In Defence of Marxism

Representatives of the Sindicato de Estudiantes (Students' Union) and the Marxist tendency El Militante, together with several trade unionists, gathered in front of the French embassy in Madrid last week to express their rejection of the serious attack of the Chirac-Villepin-Sarkozy government, which is attempting to impose the CPE on the French youth and workers. Despite the rain which poured down on the city, about fifty comrades stood for more than one hour in front of the French embassy demanding the dismissal of Villepin and Chirac and the immediate withdrawal of the CPE, and cheered on the struggle of the French youth and workers. This struggle has been noticed throughout the whole world, especially in Spain, with great admiration after the overwhelming success of the recent strikes and demonstrations, which brought millions of people to the streets.

One of the most popular slogans was “Today Paris, tomorrow Madrid”, referring to the abysmal working conditions of the Spanish working class and the youth in particular, who are the principle victims of casual labour, temporary contracts and miserable wages. It is now, when the Zapatero government is negotiating with the bosses about labour reforms in Spain, that the marvellous struggle of the French working class should serve as a serious warning. The socialist government must adopt genuine left politics, it must act in the interests of millions of young workers, not the bosses. The attacks of the capitalists are the same internationally, in country after country, and that is why a victory in France today would provide excellent conditions for the struggle here in Spain against the attacks on the living standards of the working class.

Some of the other most chanted slogans yesterday evening were: “your struggle, is our struggle”, “if there is no solution, there will be revolution”, “the problem is capitalism” or “what we need now is a general strike”. On their part, the French Embassy sent a representative to “dialogue” with the demonstrators who, among chants of “Villepin resign!”, was handed the manifesto produced by the Spanish Students’ Union demanding the immediate resignation of the Chirac-Villepin-Sarkozy government and consequently the withdrawal of the CPE.

The situation in France today reveals that it is increasingly more difficult to reconcile the interests of the capitalists with the needs of the youth and the workers. The struggle that is taking place today in France is the struggle against the social system which condemns the majority of the population all over the world to exploitation, poverty and precariousness. The struggle against the capitalist system and for a just socialist alternative is today, in France and in the rest of the world, more relevant than ever.

YOUR STRUGGLE IS OUR STRUGGLE!

• France: A week of struggle in Toulouse (April 7, 2006)
  
• Interview with Stephen Bouquin on the movement in France (April 6, 2006)
  
• France: after the success of the April 4th day of action, what next? (April 5, 2006)
  
• Stop Press! April 4: an even bigger mobilisation of French workers and youth (April 4, 2006)
  
• After the intervention of Chirac: April 4 must be a general strike! (April 3, 2006)
  
• France prepares for a massive mobilisation on April 4 by our correspondent in Paris (April 3, 2006)
  
• France: Faced with the arrogance of the government and the bosses, workers and youth take to the streets! by Mikael Duthu (March 30, 2006)
  
• March 28th 2006: French workers and youth mobilise on a scale never seen since 1968 by Greg Oxley (March 28, 2006)
  
• France - Faced with the intransigence of the government: for immediate presidential and legislative elections! (March 28, 2006)
• Mass protests and strikes in France: the dawning of a new era by Greg Oxley (March 21, 2006)
• Audio interview with Greg Oxley on the protests in France (March 20, 2006)
• French workers and youth unite against the First Employment Contract: No to all precarious contracts by Mikael Duthu (March 16, 2006)