The new anti-capitalist party ( Fr. Nouveau parti anticapitaliste , NPA ) is a left - wing political party in France , established in February 2009. The party does not position itself as a Trotskyist , although the influence of the Reunited Fourth International is quite large in it. The basis of the party was the French Revolutionary Communist League , which dissolved itself before the founding congress of the PPA.
New anti-capitalist party | |
---|---|
Nouveau parti anticapitaliste | |
Leader | collective leadership ( Central Committee ) |
Founding date | February 6, 2009 |
Headquarters | 2, rue Richard-Lenoir 93100 Montreuil ( Montreuil ) |
Ideology | anti-capitalism , Marxism , Trotskyism , alter globalization , socialist feminism , eco-socialism |
International | Fourth International , European Anti-Capitalist Left |
Number of members | 1800 (2017) [1] |
Party print | "Tout est à nous" |
Site | npa2009.org |
Content
Political principles
In July 2008, at the national conference of the NLA, Olivier declared without blessing that the party would be “ left-wing , activist, anti-capitalist, internationalist, anti-racist , ecological, feminist, fighting against all forms of discrimination” [2] . At the same time it was stated that the goal of the future party is “the construction of a new socialist democratic perspective of the 21st century” [3] .
In the “Fundamental Principles”, the main program document of the NLA adopted at its constituent congress in February 2009, the question of the nature of the state is raised in particular. The program says that the state and its institutions are instruments of the bourgeoisie, they cannot be put at the service of political and social transformation, and that, therefore, they must be overthrown. The “fundamental principles” also state that “the only answer to the global crisis of capitalism , on which the future of all humanity depends, is the struggle for socialism of the 21st century, democratic, ecological and feminist.” At the founding congress of the PPA there was a discussion about the final formulation - “ socialism ”, “ eco-socialism ” or “ socialism of the 21st century ” According to the voting results, the last wording was kept [4] .
Party Creation
Preparatory work
After the presidential election in 2007, which was won by Nicolas Sarkozy , the discussion on the formation of a left-wing alternative to the new government began among the leftists, including the Revolutionary Communist League (RKL). The years 2007–2009 were marked by a sharp rise in the strike and protest wave. In the summer of 2007, the decision to launch a new anti-capitalist party project was made by the National Leadership of the RKL [5] . In January 2008, the 17th Congress of the RKL, at which an appeal to the creation of the New Anti-Capitalist Party, is held. As its membership base, left-wing and social activists, young people were considered. The appeal was supported by the majority of the RKL congress. It said:
“We will create a party that combines the experience of the struggle of past years and modern experience, the experience of the struggle of workers , alter-globalists , internationalists , ecologists , feminists , anti-fascists . A party that fights against exploitation, against all forms of oppression and discrimination, for human, individual and collective liberation. We will build an international party that will abandon the predatory policy towards the countries of the South and the militant logic of France, the EU and the USA . An independent party, which, unlike the Socialist Party , will refuse to co-rule under the existing system. A party that does not make any concessions to capitalism and the ruling class. A democratic party whose task will be to allow people to manage mobilization themselves, so that tomorrow they will manage the whole society and economy themselves ” [6] .
At the end of June 2008, a national conference of the PPA takes place. The conference is attended by about a thousand delegates representing about 300 committees for the establishment of the PPA. A new meeting took place in November of the same year. It was attended by representatives of about 400 committees. February 5, 2009 in Paris, the 18th Congress of the RKL was held, at which 87% of the delegates voted to dissolve the RKL [7] [4] .
Founding Congress
The day after the dissolution of the RKL, on February 6, the constituent congress of the New Anti-Capitalist Party began its work, which was attended by about 650 delegates. The size of the party at the time of establishment was 9,123 people in 467 local committees. Congress discussed and adopted the policy documents of the new party. Among them are the “Fundamental Principles”, which analyze the crisis of capitalism, the task of mobilizing the masses and, in the long run, overthrowing existing institutions. The future elections to the European Parliament in June 2009, the participation of the NLA in them, and possible cooperation with the French Communist Party and other left-wing organizations in connection with them were discussed. Most delegates opposed the alliance with the Communists, who often enter into agreements with the Socialist Party [4] [8] . The faction of the Unir party, led by Christian Piquet, traditionally focused on cooperation with the French Communist Party (3.7% of the delegates), refused to participate in the creation of the PPA and declared itself a separate party, the Unitary Left .
