Communiqué
November 2002

Communist Party of the Workers of France held its fifth congress

The Communist Party of the Workers of France has just successfully concluded its fifth congress.

It made an in-depth assessment of its whole work from 1995, when it held its previous congress, until today. This long period, rich in political upheavals, began with the vast social movement of December 1995, a time of strong class struggle in France, with important political repercussions on a national and even international level. The period concluded with the establishment at all levels of populist right-wing institutions, with a nationalist emphasis, and the collapse of the reformist left which zealously defended the interests of the monopolies.

On an international level, the period since September 2001 has been marked by the policy of a war of redivision directed by US imperialism, a policy of destabilization affecting strategic regions, particularly those in which the oil reserves of the planet are concentrated. This aggressive policy, waged in the name of the war against terrorism, aims to ensure the worldwide hegemony of the US superpower, to the detriment of the other imperialist powers. The peoples are the principal victims; yesterday, it was the Afghan people who were crushed under the carpet-bombing of the "international coalition." Today, it is the peoples of Iraq who are targeted; tomorrow, it will be the peoples of Iran, etc.

The congress analyzed in detail the policies of French imperialism, whose main spokesperson, Chirac, expressed numerous reservations regarding US policies. This is a reflection of inter-imperialist contradictions, between a power dominant on a world scale and a second rate imperialist power that is trying to maintain its sphere of influence in Africa and its economic and political ties with the monarchies and oil States of the Middle East.

The neo-colonial domination in Africa is also running up against the growing resistance of the peoples and the interference of rival imperialist powers. The present reactionary war ravaging the Ivory Coast, which threatens to spread to the whole region, is a dramatic example.

As the congress emphasized, at all important moments of the political and social struggle, on all fronts in which it was engaged, the party strove to present the viewpoint of the working class, to increase the opposition of the workers and popular sectors to the dictates of the monopolies, to unite the different sectors of the people and develop international solidarity with the struggles of the peoples. It is in this spirit that the party seeks unity of action, with French and foreign organizations, for mobilizations against the imperialist war against Iraq. The congress decided to develop this line of work, while trying to win over still more forces.

The congress dedicated a substantial part of its work to analyzing the politics of the right wing. This force drew lessons from its past failures and it is skillfully taking advantage of the spirit of "cohabitation" that continues to impact the reformist left, which has been rejected as the opposition. The right is setting up a State that is more and more repressive, more and more of a police State, which is taking it out on the poor, on those marginalized by the crisis, on the youth… and which is criminalizing all forms of social protest. This policy, which is presented under a populist light, has as its only goal to make the working class and the popular masses pay for the crisis. The congress summarized its political orientation for the future with the following slogans:

The central organ of the party, La Forge, remains an essential means for making known the positions of the party, its analyses and its proposals for action, its concrete work on the different fronts of the class struggle and for organizing. The congress decided to promote in a more systematic manner the formation of circles of readers and for distribution of La Forge.

The congress also made a summary of its internationalist activity, its work in the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations (a conference that was just held in Denmark). Several Marxist-Leninist parties and organizations sent messages of greetings to the congress. The congress reaffirmed the commitment of the party to work for the development of the international communist movement, in direct connection with the struggles of the working class and peoples, against imperialism, for their national and social emancipation.

Finally, the congress elected a strengthened Central Committee, responsible for putting into practice the orientations for political work and organization that were decided on. In particular the Central Committee is in charge of the publication of the political documents of the fifth congress.

This congress was characterized by the seriousness and intensity of the work of all the delegates.

It is in the great spirit of revolutionary unity that the assembly concluded its 5th congress by singing the Internationale.

The Central Committee of the
Communist Party of the Workers of France

P.C.O.F.
15 Cité Popincourt
75011 Paris

Tel: 01 48 05 30 14
Fax: 01 43 55 04 84
E-mail: enavant@club-internet.fr

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