1. So the "No" has just carried the day. This movement has deep roots, it is a victory of all those who have for many years been suffering the ill effects of the liberal policies that have been systematically applied for more than years.
This is a defeat for those who dream of a liberal society, freed from the impediments that are represented by the resistance of the working class and the people of this country, but who have never, throughout this campaign, openly admitted their project.
The social and derocratic "No", which was the driving force of this victory, appeals to the whole of Europe, to the peoples of the East as well as the West, who are suffering the full effects of the demolition of their social rights.
It represents a formidable
encouragement for the many forces who also think that
another Europe is possible, on
condition that we undo this
liberal and capitalist Europe.
It is up to us who have just
rejected this Constitution to
propose European initiatives
trace the outlines
another Europe.
Europe will harmonise upwards social and democratic rights. It would establish social convergence criteria, implement European minımum wage, establish a common capital tax, and create real European public services.
It would extend to all women the right of abortion and accord equal rights to all foreign residents. It would be A Europe of peace, cooperation and solidarity with the South, which would turn its back on NATO and the remilitarisation that is promised by the treaty.
This Europe can only come from a democratic constituent process, that is one that the ORD HOT
DAS LAR peoples take into their own hands. 2 The employers, fully mobilized for a project which is fundamentally theirs, have just suffered a setback. It's up to us to take advantage of this weakening of the right and of the employers, without waiting till 2007, and take social revenge. We impose a different sharing out of wealth and of work, save and extend public services, defend and broaden social protection.
From this point of view, the recent struggles of the workers of IBM and Total show the road we have to follow, the road of a generalisation of struggles
On the left, the leaderships of the SP and the Greens wanted, by allying with the right, get such Constitution approved.
They have also been severely condemned, as have, generally speaking, all the forces that assume the responsibility for their participation in government and their liberal policies.
Decidedly, there are two Lefts in this country. Liberal Left, which accepts the constraints of a capitalism that is more and more savage and brutal and which goes along with reforms.
But there exists another Left, another camp, which have emerged in the course of this campaign. 3. The social and democratic
"No" was the event of this
campaign. It provoked the real debate that is taking place
throughout the country: for
or against liberalism, do we
accept or reject the brutality
of the bosses' offensive.
translation appears on www.internationa/viewpount.org dreds of meetings, a thousand collectives came along to interfere with the workings of the pretty machine that had been built to obtain the ratification, of the liberal and antidemocratic fraud that this Constitution represents.
Bringing together all those who for many years have been fighting, have been resisting, the "No" carries the hope of another world, of another Europe, of another politics.
That "No" is the future. It is borne by the struggles of youth and workers, it comes from the battles of the movements for another globalisaДОп.
It enabled the coming together of militants of the LCR, of the PCRE, of ecologists and Socialists for an anti-liberal "No", as well as
the junction between these political militants and trade
unionists and militants of different associations.
The commitment of many
trade THE TONSIS and
ATTAC, was decisive for the
success of the campaign. This
coming together of forces
must continue.
That is why it is important
to hold a national conference
of the 1,000 collectives for the
"No", to decide how to continue with the aim of organising action against the ight
and the bosses.
It must propose an alternative to liberal capitalism, in
Europe as well as in France, in
order to give new hope to
those, more and more numer
ous, who are not resigned to
accepting the iron laws of this
capitalist society. Published in Rouge, weekly paper of the LCR, June 2 2005. A full