Translated "Avante!" article by Albano Nunes, Member of the Secretariat of the CC
The European Council’s (on the 8 and 9th December last ) decisions are particularly serious on what regards our country. If consummated, Portugal would become a dependent country. It is an unacceptable situation the PCP will fight against, with energy, with the aim of uniting and mobilizing all those who desire a free and sovereign Portugal, a Portugal with a future. Just as in other moments in our History, the national issue leads our political struggle. The Portuguese communists will not permit the patriotic banner , inseparable of the Portuguese people’s so many liberating advances, might fall in the right-wing hands in order to be instrumentalized and nurture the reactionary and fascist nationalism, spreading all over Europe.
Owing to its class nature, the EU and the deep crisis with which it is confronted, did not, nor could ever respond to the unemployment disaster or to the announced deep recession for the “European space”. The “answer” found was, once again, to proceed and intensify the “austerity” and “structural adjustment” policies which, from Greece unto Italy, passing by Portugal , are severely striking the workers’ conquered rights, during the 20th century. Within this dynamic, which inserts the “budget pact” together with the imposing which is to be constitutionalized at a 0.5% limit for the deficit, and the control and sanction mechanisms which aim to assure the latter. The fact of being before the Maastricht logic development and the summarizing and institutionalization of the Euro Pact , the European Semester, the so-called “European Governance”, only highlights its seriousness.
Round this Council, political and diplomatic movings of great importance were developed, but being early enough to be able to evaluate with certainty, but which reflect serious contradictions among the great economic-financial potentates and the capitalist great powers, contradictions which the current crisis tends to aggravate. Germany, hand-in-hand with France, arrogantly declares, its imperialist ambitions, particularly visible in the Summit’s outcome. Great-Britain, with Cameron facing the growing popular discontent and the traditional British “Euro-scepticism”, bet their boots, creating new complications within the European capitalist integration process, even regarding the ( contradictory) Euro-Atlantic articulation. The USA develop a frenetic oppression over the Euro and the EU, threatening Standard-Poors to withdraw the famous well-known AAA to Germany itself, Obama’s frequent statements on what the EU must or must not do, the North-American Secretary of State’s periplus to Berlin, Paris , Rome and Madrid on the Council’s eve.
Without mentioning China’s role and of other “emerging powers” or the IMF’s hipper-activity (under the USA’s rule) concerning European issues, the truth is the development of a complex ordering of forces process with inevitable implications within the international situation. The understanding knowledge of this process is as far as important as the tendency for the capitalist crisis deepening and when preparations for war accelerate namely in the Middle East and Central Asia. The postponing of an important France-Great-Britain summit on military cooperation (in Le Monde, Nov 3rd), a cooperation which since the S.Malo Treaty is very close ( in the aggression to Libya), must be must be taken into consideration.
The news on the Council, have not a single line on the mass struggles against the great capital offensive, the persistent struggle within Greece or in Portugal, the important actions in Italy, Spain or France, the largest strike in Great - Britain since 1926, or the recent demonstrations in Belgium. But nobody will believe the growing popular protest hasn’t played its influence on the Summit’s atmosphere. It has certainly played its influence and shall more and more in the future. The situation is complex and dangerous, but the dominant class has no free hands towards its exploiter and aggressive policy.