Communists of Catalonia

Communists of Catalonia of Catalonia

Communists against COVID-19

International Relations Secretariat

The COVID-19 crisis, its immediate dimension of health alarm, and the subsequent economic and social crisis that it is causing, accelerates perceptions and evidence that the stage of neoliberal globalization that capitalism is developing has come into contradiction with existence itself of human life on the planet.

We already had previous signs of alarm, in fact, this is not the fi rst health crisis to happen. On the Asian and African continents there had been worrisome episodes derived from surprising mutations of viruses that passed from animals to humans, as a result of the changes produced in ecosystems that in previous decades maintained precarious balances, but that in recent times climate change and the various alterations that it causes, had destabilized them in defi nitive ways. It seems the diff erence is that COVID-19 has gone the other way, from Asia to Europe and America.

Western governments maintain a strategic preparation to deal with bacteriological attacks but not with mutations of the characteristics of COVID-19, in fact in the same 2018-19 National Security documents of Spain, it is literally stated that a possible crisis or a viral pandemic can only occur in remote geographical places, so we were prepared to deal with the spread of smallpox but we had no idea about COVID-19.

Climate change is altering and will change even more radically in the coming years the balance of life on the planet, and within this life there is Homo Sapiens. In fact, the rise in temperature and sea levels (to name just two of the changes underway) will cause severe economic impacts, will accelerate processes of desertifi cation, fl ooding and other radical climatic phenomena, reinforcing the already growing migration of hundreds of millions of people.

The crisis we’re facing, both health, economic and social, has not been a matter of bad luck, something inevitable that justifi es cuts and losses of rights. The

126 economic and social crisis was incipient for a long time, with many echoes of the 2008 crisis. Crises are inherent to capitalism, cyclical, and we have to make a proper reading of them in order to get it right politically. We are heading towards a more unstable world; we must highlight the new rebalancing between emerging countries and the main capitalist powers. From the “unipolar” world after the fall of the

Berlin Wall and the disappearance of the USSR, now we’re facing a “multipolar” reality. In 1995 the economies of the emerging countries, the E7 (China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Russia, Mexico and

Turkey) represented half of the GDP of the traditional capitalist powers, the G7 (USA, UK, France,

Germany, Japan, Canada and Italy). In 2015 their economic weight was comparable, in 2040 they will be able to double them. As a counterpoint there is a severe crisis of the government of the multilateral international institutions, WTO, Paris

Climate Agreement, WHO, UN Security Council, etc. Emerging countries, as a consequence of their economic weight, they wish to have political and military leadership and this includes a prominent role in all international organizations and in all important decisions. For now, the decision of Trump administration in the US has been to withdraw into itself and leave more and more multilateral organizations that it can no longer control, as it did in previous times, so a pure expression of frustration. The struggle will not only be expressed as an increase in the nuclear arsenal and conventional armies, but in new commercial war scenarios and above all, in the control of cyberspace and cultural confrontation, where social networks and mass media play a decisive role in influencing public opinion (psychological warfare or new expressions of hegemony). We are not facing the last crisis of capitalism, but rather one more of the cyclical crises that it has. Crisis that capitalism overcomes, among other ways, by discarding the economic sectors that are no longer functional, so hundreds of thousands of families are condemned to misery. Even though this crisismay not end up in favour of the working class, we have to fight in order to advance our ideas, because other crises will come. Today we must build the conditions so that we can fight the battle of ideas in better conditions.

We must establish a horizon of transformation at all levels: transformation of production relations, transformation of human relations and transformation of the relationship with nature. And in the same way, make explicit that there is a transition period until we get there. And in this transition, concrete proposals must be placed, both to improve the living conditions of the working class and our relationship with nature, as well as to advance in the cultural struggle.

Some of these measures are establish a Universal Basic Income, strengthen the social and solidary economy, create a public bank, break with the EU austerity doctrine (allowing the financing of public debt) or the nationalization of strategic sectors or companies that need to be rescued, but not to be sold to friends later at bargain prices. All these measures should be the beginning of the economic reorganization towards a sustainable model, which is not based, as in Spain, on unsustainable monocultures such as tourism or construction, moving from growth based on exports to an economy based on internal demand,self-centred and planned. We must also bear in mind that this cultural struggle does not take place in the air, so mobilization is essential to reclaim these demands.From our streets, neighbourhoods and workplaces. In other words, to articulate the social conflict where it takes place.

