Another Europe is possible! No to the multinationals' constitution!
This statement was issued by a meeting of the European Anti-Capitalist Left on December 5, 2004.
European Union governments are trying to impose a constitution designed behind closed doors on 450 million people. This socalled constitutional treaty has taken the place of a constituent process based on a mandate coming out of open democratic debates and sovereignty of the peoples of Europe.
This constitution is dangerous.
It consecrates the absolute primacy of the "free market". It legally forbids any infringement of private property and market relations. It refuses to give any legal status to social gains won on a national level through a century and a half of workers' struggles.
It consecrates budgetary constraints previously institutionalised through the Maastricht criteria that will drastically reduce social benefits and hamstring public economic policy. Systematic privatisation of public services and social security will become "inevitable", and public services will be considered as "unaffordable".
The constitutional treaty confirms the European Community's semi-despotic and undemocratic character. Real political power remains centralised in the hands of the governments and bodies such as the Commission, which are not directly elected.
The European Central Bank remains "independent" —that means that its power does not emanate from citizens or peoples—and accountable to no one, except corporations and shareholders.
The constitution does not recognise the right of women to choose free and legal access to abortion. This goes along with the situation of brutal oppression of women that prevails in Portugal, Ireland and Poland. Though the principle of equality between women and men has been included in the constitution as a goal of the EU, the constitution itself impedes the goal by imposing liberalisation of social services.
The constitutional treaty does not recognise citizenship rights, including the right to vote, for citizens of a third country residing in a member state and confirms that its project is to build a "fortress Europe" closed to asylum seekers.
The draft constitution does not recognise the multinational character of the member states and denies the right to selfdetermination for oppressed peoples and "nations without states" in the name of the principle of territorial integrity.
The constitution legally obliges the EU and its members to reinforce their military capabilities under the rule of NATO. Far from being an alternative to us imperialism, this means that European militarism will strengthen the imperialist system.
We say "No" to this Europe and its constitution. Because this Europe means more attacks against social rights, more privatisations and destruction of public services, more legislation in favour of the rich and the powerful, more military expenses and less democracy.
We say "No" to this Europe because we are fighting for a socialist, democratic society, self-managed from below, without exploitation at work or oppression of women, founded on sustainable development as opposed to a "growth model" that threatens the planet.
We are committed to developing in each European country and internationally the widest movement against this constitution treaty and in favour of social and democratic demands. As radical, revolutionary and Anti-Capitalist parties we will cooperate to defeat this constitution along with the vast majority of European left forces opposed to the constitution.
Another Europe is possible. The first step towards it is to defeat the neoliberal and undemocratic constitution.
Left Bloc (Portugal), Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire (France), Red/Green Alliance (Denmark), Scottish Socialist Party, Izquierda Unida (Spain), Espacio Alternativo (Spanish state), Esquerra Unida i Alternativa (Catalonia), Socialist Workers Party (Great Britain), RESPECT (England and Wales), Socialist Party (England and Wales), Die Lenke/la Gauche (Luxembourg), ÖDP (Turkey), SolidariteS (Switzerland)