Today, voting for the European Elections started in the Netherlands and Great Britian, which’s participation in the elections makes it appear so much of a farce already – particularly with the current turmoil over Mays rumored soon-to-happen resignation – that it embarrasses even the most hard boiled parliamentary cretins of the EU bureaucracy. All the more reason to reject and boycott these elections. Hence, we gladly spread the following call published by several anti-imperialist organizations calling for the boycott of the elections, and firmly take position for it denouncing the role of the European Union as a tool to further impose the imperialist’s exploitation upon the peoples within Europe, behind which German imperialism is a driving force, and which compels us to increase all our efforts to destroy the EU and “our own” imperialists. - Editorial Staff of Dem Volke Dienen
Down with the EU! Down with imperialism!
Long live internationalism!
“Everything reactionary is the same; if you don’t hit it, it won’t fall.“
- Mao Zedong
The election of the European Parliament, which take place from 23 to 26 May, is an excellent opportunity to express the deep rejection, hatred and rebellion against the EU. The leading powers in the EU are trying with this election by enormous effort to stage a seemingly "democratic" legitimacy, an attempt that is doomed to failure, as they increasingly unfold their reactionary character with each passing day. The fact that the EU has nothing in common with “democracy” has been shown not only by the support of the fascist putschist Guaidó in Venezuela, the involvement in the war in Syria and Libya, or the installation of open fascist puppets in Ukraine, but is firmly anchored in the EU's self-conception. The President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker clearly expressed it with the words "There is no democratic election against the EU-treaties". It is mere an illusion to think that the EU can be “abolished” or “reformed”, which today is kept alive only by opportunists and reformists. As anti-imperialists and revolutionaries we therefore want to stand firmly by the side of the oppressed nations, the exploited workers and the masses all the more and call up for powerful activities against the farce of the EU election on the basis of international solidarity: Down with the EU! Down with imperialism! Long live internationalism!
"Imperialism does not want freedom, but domination!", is an important lesson from the history of class struggle, and the EU is a prime example of that. The propagation of so-called "European unity" has always been a tool for increased exploitation and oppression, as a result of crisis of imperialism. In the early 20th century, the so-called Pan-Europe movement emerged, aiming for the enslavement of the peoples of Southern and Eastern Europe under imperialist leadership in the guise of "European unity". A decade later, the "European unity" became the battle cry of the German fascists, who, driven by the illusion of a Europe under German leadership, carried out a cruel military campaign of extermination. After the victory of the antifascist forces under the leadership of the Soviet Union in the Second World War, the EU was created as a lever of monopoly capital, to preserve the European imperialists from their demise. Once again today, it is the call for "European unity" of the imperialists to secure themselves a place in the struggle of world domination, on the back of the oppressed nations, the workers and the masses. What they baptized as "European Unity" is in truth the expression of the sharp divide between oppressed and oppressors, exploited and exploiters. Above all, “European unity” is today the goal of the liberal forces of the capital, because it means Europe under a German-French leadership. However, also the aggressive, the open fascist representatives of the capital do want the EU, just with less compromises and even more aggressiveness. The “choice” is between two reactionary parts of capital, both in service of capital, both in service of imperialism.
The EU is a temporary alliance of imperialists, living like a parasite at the cost of the oppressed peoples and nations, as well as the exploitation of the working class. In Europe, it is mainly the Balkans and Eastern Europe, which get oppressed the most. As inti-imperialists we therefore have to stand especially against the reactionary plans of the so-called “EU Eastern enlargement”, which aims the entire control of several countries in Southeastern Europe in dispute against their Russian opponent and leads to a further intensification of oppression in these countries. The fact that this plan could not be achieved yet and has to be delayed, shows on the one hand that the EU is not “almighty”, but in deep crisis. On the other hand it shows, that the masses less and less believe the lie of “positive development through the EU”. We must never forget that the EU, contrary to its propaganda of "holy external borders", never acknowledged them for itself. In Africa, the plundering campaign of the European imperialists left a deep trail of blood and it must be clear to all anti-imperialists in Europe that the struggle against the EU requires a firm closing of ranks with the struggling masses of the African continent.
