Internationalist Workers' Left (Greece)
Encyclopedia
The Internationalist Workers' Left is a revolutionary marxist organization in Greece, founded in 2001, having split from Socialist Workers' Party
-International Socialist Tendency
(SEK-IST).
It is particularly active in the Greek Social Forum and Coalition of the Radical Left
(SYRIZA).
It maintains a sisterhood relationship with the International Socialist Organization
(ISO) in the United States. Through the ISO, DEA has developed connections with Socialist Alternative (Australia)
and Movement for Socialism (Switzerland).
- earlier in that year. SEK announced that "a small group had departed". DEA reported that the majority of Athens members had joined the opposition.
According to DEA there were differences focusing on
One of the results was discredibility within the Greek movement an the left.
DEA refers to the principles of International Socialists (see Ideology bellow) and the Organization Socialist Revolution (OSE), predecessor of SEK until 1997.
Members of DEA - as members of OSE or other organizations - (such us Antonis Davanellos) were involved in the Polytechnic Insurrection
in 1973 against the military jounta.
During the founding conference Socialistis Erghatis (Socialist Worker) - a group from Thessaloniki that had left OSE during the early 1990s and went on to function around a newspaper - joined DEA. A group around the political left magazine "Manifesto" also joined during the founding conference, only to leave with Kokkino three years later (see 2004 crisis bellow).
. DEA's initiative, called Greek Committee for the International Demonstration of Genoa, went on to be endorsed by other groups of the Left in Greece, such as the Youth of Synaspismos, Xekinima, A/synechia (later Communist Organization of Greece
(KOE)), as well as other forces of the Space for Dialogue for the Unity and Common Action of the Left (Greek: Χώρος Διαλόγου για την Ενότητα και Κοινή Δράση της Αριστεράς). This initiative later took the form of International Action initiative, which went on to organize the Greek movement participation in the first European Social Forum
(ESF) held in Florence, Italy, in 2002.
by Greece in 2003, facilitated the transformation of International Action into Greek Social Forum (GSF). The GSF was the major organizer of the protests against all summits of EU ministers held in Greece during the six-month "Greek presidency", including a final rally in Salonica
, during the EU leaders summit in June 2003. However, the GSF's major impact and public image in Greece was the organization of the 2003 demonstrations against the war in Iraq
, which brought together hundreds of thousands of protesters, especially during February and March, first weeks of the assault.
DEA continues to participate in Greek Social Forum today. One of the biggest successes of the Greek Social Forum was the co-orginization of the 4th European Social Forum
in Athens (May 2006), which included a 90,000 strong demonstration. However, the Greek Social Forum has seen a downfall in the years since. This happened for various reasons, one of which was the downplay of the GSF by Synaspismos.
with Coalition of the Radical Left
(SYRIZA) in cooperation with Coalition of Left
(SYN) and other Greek left parties. The organization joined the alliance, under the conditions described as the "four NOs": No to war, no to racism, no to neoliberalism, no to center-left. These terms, set in 2004, only served as a starting point of principles for a collaboration and have been advanced and altered over the years. DEA claims this tactic to be a "special type" of United front
. During the electoral campaign, DEA defended the organization's right to use its own leaflets, poster, newspaper etc., along with the alliance's. This set a referring point for elections to come, and for the rest of the organizations later to join in .
DEA did not participate in the Euroelections of 2004
, due to the violation of the coalition principles by SYN leadership. The latter turned once again to center-left politics, through SYN's president
engagement in a discuccion for his election as President of Greece
- a move however that discredited him and center-left politics in SYN's membership.
, when two different groups chose to leave the organization. One formed the political group Kokkino (Red) and the other, smaller, named Internationalist Socialist Intervention (DSP), soonafter joined Organization of Communist Internationalists of Greece-Spartacus
(OKDE-Spartakos), the Greek Section of the Reunified Fourth International
.
On the other hand (Kokkino's view) was the argument of participating in SYRIZA even without the "written" denunciation of center-leftism. Moreover, this was combined with minimizing DEA's organizational structures and differences within the SYRIZA coalition as well as the broader movement. This tactic was based on the estimation of the "permanent defeat" of center - left politics (and thus reformism) within the Greek Left, as well as the European. In 2009 Kokkino would split, with a small group arguing over the failure of the organization's political estimations and strategy towards SYN, and partly over the organizational method. The new group (APO, Anticapitalist Political Group) is part of the Overthrough and Solidarity Front - MAA, see bellow - with DEA and other forces.
