(en) France, Alternative Libertaire AL #248 - Third Congress
of the NPA: The audacity or stalemate (fr, it, pt) [machine
translation]
The Third Congress of the New Anti-Capitalist Party (NPA) was held from 30 January to 1
February 2015 in Saint-Denis. Back to the discussions. ---- The discussion of the third
NPA congress have again been marked mainly by differences over relations with the Left
Front, even if they were expressed on other issues (relations with other currents,
operation and construction of party). However, this has clarified the issue of electoral
alliances with the Left Front, since a majority of the delegates decided that there would
be no alliances with the latter, particularly during the presidential 2017. ---- More
internal majority ---- Furthermore five platforms were originally proposed to the vote and
none has rallied a majority of votes. This is mainly due to the fact that the former
majority was split in two. But this has the unfortunate consequence that for the two years
ahead majorities will be built piecemeal and that this may lead to a balkanization of the
NPA as coexistence is increasingly stretched between currents.
Bold local platforms
This table unprepossessing must be qualified by the fact that the NPA was part of the
anti-capitalist political forces who have had the courage to oppose the sacred union
politics behind Holland and Valls after the murders Charlie Hebdo and Hyper Kosher[1]. The
congress also testified to the vitality of many NPA committees and the willingness of a
number of them to reclaim their organization plagued by clashes between currents. From
them has emerged a sixth said platform local platforms.
These have gathered activists who have chosen not to support any of the five national
platforms, although some share in some of the items. Most were protesting against a
division and platforms 1 and 2 seemed to them absurd. This defiant attitude was motivated
by a desire to challenge a parliamentary operation sterilizes the debates in favor of
power issues. Thus, these local platforms expressed two requirements: that the dissolution
of the platforms after the conference, their existence must be limited congresses and
national meetings, and the NPA empower the committees by making their vote the only source
of legitimacy to decide the national direction instead of the trends that actually
monopolize development and decision.
This expression of ZIP committees reached a record level in the history of this current.
It extends the reflection initiated three years including by those who built the network
"Save the NPA" or who define themselves as activists "libertarian NPA," a reflection that
is potentially carrier challenged before a -gardisme which remains a trademark NPA despite
its references to self-management. Some of these platforms like the Gard and Herault have
been a little more daring in particular by defending a unified strategy of anti-capitalist
front, strategy also defended by the platform 5. But this strategy has not been validated
from other currents that are far from making a priority control method. To move forward,
there is no choice: debates and initiatives must increase to advance the unity of the
anti-capitalist.
Laurent Esquerre (AL-northeast Paris)
[1] In particular by co-signing with Alternative Libertaire, the Workers' Communist Party
of France and the Movement of growth objectors the statement "For the freedom of
expression and against the sacred union."
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?IIIe-congres-du-NPA-L-audace-ou-l