Not only the robbery of resources, such as the deforestation of Europe's last primeval forests in Romania, or the destruction of rivers in Bosnia or Macedonia by imperialist’ controlled hydropower plants, is a sign of parasitism, but also the migration of millions of labour forces to the imperialist countries, while at the same time millions of labour forces are being destroyed by permanent unemployment. The emigration of more than 45% of the Bosnian population is probably the best example of the fact, that forced migration within the EU is not a sign of "freedom of movement", but a sign of oppression, racism and destruction. To present austerity policy and the bleeding to death of entire countries as “achievement” of “freedom of movement”, or even “tourism”, is nothing but disgusting cynicism. Therefore it is not surprising, that the rejection of the EU in the oppressed countries is growing or already today particularly strong, as illustrated by the recent EU elections with a participation of only 13% in Slovakia. At the same time, the imperialist-generated mass migration is being used as an instrument of wage pressure in the imperialist countries, as well as pretext for smashing hard-won unionist and political rights, which goes along with the most reactionary racism and chauvinism. Already for a long time, the illusion of a “white Europe” is not only a particular standpoint of openly fascist forces, but is today common basis of most of the bourgeois parties. To position oneself in favour of the EU, no matter if liberal or not, means opposing the internationalist standpoint of the right of self-determination of the peoples and nations, as well as the emancipation of the working class and the oppressed. The staging of a "right" and "left" election alternative to the EU fulfills the sole purpose of artificially increasing the election turnout and paralyzing the struggle against the EU. Let us therefore also oppose all those who, under the pretext of "socialism" and "internationalism", campaign for the EU elections and thus only serve the imperialists, by fostering the illusion that the EU could be eliminated without struggle. The development in Greece, as well as the so-called “Brexit”, should serve us as an example, that the justified rejection of the masses towards the EU can not become a force in class struggle through a new “election alternative”, but only by firmly trusting into the own force with the clear perspective that the EU has to be smashed. Didn’t we see that it was the alleged “left” Syriza, which further sold out Greece to the imperialists, covering it as “EU-critique”. We therefore call up, to use the active election boycott as a lever to establish a strong bond with the oppressed and exploited and to unitedly develop the struggle against the EU.
The current political crisis of the EU, which rises on the basis of the general crisis of imperialism, is prompting the imperialists to step up their repression, rearmament and militarization. This includes the installation and support of fascist governments, such as in Turkey or the Ukraine, as well as the establishment of a "joint" EU army or the EU-PSC (Permanent Structured Cooperation), which provides for an additional 88 billion for armament by 2027 alone. The EU army therefore is to be set up as a coordination partner for NATO, to take up its currently hoped-for place alongside with the world-gendarme USA also militarily. Obviously, the leading imperialists in the EU are preparing for new military interventions, counterinsurgency in the "interior" and craving for a new imperialist world war! This hysteria clearly proves its deep crisis, proving its fear of today's and coming rebellions and struggles of the oppressed and exploited. Therefore, let us take up the slogans "Away with the EU Army! Struggle against the rearmament of the EU!" and "For the right of self-determination of the peoples and nations!" even stronger!
The destructiveness and aggressiveness of the imperialists has strengthened the rejection of the EU. Large mass movements and more frequent arising militant struggles, can be brought under control less and less and often drag on for months. At the same time it also becomes obvious, that the spontaneous mass movements do not "automatically" reach a higher level, do not develop "automatically", but demand consciousness and orientation. Lenin, who already more than 100 years ago clarified the reactionary character of a "United Europe" under imperialist leadership, devised the important teaching, that only with a "organization of revolutionaries" the conditions can be unhinged! Fully aware that the EU can neither be smashed out of one country alone, nor it will "fall" at once, we want to appeal, in the spirit of international solidarity, to all anti-imperialists, to all revolutionaries who oppose the imperialist EU-Alliance: Let us struggle against the EU! Let us unite in anti-imperialism!
Down with the EU!
For active election boycott!
Down with imperialism!
Long live internationalism!
May 22, 2019
Signatures:
Partija Rada (Ex-Yugoslavia)
Communist Party of Romania
Red Front Collective (Austria)
Partizan (Europe)
AGEB (Federation of Working Migrants in Europe)
Editorial Staff of Class Position
Further signatures will follow.