DEA overcame this crisis very rapidly.
(SYRIZA got 5.04% of the vote). Meanwhile, KOE (in 2007) and Xekinima (CWI) (in 2008) had also joined the SYRIZA coalition.
SYRIZA had played a significant (if not crusial - especially in the political level) role in the movement for public univercity education (2006–2007) and - predominantly - in the movement for the defence of article 16 (public-only university education in the country) of the Greek Constitution during the constitutional reform of 2007. This policy gave the coalition a unique dynamic, giving it an estimated 18% in polls during 2007-8.
The party of SYN, interpreted this success as a "demand" for a "responsible opposition" and for a "governmental program" - most of which was "realistic" measures (according to the tradition of eurocommunism
) or even "alternative, realistic bill proposals". This damaged SYRIZA's image, since it gave the signal of a return to center left politics
. DEA questioned this tactic, and counterposed the need for empasis on the support of social struggles.
A major landmark in the history of SYRIZA was the December revolt in 2008. SYRIZA (and A. Alavanos
, its parliamentary chairman and president of SYN) was the first parliamentary party (in 70 years or so) to support a riot. This resulted in its targeting by the right wing
government, the Far Right
, by PASOK and even the KKE. On the other hand, as a result its credibility in the Left and the radicalising youth.
During these years, SYRIZA became an inspiration for - over the years - disappointed and demobilized activists on the left, who now approached the coalition in numbers. This fact was the basis for a discussion to "democratise" SYRIZA, giving rights and obligations to members that are not affiliated to any of the allied organizations.
Meanwhile, A. Alavanos
was succeeded in SYN's leadership by A. Tsipras
, while the former remained parliamentary chairman of SYRIZA.
, that brought to power] the social democratic PASOK.
After the elections, SYN leadership, turned to the so-called "programmatic opposition" ("separating the positive and progressive from the negative and neoliberal policies of PASOK"). According to DEA, this meant "giving time" for the new government to adjust, and not preparing the movement for the coming attacks. In DEA's view, in some cases this meant supporting some government bills and naming them "progressive".
Similar arguments were made by KOE, A. Alavanos, other groups and some unaffiliated "members" of SYRIZA.
In January 2010, the dead end by SYN's attitude (not enforcing 3rd meetings decisions) lead to the formation of "Front of Solidarity and Overthrow" from the above forces.
According to DEA, MAA has been an effort to counterbalance the right turn of SYN, in order to protect and develop the left wing policy of SYRIZA. Some main points of MAA were:
SYN accused MAA of trying to split SYRIZA, as well as of "ultraleftism" and "national-centrism". In the months to come the dispute escalated, resulting in a "split" in the prefectural elections in Attica, November 2010.
The Prefectural Elections were preceded by Greece's appeal to the International Monetary Fund
and six general strikes (especially May 5, 500.000 protesters nationwide)
. These developments gave the peripheral elections the character of a "poll against or for the government policy".
SYN chose to enforce as a candidate of SYRIZA for the Attica region (largest region, half the country's population) A. Mitropoulos, a questionable cadre of PASOK, that stated his rejection of PASOK policy, although not wishing to overthrow the government. The leadership of SYN saw this as a "chance to appeal to the voters of PASOK", while "pouring water in SYN's and SYRIZA's wine".
This violation of SYRIZA's agreed independent left policy, was rejected by the forces of MAA. When A. Mitropoulos was announced as SYN's candidate, MAA announced its separate participation in Attica prefecture elections, with A. Alavanos as candidate.
This "tacticism" by SYN's leadership was criticized by the "Left Current" tendency of the party as well by the party's youth organization, although they did not openly vote down the official candidate for the elections.
DEA publishes Ergatiki Aristera (Worker's Left) newspaper biweekly and a theoretical issue called Diethnistiki Aristera (International Left). In early 2009 "Ergatiki Aristera" moved from a 12-page to a 16-page edition.
DEA is also involved in periodical publications of rank-and-file organizations in high school students, university campus and the antiracist movement.
etc.
. The main characteristic of "Deport racism" is the idea that both immigrant and local workers have common interests and thus should be in common trade unions and organizations of the Left. This differentiates it from other perspectives in the antiracist movement. On the other hand, it supports the widest possible coordination for campaigning migrants' rights as well as challenging the far right and fascists. "Deport Racism" also took part in the movement defending the 300 immigrants hunger strike in early 2011.
