Mass Protests Planned for June EU Summit

Text of a CWI leaflet (May/02)

ANTI-CAPITALIST PROTESTORS, trade unionists, and socialists will be demonstrating against the upcoming European Union summit to be held in Seville on 20-21 June 2002. CWI members and supporters from Spain and also from a number of European countries will be part of the protests against the bosses' EMU. Published below is the text, in English, of a CWI leaflet that is being widely distributed to help build for the demonstrations.

No to a Fortress Europe! Fight the bosses EU/EMU - For a Socialist Europe!

Fourteen million people are out of work in the European Union and the far right is on the rise in many countries. Yet, the only thing the capitalist heads of state at the EU Summit in Seville will discuss is how to make it easier to fire people and how to implement tougher legislation against immigration.

The EU is a capitalist bloc formed by politicians in Europe representing the interests of the rich and the giant multinationals.

The Committee for a Workers' International (CWI) is fighting for another Europe, a democratic socialist Europe. The CWI is the revolutionary socialist wing of the anti-capitalist movement.

The forces which can create an alternative to the bosses' Europe are starting to emerge in the struggles that have taken place against Berlusconi's right-wing government in Italy; the struggle against 'job flexibility' in Spain; the struggle against student fees and cuts in education in Germany and Denmark; the fight to stop the far-right in France and the Netherlands and in the many demonstrations against global capitalism. These struggles against the neo-liberal onslaught on welfare, workers' right and livening conditions has to be used as a lever for bringing workers and young people together across Europe, building the basis for an alternative Europe run by the working people and not the capitalists.

The EU is building a 'Fortress Europe'. Borders are going down for goods and capital but walls are being built against immigrants and refugees. Further restrictions on the right of Asylum are at the top of the EU Summit's agenda.

This meeting of the EU-tops has been preceded by decisions on an all-Europe level, which threaten fundamental democratic rights such as the freedom to assemble and demonstrate and the right to strike: in effect criminalising the social struggle under the guise of "fighting terrorism".

Governments across Europe have recently implemented new laws and legislation that scapegoat immigrants and refugees, while doing nothing to change the social and living conditions that breed poverty, despair and racism. At the same time, the EU and other imperialist blocs or countries hold the poorest countries to ransom, forcing millions to flee from imperialist plundering, starvation and wars.

The fight against the far right is bound together with the struggle for jobs, social welfare, decent housing, free education and a decent income for all pensioners. Only a united movement of workers, young people and immigrants can drive out racism from schools, workplaces and communities and combat the menace of racism.

The politicians claim that the EU is a "peace project", but they sell arms to whoever can buy them, for example, to the rulers in Pakistan and India. They are setting up an 'EU army'. These hypocrites talk about "peace", while they are responsible for wars and join forces with US imperialism in policing the world.

Needed: genuine fighting socialist parties

All the establishment parties - regardless of whether they label themselves socialist, liberal or conservative - are capitalist parties. That is why the CWI campaigns for new mass genuine fighting socialist parties of workers and young people to be formed.

The CWI has associated parties and groups in 37 countries. The CWI fights for the complete socialist transformation of society and the replacement of the bosses' EU/EMU with a voluntary, democratic socialist confederation of independent states in Europe. Within this there would have to be the fullest respect of all democratic rights including the cultural and language rights of all national minorities. This will be the first step towards a socialist unification of Europe and a socialist world.

The Committee for a Workers' International and all its sections and members in Europe campaign on the following demands:

* Fight the bosses' EU/EMU - For a Socialist Europe

* Workers and Youth unite against racism! Defend the right of Asylum! No scape-goating of immigrants and refugees.

* No restrictions on the right to assemble and demonstrate. Stop the EU's attempt to legislate on and criminalise the anti-capitalist struggle. Stop privatisations and social cuts.

* Re-nationalise the public utilities that have been sold off.

*Abolish all school/student fees. Free education for all.

* No to a Euro army! Cut military spending NOW! End imperialist intervention into the Asian sub-continent and the Middle East.

* For a living minimum wage and shorter working week!

* End the dictatorship of the market. Bring the multinationals, major companies and the banks into public ownership - for a democratic, socialist planned economy.

* Get Organised! Join the CWI! Build an international socialist movement against global capitalism!