By Xavier Caño, ATTAC-Madrid
May 2015
We were preceded by Greece, where the working class people chose Siriza to rule and build a different country, fair, free and democratic, against all of selfish, decrepit, old Europe’s traps, punches below the belt and blackmailing. On May 24th, change started for Spain as well. The transformation was probably originated four years ago, with the 15M movement, a breakthrough for the collective consciousness. The Delegate of the Government in Madrid -political responsible for the police force- could not have imagined that the order of kicking forty youngsters out of the Puerta del Sol, where they had set up their tents, would lead to the break out of a new social movement of indignant citizenry; or that it would eventually spread across Europe and even USA. Large sectors of a slumbering society were then awaken by indignation and started getting organised into social movements and civic entities. As the indignant citizens movement progressed and developed, the possibility of entering the political arena was considered. Ignoring politics, as done for the last years, was out of the question, as politics never ignores us. But 15M also meant that the traditional ways of making politics were obsolete, and that it was obvious how corrupted representative and parliamentary democracy had become. This was summed up in the cry of a million voices: They do not represent us!
Four years later, the left, in broad coalitions and popular unity platforms have taken over, withdrawing power from PP – and in Barcelona from corrupt CiU – in almost all big cities and towns, and the government of the regions. Actually, PP will only be able to rule in three regions: Castile-Leon, La Rioja and Murcia.
It is the beginning of the end of this prehistoric pro-Franco right, who has been plundering and ruining the country and that will very probably sink in the next general elections in November. But we must not become overconfident with our triumph so far, because it is time now to work really hard, to get ready and armour-plated in order to confront hindrances, traps, obstructions and other difficulties.
From now on, the right will lie more than ever, they will begin setting their traps and hurling all kind of attacks... so that the popular unity governments fail. But before that, they will even poison the air, so that these left wing governments are not even formed. Well, in the face of all these threats, the working class people must get even better organized, beyond names and acronyms -not to disappear, by any means- in order to form strong, solid structures of popular power. Since, against the stupid fallacies of the right about “fragmentation” due to the number and variety of left wing parties and groups, we announce that what they call fragmentation is the expression of plurality and freedom of the working class people.
Those organizations of popular power must ensure democracy to be more participatory. They must remind and demand the fulfillment of the promises made by left wing local and regional governments. Because an electoral programme is a contract signed with the citizenry. Besides, popular organizations must support left wing governments with determination and unconditionally when aggressions by the right wing intensify, by means of as many mobilisations as needed. All collective actions against those attacks from the dominant rich privileged minority, from the tacky, old-fashioned, corrupt political class and a sold out media, at the mercy of the interests and trompe l’oeil of that minority.
It will not be easy, but it is true -and it is no longer a dream- : this country can start changing if we accept the challenge and get ready to fight from this very moment for solidarity, justice and democracy in our regions and cities. Basically, it depends on us, the working class people.
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