, founded by Karl Marx
and Friedrich Engels
and continued by the Bolshevik
s, the mass party that led the socialist revolution of 1917 in Russia. The organization refers to the contribution of Marxist revolutionaries such as bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin
, Rosa Luxemburg
, Antonio Gramsci
and Leon Trotsky
, bolshevic leader and prominent challenger of the rise of stalinism
. DEA also refers to the contribution of Pandelis Pouliopoulos
, the founding member and first General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece
(KKE) during the 1920s, expelled in 1927 being accused of "Trotskyism
". In general, DEA holds the basic positions of the "International Socialists"
current.
Workers create all the wealth within capitalism
. A new society relieved from exploitation – socialism – can only be built when workers collectively take control of the social wealth and plan production and distribution according to human needs.
Capitalism can’t be fixed. It must be overthrown through workers’ action. There is no parliamentary road for such a change. The parliament, the army, the police, justice, the entire bourgeoisie state functions in order to protect the interests of the ruling class. The working class will need its own state, based on direct democracy, on the councils of delegates from the working places, as well as on the workers’ militia.
” or “socialism with national colours”
The experience of Russia proves that even a victorious socialist revolution, like the 1917 October, cannot survive in isolation. The regimes of USSR, after the establishment of Stalinism
, as well as the regimes of China and the rest of the Eastern Countries were or continue to be state capitalism
s, where the exploitation and repression of the working class is no different from the West. This is why we support all workers’ insurrections against the bureaucratic ruling class of these countries.
We also support all national liberation movements that resist imperialist oppression. The power that will totally smash imperialism
is the unity of the working class on an international scale, from New York to Seoul and from London to São Paulo.
We oppose all forms of chauvinism
, racism
or sexist
discrimination that threatens to divide the workers.
Against the anti-Turkish warmongering of “our” ruling class, we support the slogan "Greeks and Turks workers united".
We oppose the oppression of the minorities
in Thrace and Macedonia
and the measures that restrain immigrants
.
The working class can liberate itself and all the oppressed through its own action. In order to convince all the parts of the class to join this fight it is necessary for the most determined and militant parts to organize in a revolutionary socialist workers party. Such a party can persuade the workers for the revolutionary perspective, by intervening in the mass struggle. We oppose every perception of substitution
of the class, wherever it comes from."
----
Socialist Workers' Party (Greece)
The Socialist Workers Party of Greece is an affiliate of the International Socialist Tendency . It is the second largest organisation in IST behind the Socialist Workers Party of Britain....
-International Socialist Tendency
International Socialist Tendency
The International Socialist Tendency is an international grouping of unorthodox Trotskyist organisations based around the ideas of Tony Cliff, founder of the Socialist Workers Party in Britain...
(SEK-IST).
It is particularly active in the Greek Social Forum and Coalition of the Radical Left
Coalition of the Radical Left
The Coalition of the Radical Left , commonly known by its Greek abbreviation ΣΥΡΙΖΑ , is a coalition of left political parties in Greece...
(SYRIZA).
It maintains a sisterhood relationship with the International Socialist Organization
International Socialist Organization
The International Socialist Organization is a revolutionary socialist organization in the United States that identifies with the politics of International Socialism, a current of Trotskyism, and the Marxist political tradition that American socialist writer and activist Hal Draper called...
(ISO) in the United States. Through the ISO, DEA has developed connections with Socialist Alternative (Australia)
Socialist Alternative (Australia)
Socialist Alternative is a Trotskyist political organisation in Australia formed by an expulsion from the former International Socialist Organisation in 1995. It is one of the largest groups of the Australian far Left, claiming to have the largest active membership. With branches across...
and Movement for Socialism (Switzerland).
Foundation and tradition
DEA was founded on March 3, 2001, after having split from SEK - the Greek section of the International Socialist TendencyInternational Socialist Tendency
The International Socialist Tendency is an international grouping of unorthodox Trotskyist organisations based around the ideas of Tony Cliff, founder of the Socialist Workers Party in Britain...
- earlier in that year. SEK announced that "a small group had departed". DEA reported that the majority of Athens members had joined the opposition.
According to DEA there were differences focusing on
- the way SEK was being built during the 1990s
-
-
- such as the concept of a propagandistic "fortress party",
- on the role and tactics of revolutionary organizations in the Anti-globalization or anticapitalist movementAnti-globalization movementThe anti-globalization movement, or counter-globalisation movement, is critical of the globalization of corporate capitalism. The movement is also commonly referred to as the global justice movement, alter-globalization movement, anti-globalist movement, anti-corporate globalization movement, or...
