Slap in the face of the oligarchy

Resolution on the referendums in France and the Netherlands by the Enlarged Session of the Political Committee of the Anti-imperialist Camp
Florence, June 5, 2005

The overwhelming NO to the EU´s constitution in a key country like France marks the beginning of a outright continental earthquake. The immediate impact – the demission of the cabinet of Raffarin, the split of the Socialist Party with the expulsion of Fabius from the leadership, the British decision to cancel the referendum, the total confusion of prospects expressed by the very leaders of the EU – evidence the shock the caste of European political leaders suffers from.

The hasty attempt to archive the French vote as an "accident" was swiftly rendered ridiculous by the Dutch and by the general trend towards the NO revealed by the opinion polls.

This spectacular crisis of the construction of the political unity of Europe ensuing the monetary unification exemplifies the weakness of this process and the absence of the preconditions for the creation of an imperialist pole able to compete with the US (not to speak of the subjective political will of the ruling classes who subdue themselves voluntarily to the US).

Analyzing the referendum the class character of the scrutiny comes to the fore. In the popular quarters the NO reached some 80%.The polls say that 79% of the workers, 70% of the peasants and 67% of the employees cast their votes for the NO, while the YES triumphed among the leading cadres and entrepreneurs with some 65%. These data imply that the referendum was a – late – condemnation of the Maastricht treaty which had laid the foundations of current Europe, the Europe of the bankers of which the refused draft constitution is only the logic consequence.

The net refusal of the anti-democratic and ultra-liberalist constitution which is obviously also a signal against the ruling oligarchies was possible thanks to the mobilization from below of the real left (by thousands of committees). They understood to refuse the blackmail of the "politically correct" front – different to the presidential elections of 2002 which led to the overwhelming victory of Chirac – which was campaigning also at this occasion against the phantasm of the "red-brown alliance".

Because of this audacity to "dirty one´s hands" the NO is a net and unequivocal victory for the popular forces and the left.

The two referendums are the confirmation of the growing gap between the real society and the world of the political elites, who are more and more servile to the financial oligarchies and less and less representing the interests and sentiments of the people. The nearly total control of the mass media (and therefore to 95% on the side of the YES) this time did not suffice. To the contrary this very fact provides the evidence for the depth of the rift.

It is clear that there are several possible directions of development but the popular and anti-capitalist momentum was prevalent and might consolidate on the base of the NO to the Europe of the big capital. Furthermore the vote was directed against the servility of the main European capitalist groups to the US strategic interests. It therefore was a no to Euroamerica and the ongoing process of Americanisation of the continent.

To those who fear a regression to nationalism we respond that this Europe serves only the big bourgeoisie who does no more express its interests in the national dimension but on a European scale. This is different to the interests of the popular classes. They realized their historic gains on the national scale while on the supranational one they only experienced sacrifices and sterilization of the struggles.

To those who think that a bad Europe still might be better than no Europe in order to balance the American superpower we answer that this Europe is not only worse but is also servile to the US.

Therefore the Anti-imperialist Camp welcomes the outcomes of the two referendums as extremely positive while it refuses the attempts of some governments to continue the ratifications by parliaments which have been proved to be in no way representative. We believe that referendums must be demanded in those countries there ratifications took place without asking the people.

Let´s make it like in France!
Against the liberalist Europe!
Against the oligarchic Europe!
Down with Euroamerica!