by Wilhelm Langthaler
From 16-18 September the No Euro International Forum is scheduled to take place in Chianciano Terme, Siena province. It is already the third such meeting organised by a European coalition of different political forces advocating the urgent exit from the single currency while not fearing the break with the single market and the European Union altogether as a consequence.
The previous meeting took place in Athens just one week prior to the historic resistance referendum which could have been interpreted as a popular mandate for the break with the Euro oligarchy but instead was turned into submission to the liberalist dictate.
The initiative had been launched by an “International Leftist Co-ordination against the Euro” founded in Assisi, Italy, in August 2014 by a core group from the countries suffering most from the Euro straitjacket, namely Italy, Greece, Spain and France. In some place even several factions have been participating spanning different political milieus. Forces or personalities from Germany, Austria, Finland, Portugal, Slovenia and Britain have been joining in gradually.
The Greek social revolt, its electoral consequences and its ensuing strangulation became a major turning point and push for the Euro exit project though with twists and turns. Soon after the Greek capitulation the Plan B initiative emerged promising to draw the lessons from the defeat and projecting an alternative to the rule of the Euro oligarchy. But the hopes for a second gradualist try, now in much larger and more powerful Spain, soon brought Plan B to collapse before it actually could take shape. The former Greek finance minister-cum-starlet-cum-clown took a u-turned eventually calling for the further radicalisation of the oligarchy’s centralisation project which he fantastically intends to turn leftist. The much humbler Italian ex vice minister Fassina declared plan B impossible and for French Front de Gauche leader Mélenchon the entire endeavour was only meant as an electoral game anyway. The only horse remaining true to his promise has been the German ex minister Lafontaine nevertheless being prisoner of a party longing to prepare itself for a red-red-green government in the footsteps of Schröder.
Meanwhile the Brexit vote of the popular classes has started to dismantle not only the Euro but hit the heart of the neo-liberal dictatorship – the EU itself. Everybody is now aware that the elite’s plan for a “ever closer union” of the capitalist classes crushing all remaining democratic and social gains under a supra-national para-state will not work out.
The moderate turn of Podemos and its near embrace of the “caste” has let to its electoral defeat. In Portugal the social democratic government tolerated by the left is unable to deliver on its promise to at least mitigate the impact of the Brussels/Berlin destructive programme. As soon as it squeaks to disregard the centre’s dictate, the terror of the spread re-emerges. But the epicentre of the Euro crisis eventually has shifted to Italy. Backed by the oligarchy, Renzi wanted to amour the elite by an authoritarian presidentialism to be voted for in a constitutional referendum. With the collapse of the banking system looming at the horizon a defeat of the elite becomes possible. That in turn could bring the anti-Euro forces led by the five stars movement to power with incalculable consequences on both the Euro regime as well as the EU edifice.
One of the results of the decay of the Plan B initiative from above is the formation of the Lexit platform from below which eventually drew the necessary consequences. Not only Fassina signed the call but also numerous scientists, intellectuals and activists who had hoped for more results of Plan B. Luis Bernardo from Portugal and co-founder of the Lexit network will even participate at the No Euro Forum as well as Costas Lapavitsas, the pro-break MP from Syriza who later joined Popular Unity (LAE) and also participated in the Plan B discussions.
Many other important personalities and forces are scheduled to speak in Chianciano like Tariq Ali from the British leftist Brexit campaign; Inge Höger MP from the left wing of the German LINKE; Julio Anguita, the historic leader of the Spanish Communist party; Manolo Monereo, MP for Podemos Unidos, influential political consultant for Podemos and United Left as well as co-founder of the European Leftist Co-ordination against the Euro; from France Jacques Sapir, anti-Euro writer and Jacques Nikonoff, former president of Attac; Yves Rouille, former leader of the union CGT; Luca Mesec of the Slovenian United Left; Vasilji Volga, Union of Leftist Forces of Ukraine as well as Alexej Albu, Borotba leader from Odessa exiled in Donbass – to name only a few.
The broadest range of participants, however, are coming from Greece and Italy, indicating the powerful tidal change against the Euro regime not only among the popular classes but also within the intellectuals and the political milieus including the radical left which for so long defended the false “internationalism” of the elites providing a leftist cover to the ultra-liberalist project.
What could emerge from the Italian meeting ahead of the impending devastating crisis of the Euro regime is a large coalition of democratic forces preparing for the break with the ruling EU elite starting with the Euro exit. This is the only way to stop the rightist forces which try to ride the growing discontent of the popular classes and steer it into a reactionary direction.
Further information: www.noeurointernationalforum.com
Written for: http://lexit-network.org