Excerpts from May 14 declaration by Greek Anti-Capitalist Left (ANTARSYA)

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The ANTARSYA declaration of May 14 states, among other things: “The left must have as its target the conquest of political power and government power by a subversive political and social movement. This can be achieved through the institutions of popular power and workers’ control and the connection of the question of government power with a contemporary revolutionary strategy, by breaking with capital and imperialism through a workers’ and popular movement capable of imposing its own power and government. • The influence of ANTARSYA was finally limited by parliamentary illusions of a “left-wing government” that might lead to the immediate and conflict-free solution of the problems without an insurrection. Nevertheless, it will be necessary to continue the efforts to convince the broad popular layers that it will not be possible to confront the most pressing and immediate social problems with answers simply directed “against the memoranda,” without leaving the eurozone, the decoupling from the EU, and without the complete break with the system that produces crises and memoranda.

The collision course with the lenders and capital is not an easy path, not the easy victory that a “left government” may give us, but will be a difficult, uphill battle, the culmination of the political class struggle that requires the development of the struggle organs of the workers’ rank and file. It will be necessary to continue the efforts to connect all militants who are in a radicalization process and their struggles on the basis of the program of “anti-capitalist revolution” and contemporary forms of a socialist and communist perspective. • It is necessary that broad layers of the population take the matter into their own hands in order to avoid setbacks and to proceed on the path of the great struggles and of the outcome of the May 6 result, to develop a political workers’ and grassroots movement, to fight for the abolition of the memoranda, of the loan agreement and of all related laws, to increase the salaries and pensions to a decent level and to enforce the prohibition of dismissals.

All further privatizations must be prevented — and those already implemented must be reversed. We have to demand the nationalization of the banks and big companies of strategic importance under workers’ control. ... • ANTARSYA stands by its proposal to build at once a battle front for the break with the system and for the defense against the attack and to proceed immediately with the strengthening of the struggles. The workers’ organs of struggle must be developed and supported. The call is addressed to all forces of the left. ... • At the same time ANTARSYA promotes the creation of a broad united front of the left and the workers’ movement against the fascist threat and the criminal activities of Chrysi Avgi directed against immigrants and activists of the movement. ... ANTARSYA will immediately establish an initiative for a common approach in dealing with the fascist threat on the part of all social and political organizations of the workers’ movement and the left (including KKE and SYRIZA). ... • We will continue on the necessary path of the front of the anti-capitalist left and call on all forces and the militants who choose to break with the system and support the overthrow, to discuss openly, to act jointly, and to cooperate in the elections. At the same time we continue the struggle for the further strengthening of ANTARSYA, primarily by the struggles in the movements, but also in the next elections. n Socialist Action june 2012 11

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Steeve Duguay / Agence-France Presse (Left) Students march through