- namely:
- on the role and tactics of revolutionary organizations in the Anti-globalization or anticapitalist movement
- the general over-estimate of the situation in which it appears,
- it's link to the working class, and
- the diffusion of SEK into the "movement", with a tendency of claiming that the party's initiatives are the movement.
- such as the concept of a propagandistic "fortress party",
-
One of the results was discredibility within the Greek movement an the left.
DEA refers to the principles of International Socialists (see Ideology bellow) and the Organization Socialist Revolution (OSE), predecessor of SEK until 1997.
Members of DEA - as members of OSE or other organizations - (such us Antonis Davanellos) were involved in the Polytechnic Insurrection
Athens Polytechnic uprising
The Athens Polytechnic uprising in 1973 was a massive demonstration of popular rejection of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974. The uprising began on November 14, 1973, escalated to an open anti-junta, anti-US and anti-imperialist revolt and ended in bloodshed in the early morning of November...
in 1973 against the military jounta.
During the founding conference Socialistis Erghatis (Socialist Worker) - a group from Thessaloniki that had left OSE during the early 1990s and went on to function around a newspaper - joined DEA. A group around the political left magazine "Manifesto" also joined during the founding conference, only to leave with Kokkino three years later (see 2004 crisis bellow).
Early activity in anti-globalization and anti-war movements
From its foundation, DEA engaged in movement organizing, starting with the international demonstration against the G8 summit at Genoa, in 200127th G8 summit
-Overview:The Group of Seven was an unofficial forum which brought together the heads of the richest industrialized countries: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada starting in 1976. The G8, meeting for the first time in 1997, was formed with the addition...
. DEA's initiative, called Greek Committee for the International Demonstration of Genoa, went on to be endorsed by other groups of the Left in Greece, such as the Youth of Synaspismos, Xekinima, A/synechia (later Communist Organization of Greece
Communist Organization of Greece
The Communist Organization of Greece is a left-wing Greek political party of Maoist origins that was founded in 2003. The KOE's ideology is revolutionary Marxism, supporting Marxist ideology with all the historical experience of the Communist Movement....
(KOE)), as well as other forces of the Space for Dialogue for the Unity and Common Action of the Left (Greek: Χώρος Διαλόγου για την Ενότητα και Κοινή Δράση της Αριστεράς). This initiative later took the form of International Action initiative, which went on to organize the Greek movement participation in the first European Social Forum
European Social Forum
The European Social Forum is a recurring conference held by members of the alter-globalization movement . In the first few years after it started in 2002 the conference was held every year, but later it became biannual due to difficulties with finding host countries...
(ESF) held in Florence, Italy, in 2002.
Greek Social Forum
The success of the first ESF, as well as the scheduled assumption of European Union's presidencyPresidency of the Council of the European Union
The Presidency of the Council of the European Union is the responsibility for the functioning of the Council of the European Union that rotates between the member states of the European Union every six months. The presidency is not a single president but rather the task is undertaken by a national...
by Greece in 2003, facilitated the transformation of International Action into Greek Social Forum (GSF). The GSF was the major organizer of the protests against all summits of EU ministers held in Greece during the six-month "Greek presidency", including a final rally in Salonica
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, during the EU leaders summit in June 2003. However, the GSF's major impact and public image in Greece was the organization of the 2003 demonstrations against the war in Iraq
Protests against the Iraq War
Beginning in 2002, and continuing after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, protests against the Iraq War were held in many cities worldwide, often coordinated to occur simultaneously around the world...
, which brought together hundreds of thousands of protesters, especially during February and March, first weeks of the assault.
DEA continues to participate in Greek Social Forum today. One of the biggest successes of the Greek Social Forum was the co-orginization of the 4th European Social Forum
European Social Forum
The European Social Forum is a recurring conference held by members of the alter-globalization movement . In the first few years after it started in 2002 the conference was held every year, but later it became biannual due to difficulties with finding host countries...
in Athens (May 2006), which included a 90,000 strong demonstration. However, the Greek Social Forum has seen a downfall in the years since. This happened for various reasons, one of which was the downplay of the GSF by Synaspismos.
