin government, supported by Medef (the employers' federation), decided the acceleration of the liberal against-reforms, acceleration registered in the strategies of the treaties of Lisbon and Barcelona, which are applied today by all the European governments, of right side like left.

It is the depth of the crisis which explains the revival of the sedentary policy, whose first victims are the immigrants, but also a series of sectors of the social movements, high-school pupils which expressed, of the combative trade-union teams. The "social State" leaves thus more and more the place with the "penal State", with the constraint, repression, the criminalisation of the social conflicts.

But the return in strength of Sarkozy in the government returns to a whole attempt of reorganization of the bourgeois parties and their project of political domination. The right-side and all the power in place leave weakened considerably chief clerks results. Chirac and its government are struck of full whip by an enormous crisis of legitimacy. The government of Villepin has paces of provisional government.

This crisis revives contradictions with the centre even bourgeois parties. By restructuring the whole of the social field, while attacking the popular classes and with certain layers of the small-bourgeois, liberalism saps the social bases of its parties. In all Europe, the parties of the Christian democracy, just like the gaullists, have an increasingly reduced social base. The search for the authoritative solutions imposing the neo-liberal order is a heavy tendency today. From this point of view, France does not make exception.

How besides not to connect the exercise of the power by authoritative ordinances and these tendencies. The clean characters of the French crisis can give more acuity to this temptation. Thus, the danger represented by the National Front remains present. New bounces can give again a central place to him. In this context, the project of Sarkozy represents a certain rupture with the traditional French right-side, while being inspired directly by the ultraliberal precepts and certain references to the Anglo-Saxon communautarism and the American bush revolution. The Minister of Interior Department is even convinced that this "model" will be most effective vis-a-vis the social and political shocks coming, to split up, to divide, to break the social movements.

But the implementation of this project meets a fundamental obstacle: the reality of the social reports of forces and policies which work the country. The road roller of the liberal against-reform already marked a series of points, but it always runs up against social resistances, without to have been able to inflict decisive defeats with the movement of mass. "no" from the left social one, antiliberal comes by far, of the revolt of the winter 1995, the demonstrations and the strikes of 2003 against the reform of the retirements, the movement altermondialist, in short of social and political resistances major to liberalism.

Repudiated by the street in 2003, rejected by the ballot boxes in 2004, condemned once again by "no" to the referendum, Chirac, propped up on the institutions of the fifth Republic, tries to hold good. But it is now confronted with a crisis of mode where all the pillars of the political power are reached: authority of the president, the legitimacy of the government and the Parliament, the crisis of the majority party. Seldom as many ingredients for a political crisis will not have been joined together. Under these conditions, this capacity as its policy are illegitimate. The plans of this government must be fought. But the urgency of the situation requires to go beyond the wage claims dispute: Chirac and its Parliament were repudiated by the popular vote, they must leave. Chirac must resign and the Parliament must be dissolved. One needs a unit campaign of the whole of the forces ready with this battle, to start with the political currents which took part in the campaign of "no" of left. Obviously, Chirac and its government cling and refuse to yield their place. It is thus necessary to prepare a social mobilization of exceptional width to drive out them.

[cormacobear]

Originally posted by [email protected] 29 2005, 11:48 AM

Do the Lutte Ouvriere - workers struggle - still give their members code names?

Yes it is exact.


Is this not a little bit paranoid, considering there is not at present a revolutionary situation in France?


Who cares if they're nescessary. Code names are cool! :D

Brilliant posts LoL84 thanks. Maybe you already answered this and I missed it but. Due to our crappy corperate media, the press have been portraying the No vote as having been heavily influenced by the more racist aspects of Natioalism. I can't beleive that such notions held more sway than the obvious social inequities in the constitution. Did "keeping out 'Johnny Foriegner'", play any role, and if so about haw much would say?

[LoL84]

Yes I already answered about the vote "no" nationalist. Here my answer:

Yes well on "not" chauvinistic, racist the and nationalist one existed in the campaingn. But the force of our campaign unit it is that we succeeded in changing give it and imposed one "no" left, social, democratic and antiliberalism. According to the surveys, "no" was mainly of left.
At the beginning of was campaign, in November, the question "for or counters Europe?" Thanks to us, it became then for or counters liberalism?