The situation in Greece shows there is no third way possible between neoliberal policies and a radical anti-capitalist alternative. Any will to seriously contest the neoliberal order leads inevitably to the necessity of relying on social mobilisation so as to implement a set of measures to break the resistance of the dominant class. Schematically, these measures are organised around seven major axes:
Elections in Greece on June 17: rout austerity and the Troika!
19 June 2012, byThe elections on June 17 in Greece are of fundamental importance, not only for the future of the millions of citizens of that country, but also for all the workers of Europe. Greece has become the laboratory of the ruling classes and of the power of finance in their determination to put an end to all the existing social and democratic rights in order to impose a model of society where only the law of Capital rules.
Statement of the Workers’ Struggle on strategic questions of the anti-capitalist movement in Greece and attitude towards SYRIZA
16 June 2012, byAfter familiarizing itself with the statement of the Executive Bureau of the Fourth International on the situation in Greece, the analysis of the Greek section of the Fourth International, the exchange of messages between the Bureau and OKDE-Spartakos and upon discussion and vote on the matter within the organization, Workers’ Struggle takes the following stance on the question of attitude towards SYRIZA and the Executive Bureau’s statement:
Spectacular stakes in the Greek elections
16 June 2012, byIt looks increasingly likely that Syriza could produce a spectacular result on Sunday – even more spectacular than on May 6 – and win enough support to form a government. This is by no means guaranteed but it is looking a real possibility.
On June 17th we are supporting SYRIZA for the election of a left government
16 June 2012, byThe elections of May 6th generated a real political earthquake in Greece, foundering the parties of the Memorandum and destabilizing the bourgeois political system, which was targeting at forming a "memorandum government", taking advantage of the bonus of 50 parliamentary seats in order to carry on with the destructive work of the previous governments. At the same time, the election results sent a strong message to Europe that the "Greek guinea pig" reacts by threatening to shake the air of austerity plans of the entire European ruling classes. Since then, and now in front of the feasibility of the formation of a left government after the elections of the 17th of June, the terror of bourgeois "headquarters" is evident and manifested daily through the launch of rabid attacks against SYRIZA.
For a program of confrontation with capitalism, for an independent anticapitalist and revolutionary party
16 June 2012, by ,Greece is today the epicenter of the crisis of capitalism. It is the target of the most vicious attack by capital. The youth and the workers of Greece have answered this offensive with massive mobilization that has discredited the traditional political Greek regime of PASOK and ND. The ruling class no longer controls the situation, but the working class is not yet able to seize power and overthrow capitalism.
The pendulum
16 June 2012, by1. It is generally true that there is some delay between the real, active class struggle and elections. However, the recent elections in Greece show a picture from the future: a forthcoming frontal collision of two socio-political camps. The left and the far right. This is not only about the rise of the Golden Dawn neonazi party, but also about the “non-economical” part of the Independent Greeks’ program (a split from New Democracy that states it is against the memorandum and accepts the economic program of SYRIZA) as well as the rightward turn of New Democracy (ND, the Christian-Democrats). For working people, the period to come can be summarized by the formula: great opportunities, great dangers.
The future of the workers of Europe is being decided in Greece
25 May 2012, byFor two years the Greek people have fought against the austerity imposed by the Troika (the IMF, the European Commission and the European Central Bank). After seventeen one-day general strikes, after mass demonstrations and the occupations of squares by the aganaktismeni (the indignant), after occupations of workplaces, in the elections held on May 6 it rejected the parties which had accepted the memoranda imposed on Greece by more than 60 per cent of the votes cast, and gave 37 per cent to parties to the left of the antisocial liberalism of PASOK.