Electoral Activity
DEA participated in the legislative elections of 2004Greek legislative election, 2004
Legislative elections were held in Greece on March 7, 2004. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek Parliament, the Vouli . The New Democracy Party of Kostas Karamanlis won a decisive victory in the elections, ending eleven years of rule by the Panhellenic Socialist Movement .PASOK was led into the...
with Coalition of the Radical Left
Coalition of the Radical Left
The Coalition of the Radical Left , commonly known by its Greek abbreviation ΣΥΡΙΖΑ , is a coalition of left political parties in Greece...
(SYRIZA) in cooperation with Coalition of Left
Coalition of the Left, of Movements and Ecology
The Coalition of the Left of Movements and Ecology is a Greek political party of the radical new left. It is commonly known simply as Synaspismos and abbreviated to SYN...
(SYN) and other Greek left parties. The organization joined the alliance, under the conditions described as the "four NOs": No to war, no to racism, no to neoliberalism, no to center-left. These terms, set in 2004, only served as a starting point of principles for a collaboration and have been advanced and altered over the years. DEA claims this tactic to be a "special type" of United front
United front
The united front is a form of struggle that may be pursued by revolutionaries. The basic theory of the united front tactic was first developed by the Comintern, an international communist organisation created by revolutionaries in the wake of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.According to the theses of...
. During the electoral campaign, DEA defended the organization's right to use its own leaflets, poster, newspaper etc., along with the alliance's. This set a referring point for elections to come, and for the rest of the organizations later to join in .
DEA did not participate in the Euroelections of 2004
European Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
, due to the violation of the coalition principles by SYN leadership. The latter turned once again to center-left politics, through SYN's president
Nikos Konstantopoulos
Nikos Konstantopoulos is a Greek politician, member of the Hellenic Parliament and former president of the left-wing Synaspismos.Born in 1942 in the village of Krestena, near Olympia, Konstantopoulos studied law in the University of Athens...
engagement in a discuccion for his election as President of Greece
President of Greece
The President of the Hellenic Republic , colloquially referred to in English as the President of Greece, is the head of state of Greece. The office of the President of the Republic was established after the Greek republic referendum, 1974 and formally by the Constitution of Greece in 1975. The...
- a move however that discredited him and center-left politics in SYN's membership.
2004 crisis
DEA came into a crisis little before the 2004 EuroelectionsEuropean Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
, when two different groups chose to leave the organization. One formed the political group Kokkino (Red) and the other, smaller, named Internationalist Socialist Intervention (DSP), soonafter joined Organization of Communist Internationalists of Greece-Spartacus
Organization of Communist Internationalists of Greece-Spartacus
The Organization of Communist Internationalists of Greece–Spartacus ) is a Trotskyist group in Greece. It is the Greek section of the Reunified Fourth International, and takes the name Spartacus from its magazine, which has been in various the name of the Fourth Internationalist journal in...
(OKDE-Spartakos), the Greek Section of the Reunified Fourth International
Reunified Fourth International
The Fourth International is a Trotskyist international. In 1963, the majorities of the two public factions of the Fourth International, the International Secretariat and the International Committee, reunited, electing a United Secretariat of the Fourth International...
.
Key issues
On the one hand (DSP's point of view) was the dispute over the decision whether or not to enter the SYRIZA coalition. Key arguments were based on the reformist's discredibility and mainly the - relative to SYN - small size of DEA that would not allow the revolutionaries to intervene in the course of the coalition.On the other hand (Kokkino's view) was the argument of participating in SYRIZA even without the "written" denunciation of center-leftism. Moreover, this was combined with minimizing DEA's organizational structures and differences within the SYRIZA coalition as well as the broader movement. This tactic was based on the estimation of the "permanent defeat" of center - left politics (and thus reformism) within the Greek Left, as well as the European. In 2009 Kokkino would split, with a small group arguing over the failure of the organization's political estimations and strategy towards SYN, and partly over the organizational method. The new group (APO, Anticapitalist Political Group) is part of the Overthrough and Solidarity Front - MAA, see bellow - with DEA and other forces.
DEA overcame this crisis very rapidly.
Electoral activity in new terms
DEA participated again in the legislative elections of 2007 with SYRIZA - after the "left turn" in the 2006 SYN's convention -, in the European elections of 2009European Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
(SYRIZA got 5.04% of the vote). Meanwhile, KOE (in 2007) and Xekinima (CWI) (in 2008) had also joined the SYRIZA coalition.