The name of the party was also discussed at the congress. Among the options were: “New anti-capitalist party”, “Revolutionary anti-capitalist party” ( Parti anticapitaliste révolutionnaire ), “Left anti-capitalist party” ( Parti de la gauche anticapitaliste ), Anti-capitalist party ( Parti anticapitaliste ) and others. The main were the first two options, which collected 53 and 44% of the votes of the delegates, respectively [9] [10] .
Party
Structure
The basic structure of the NLA is the committees that unite activists on a territorial or professional basis. It is around these committees that direct activist activity is organized. The main political positions of the party are worked out at congresses (regional and national). The congress belongs to "supreme power in matters of program, political positions at the national level and the organization of the work of the party." The congress elects the governing bodies — by respecting the parity of the sexes and the proportional representation of the various political platforms for which votes were cast at the congress — and determines their powers. The governing bodies must be rotated regularly, their members may be recalled from their posts [11] .
At the congress, delegates of NLA committees elect a national political council ( conseil politique national ). The council should include about 150 people, although at the founding congress 191 people were elected to it. The council should meet about four times a year. The council elects from its membership an executive committee ( comité exécutif ), which is responsible for organizing the activities of the party at the national level, represents the NLA, conducts nationwide campaigns, reacts to the current social and political life in France and in the world, acts on behalf of the NLA. The Executive Committee appoints the secretariat and dismissed workers. The activity of the latter is subject to strict rules: their tenure is limited (rotation), they can be withdrawn, some of them are not completely, but only partially freed [11] .
The party has a Youth Secretariat ( secrétariat jeunes ), which is elected at the national youth conference of the PPA and is approved by the national political council. There are also thematic commissions whose task is to develop a common line and concrete proposals in a particular area. These include commissions on feminism , ecology , LGBT , education , health , agriculture, and so on [11] .
Editions
In March 2009, the publication of the weekly newspaper “Tout est à nous!” Began (it all depends on us! ). The circulation of the newspaper is 9,000 copies. Managing and managing editor of the publication - François Coustal. As of November 18, 2010, 78 issues of the newspaper were released.
International Relations
The party maintains close relations with the Reunited Fourth International . Included in the association " European anti-capitalist left ".
Participation in elections
The party takes part in the elections independently. Not part of the Left Front . In June 2009, the New Anti-Capitalist Party, along with other parties that are members of the European Anti-Capitalist Left, took part in the elections to the European Parliament . The new anti-capitalist party, which participated in the elections for the first time, received 4.9% of the vote and did not bring any of its candidates to the parliament. Nevertheless, the result of the NLA turned out to be better than the result of the Revolutionary Communist League and the Labor Struggle , which put forward a single list at the 2004 elections and received about 2.6% of the votes [12] [13] [14] .
Notes
- ↑ La très instrumental publication des comptes 2017 des partis politiques par la CNCCFP 25 January 2019
- ↑ Le Nouveau parti anticapitaliste, c'est parti ( Radio France internationale , June 30, 2008) (Fr.)
- ↑ Le Nouveau parti anticapitaliste d'Olivier Besancenot est lancé (" Le Point ", June 29, 2008) (Fr.)
- ↑ 1 2 3 G. Lehar . New anti-capitalist party - promising birth (eng.)
- ↑ On the establishment of a new anti-capitalist party (eng.)
- ↑ Appeal of the LCR National Congress about the new anti-capitalist party Archival copy of October 22, 2009 on the Wayback Machine (rus.)
- ↑ P. Rousse . To the establishment of the New Anti-Capitalist Party (inaccessible link) (rus.)
- ↑ A new anti-capitalist party was born in France ( USA Today , February 7, 2009) (English)
- ↑ Official Birth of the New Anti-Capitalist Party (“ La Depeche ”, February 7, 2009) (Fr.)
- ↑ New Anti-Capitalist Party Established (“ Europe 1 ”, February 7, 2009) (Fr.)
- ↑ 1 2 3 Temporary regulations of the LA (Fr.)
- ↑ 2004 European Election. France (fr.)
- ↑ 2009 European election. France Archived January 27, 2016. (eng.)
- ↑ F. Sabado . Extreme right oppose neoliberals. Results of elections to the European Parliament (inaccessible link) (rus.)
Literature
- Aberdam S. New turn to the left? Transformations of Trotskyism in France // French Yearbook 2009. M., 2009.
- Callinicos A. France: the crisis of the anti-capitalist left