This is therefore the central task of the Communist and Workers’ Parties of the world. As has been shown, the pandemic and confinement may have apparently stopped society and the economy, but they have not stopped the class struggle, rather it has exacerbated its contradictions. Imperialism has also continued to work against the peoples of the world. We have very recent examples with the attempt of destabilization in Belarus, or the reappearance of the war in South Caucasus.

This pandemic has also shown aspects that communists have been pointing out for a long time.Firstly, working class plays a role as a true pillar of our societies. In the hardest moments of confinement and the pandemic, it has been the cleaners, grocery store stockers, nurses and doctors who have carried out the fundamental and essential tasks for life, it has not been neither the bourgeoisie nor the liberal professionals. It should also be noted that most of these absolutely fundamental professionals have been women. Demonstrating that in especially crucial moments it is the working woman who takes a step forward.

Second, the importance of public health systems and a public service system. Throughout the pandemic, the great employers of private hospitals have hidden. It also demonstrates the need for a strong, worker-controlled state. We must congratulate the tasks against the coronavirus that countries such as Cuba, Vietnam or the People’s Republic of China have carried out, thus again demonstrating the superiority of socialism.

In Catalonia and Spain aft er COVID-19 we cannot return to the old normality, we must take advantage of the moment to make profound changes given the exceptional nature of the moment. As we have said, neoliberal theses are now not in vogue and it is not possible to maintain them, since they have moved away from the common sense of the majority of citizens who ask for left -wing policies to ensure their own survival (Minimum Vital Income or even Basic Income, strategic control of essential parts of the economy, investment in Public Services starting with health, but also education or care for the elderly ...).

A Left Government will be the one that manages the day to day with social and environmental sensitivity and prepares qualitative changes in the medium and long term. It will not be on the left if it wants to return to things as before, but now with the coronaviurs we will make “some exceptions” but as soon as possible, we will return to the European framework of the rules of the “Stability and Growth Pact”, the main axiom of the neoliberal policies promoted and forced on the EU.

It must be appreciated that the presence of Unidas Podemos has represented concrete protection measures for the weakest that otherwise would not have been given, but it is obvious that it was not a coalition designed to face such a social emergency situation.

Unidas Podemos decided to use all the political capital accumulated throughout the cycle that came from 15M to translate it into a presence in a government with the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), to be able to infl uence policies that would improve the living conditions of the working class. The COVID-19 crisis has starkly exposed the limitations of this strategy. It is clear that within the government there is a permanent tug of war, and that without UP in the government the situation would be worse, but it is equally true that in all structural aspects, the pulse always falls on the same side.

PSOE has been the central party of the ‘78 regime, and continues to be the party that is most functional for it, as has been credited with its role in the escape of King Emeritus Juan Carlos de Borbón. Similarly, at no time does it seem that a change in the austerity policies enshrined in article 135 of the Constitution has been seriously considered, or the repeal of the budget stability law, as seen in the debate on the transfer of the remnants of the town halls. Likewise, the PSOE does not seem too be willing to fulfi l the government pact in essential elements, such as the reject of the labour reform. With this scenario, it becomes very diffi cult to imagine any structural change in a progressive sense.

From the Communists of Catalonia at the institutional level, through the ERC-Sobiranistes coalition, we have supported all the measures that have served to improve, or at least make the living conditions of the popular classes less harsh due to the eff ects of the pandemic. At the same time, we have criticized and opposed all the measures that have served to recentralize powers or limit the fundamental rights and freedoms of people.

It is therefore imperative to break the lock of the “Regime of 78”, the legal-institutional framework that structures it, with the Borbón Felipe VI at the head and to give freedom to the peoples to be able to decide their political future.

This can only be done on the basis of a strong ideological project and a very broad and frank debate on our synthesis methodology, which allows us to manage the enormous diffi culties that will come, so as not to stop, so as not to feel defeated, not to lose sight of the horizon.

We have to fi ght for another society, built on principles that put life at the center and ultimately a new and better socialist society.

Raise Socialism as a solution may seem like an exercise in nostalgia, or frivolity, given the current correlation

128 of forces. But it is essential to locate this horizon for the struggle that we face. In moments of great crisis, history accelerates and it is possible to advance on the path of social transformation. These are the moments in which a great cultural struggle takes place, in which in a very short time, ideas can be advanced that under normal circumstances require many years.

It is in this arduous task, Communists of Catalonia, as well as the Communist and Workers’ Parties of the world, must keep up with the task.

September 2020