Syriza between 2006 and 2009
SYRIZA had played a significant (if not crusial - especially in the political level) role in the movement for public univercity education (2006–2007) and - predominantly - in the movement for the defence of article 16 (public-only university education in the country) of the Greek Constitution during the constitutional reform of 2007. This policy gave the coalition a unique dynamic, giving it an estimated 18% in polls during 2007-8.
The party of SYN, interpreted this success as a "demand" for a "responsible opposition" and for a "governmental program" - most of which was "realistic" measures (according to the tradition of eurocommunism
Eurocommunism
Eurocommunism was a trend in the 1970s and 1980s within various Western European communist parties to develop a theory and practice of social transformation that was more relevant in a Western European democracy and less aligned to the influence or control of the Communist Party of the Soviet...
) or even "alternative, realistic bill proposals". This damaged SYRIZA's image, since it gave the signal of a return to center left politics
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
. DEA questioned this tactic, and counterposed the need for empasis on the support of social struggles.
A major landmark in the history of SYRIZA was the December revolt in 2008. SYRIZA (and A. Alavanos
Alekos Alavanos
Alekos Alavanos is a Greek politician, member of the Hellenic Parliament, former member of the European Parliament. From 2004 until 2008 he was president of the Coalition of the Left of Movements and Ecology, commonly known as Synaspismos...
, its parliamentary chairman and president of SYN) was the first parliamentary party (in 70 years or so) to support a riot. This resulted in its targeting by the right wing
New Democracy (Greece)
New Democracy is the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties in Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic...
government, the Far Right
Popular Orthodox Rally
The Popular Orthodox Rally or The People's Orthodox Rally , often abbreviated to ΛΑ.Ο.Σ as a pun on the Greek word for people, is a Greek party. According to its political program LA.O.S...
, by PASOK and even the KKE. On the other hand, as a result its credibility in the Left and the radicalising youth.
During these years, SYRIZA became an inspiration for - over the years - disappointed and demobilized activists on the left, who now approached the coalition in numbers. This fact was the basis for a discussion to "democratise" SYRIZA, giving rights and obligations to members that are not affiliated to any of the allied organizations.
Meanwhile, A. Alavanos
Alekos Alavanos
Alekos Alavanos is a Greek politician, member of the Hellenic Parliament, former member of the European Parliament. From 2004 until 2008 he was president of the Coalition of the Left of Movements and Ecology, commonly known as Synaspismos...
was succeeded in SYN's leadership by A. Tsipras
Alexis Tsipras
Alexis Tsipras is a Greek left wing politician, member of the Hellenic parliament, president of the Synaspismos political party and head of SYRIZA parliamentary group.-Early life and career:Tsipras was born July 28, 1974, in Athens....
, while the former remained parliamentary chairman of SYRIZA.
New crisis in SYRIZA (2009-2011)
Shortly after the 2009 euroelections, SYN came into crisis, with its 2 main leadership figures - A. Alavanos and A. Tsipras - coming into conflict. Although it was a widely discussed conflict, the real reasons behind it were not uncovered. DEA refused to take sides, especially when there were no political arguments from neither. DEA participated with its maximum capacity with SYRIZA in the legislative elections of 2009Greek legislative election, 2009
Parliamentary elections were held in Greece on 4 October 2009. An election was not required until September 2011.On 2 September Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis announced he would request President Karolos Papoulias to dissolve Parliament and call an election...
, that brought to power] the social democratic PASOK.
After the elections, SYN leadership, turned to the so-called "programmatic opposition" ("separating the positive and progressive from the negative and neoliberal policies of PASOK"). According to DEA, this meant "giving time" for the new government to adjust, and not preparing the movement for the coming attacks. In DEA's view, in some cases this meant supporting some government bills and naming them "progressive".
Similar arguments were made by KOE, A. Alavanos, other groups and some unaffiliated "members" of SYRIZA.
Formation of MAA - Solidarity and Overthrow Front
In January 2010, the dead end by SYN's attitude (not enforcing 3rd meetings decisions) lead to the formation of "Front of Solidarity and Overthrow" from the above forces.
According to DEA, MAA has been an effort to counterbalance the right turn of SYN, in order to protect and develop the left wing policy of SYRIZA. Some main points of MAA were:
- Struggle to overthrow the government "from below", not "constructive criticism"
- Clear rejection of the "Stability Pact", as an "Austerity Pact"
- Clear rejection of the "EU Stability Memorandum", with no reluctance.
- Adoption of "Workers' December" slogan to support these directions. This referred to the attitude of SYRIZA during December 2008 as correct, while proposing a more politicized and workers-oriented upsurge.
SYN accused MAA of trying to split SYRIZA, as well as of "ultraleftism" and "national-centrism". In the months to come the dispute escalated, resulting in a "split" in the prefectural elections in Attica, November 2010.
Greek Prefectural and Municipal Elections 2010
The Prefectural Elections were preceded by Greece's appeal to the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
and six general strikes (especially May 5, 500.000 protesters nationwide)
. These developments gave the peripheral elections the character of a "poll against or for the government policy".
SYN chose to enforce as a candidate of SYRIZA for the Attica region (largest region, half the country's population) A. Mitropoulos, a questionable cadre of PASOK, that stated his rejection of PASOK policy, although not wishing to overthrow the government. The leadership of SYN saw this as a "chance to appeal to the voters of PASOK", while "pouring water in SYN's and SYRIZA's wine".
This violation of SYRIZA's agreed independent left policy, was rejected by the forces of MAA. When A. Mitropoulos was announced as SYN's candidate, MAA announced its separate participation in Attica prefecture elections, with A. Alavanos as candidate.
This "tacticism" by SYN's leadership was criticized by the "Left Current" tendency of the party as well by the party's youth organization, although they did not openly vote down the official candidate for the elections.
Publications
DEA is also involved in periodical publications of rank-and-file organizations in high school students, university campus and the antiracist movement.
Working places
DEA is currently active in a number of trade unions- hospital nurses and personnel
- hospital doctors
- mental health services
- public insurance employees
- private postal services (couriers)
- municipality employees
- bank employees as well as "rent" employees in banks
- High school teachers
- journalists
- Bookstore employees
- University employees
etc.
Antiracist and immigrant's movement
DEA has several immigrants in its membership and is well established in the antiracist movement through the initiatives of "Sunday Immigrants' School" and Deport Racism OrganizationDeport Racism Organization
The Deport Racism Organization , founded in 2007, is an organization of immigrants and Greek citizens against racism and neo-fascism.Their aims include the legalization of immigrants, asylum for refugees, citizenship for the children of immigrants, equal political and social rights for all,...
. The main characteristic of "Deport racism" is the idea that both immigrant and local workers have common interests and thus should be in common trade unions and organizations of the Left. This differentiates it from other perspectives in the antiracist movement. On the other hand, it supports the widest possible coordination for campaigning migrants' rights as well as challenging the far right and fascists. "Deport Racism" also took part in the movement defending the 300 immigrants hunger strike in early 2011.
Youth
In high schools DEA is involved with School Students Against the System and in universities with Univ. Students Against the System . (...Against the System of war, profit and racism)Summer camp
Usually each year the student branches organize a summer camp in late July. This summer camp is youth oriented and it attempts to combine political discussions and a kind of collective vacations in organized camping sites by the sea. The political discussions part (especially in the -for the monent- lack of an annual Socialism or Marxism conference, typical in IST-type organizations) is an effort to built theoretically on issues of current politics, historic events of the workers' movement as well as marxist tradition.Ideology
DEA puts itself in the current of the revolutionary marxist leftCommunism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, founded by Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
and Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels was a German industrialist, social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory, alongside Karl Marx. In 1845 he published The Condition of the Working Class in England, based on personal observations and research...
and continued by the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
s, the mass party that led the socialist revolution of 1917 in Russia. The organization refers to the contribution of Marxist revolutionaries such as bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
, Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg was a Marxist theorist, philosopher, economist and activist of Polish Jewish descent who became a naturalized German citizen...
, Antonio Gramsci
Antonio Gramsci
Antonio Gramsci was an Italian writer, politician, political philosopher, and linguist. He was a founding member and onetime leader of the Communist Party of Italy and was imprisoned by Benito Mussolini's Fascist regime...
and Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
, bolshevic leader and prominent challenger of the rise of stalinism
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
. DEA also refers to the contribution of Pandelis Pouliopoulos
Pandelis Pouliopoulos
Pandelis Pouliopoulos was a Greek communist and onetime general secretary of the Communist Party of Greece . He stood for the internationalist and revolutionary character of the communist movement...
, the founding member and first General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece
Communist Party of Greece
Founded in 1918, the Communist Party of Greece , better known by its acronym, ΚΚΕ , is the oldest party on the Greek political scene.- Foundation :...
(KKE) during the 1920s, expelled in 1927 being accused of "Trotskyism
Trotskyism
Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. Trotsky considered himself an orthodox Marxist and Bolshevik-Leninist, arguing for the establishment of a vanguard party of the working-class...
". In general, DEA holds the basic positions of the "International Socialists"
International Socialist Tendency
The International Socialist Tendency is an international grouping of unorthodox Trotskyist organisations based around the ideas of Tony Cliff, founder of the Socialist Workers Party in Britain...
current.
Socialism
through the independent action of the working classWorking class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
Workers create all the wealth within capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
. A new society relieved from exploitation – socialism – can only be built when workers collectively take control of the social wealth and plan production and distribution according to human needs.
Revolution
and not reformismReformism
Reformism is the belief that gradual democratic changes in a society can ultimately change a society's fundamental economic relations and political structures...
Capitalism can’t be fixed. It must be overthrown through workers’ action. There is no parliamentary road for such a change. The parliament, the army, the police, justice, the entire bourgeoisie state functions in order to protect the interests of the ruling class. The working class will need its own state, based on direct democracy, on the councils of delegates from the working places, as well as on the workers’ militia.
Internationalism
and not “socialism in one countrySocialism in One Country
Socialism in One Country was a theory put forth by Joseph Stalin in 1924, elaborated by Nikolai Bukharin in 1925 and finally adopted as state policy by Stalin...
” or “socialism with national colours”
The experience of Russia proves that even a victorious socialist revolution, like the 1917 October, cannot survive in isolation. The regimes of USSR, after the establishment of Stalinism
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
, as well as the regimes of China and the rest of the Eastern Countries were or continue to be state capitalism
State capitalism
The term State capitalism has various meanings, but is usually described as commercial economic activity undertaken by the state with management of the productive forces in a capitalist manner, even if the state is nominally socialist. State capitalism is usually characterized by the dominance or...
s, where the exploitation and repression of the working class is no different from the West. This is why we support all workers’ insurrections against the bureaucratic ruling class of these countries.
We also support all national liberation movements that resist imperialist oppression. The power that will totally smash imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
is the unity of the working class on an international scale, from New York to Seoul and from London to São Paulo.
We oppose all forms of chauvinism
Chauvinism
Chauvinism, in its original and primary meaning, is an exaggerated, bellicose patriotism and a belief in national superiority and glory. It is an eponym of a possibly fictional French soldier Nicolas Chauvin who was credited with many superhuman feats in the Napoleonic wars.By extension it has come...
, racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
or sexist
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
discrimination that threatens to divide the workers.
Against the anti-Turkish warmongering of “our” ruling class, we support the slogan "Greeks and Turks workers united".
We oppose the oppression of the minorities
Minorities in Greece
Indigenous minorities in Greece are small in size compared to regional standards. The country is largely ethnically homogeneous. This is mainly due to the population exchanges between Greece and neighboring Turkey and Bulgaria , which removed most Muslims and those Christian Slavs who did not...
in Thrace and Macedonia
Muslim minority of Greece
The Muslim minority of Greece is the only explicitly recognized minority in Greece. It numbers 97,604 people or 0.91% of the total population, according to the 1991 census , and 140,000 people or 1.24% of the total population, according to the United States Department of State.The Muslim minority...
and the measures that restrain immigrants
Immigration to Greece
During the military dictatorship , labour immigrants were recruited, mostly from Egypt, and in the 1980s Filipina nurses were also directly recruited. These were followed in the late 1980s by political refugees from various Eastern European countries and Kurds from Turkey...
.
Revolutionary Party
of the most militant workersThe working class can liberate itself and all the oppressed through its own action. In order to convince all the parts of the class to join this fight it is necessary for the most determined and militant parts to organize in a revolutionary socialist workers party. Such a party can persuade the workers for the revolutionary perspective, by intervening in the mass struggle. We oppose every perception of substitution
Substitutionism
Substitutionism is a term in Marxist theory which refers to the relationship between the revolutionary party and the working class, where the former's activity substitutes the latter's. It is seen as an inverse to classical Marxism, where the "emancipation of the working class must be the work of...
of the class, wherever it comes from."
External links
- DEA website
- Sunday Immigrants' School website
- MES website
- FES website
- Kokkino
- SYRIZA
- Elephtheri Attiki prefectural ballot
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- Greek election results, via the Greek Ministry of Internal Affairs