François Mitterrand's victory opens up a new political situation in France. In this new situation the Revolutionary Communist League [LCR] has responsibilities unlike those in the past. While the defeat of the right settled nothing for millions of workers, it makes everything possible.
For the first time in decades, a different camp has hope. There is a feeling that this time we must not let the opportunity slip away.
The 1936 People's Front, the period following liberation from Nazi occupation, the May 1968 general strike-all these mobilizations and all these hopes were betrayed. These struggles, although defeated, allowed revolutionists to understand things and learn.
While we have no illusions about the policies that the leaders of the Communist and Socialist parties will put forward, on the other hand we have immense confidence in the willingness to struggle and desire for change of millions of workers and young people who voted for Mitterrand.
We already saw this during the great general strike of May and June 1968. But at that time we also saw how all these energies could be dissipated in the absence of a revolutionary party rooted in the factories. In themselves, good ideas are not enough if they are not backed up by a credible force, by activists capable of proving themselves and practicing what they preach in day-to-day struggles.
In recent months the LCR has thrown all its forces into the battle for workers unity, to get rid of Giscard. The organization did not content itself with waging a battle of ideas. It took active part in activities that had an impact in the workers movement-such as the movement for unity in struggles, the development of a unity current in all the trade unions, and the preparations for May Day activities. Millions of workers identified with the struggle we were waging, discovered that the LCR had a role to play, and saw the work its members were carrying out.
Today the LCR is beginning to take on the configuration of a real workers organization, a tool for struggle. On the eve of what could be decisive events, increasing the size of the LCR becomes a decisive task.
In the wake of Giscard's defeat, many immense and complex tasks face us. How do we intervene to insure that this initial victory is not sold out by the reformists? How do we build the mobilization of the workers without isolating ourselves? How do we organize to warn against the plans of the CP and SP leaders, to foster mobilization against the bosses and their sabotage attempts, and to lay the groundwork for a real working-class alternativewithout at the same time playing into the hands of the right and far right?
Many workers are asking what guarantee they have that they won't be sold out again. Well in fact the only guarantee is their own degree of mobilization. But their guarantee also lies in the existence of a strong revolutionary organization, which has a solid base in the workplaces, knows
A new period of struggle and politization has inat onened in in Rranes which will has just opened up in France, which will certainly have profound repercussions in the international workers movement. This time we are not talking about making an assessment of the activities of the Portuguese, Chilean, or Italian far left. Now it is our turn to assume our full responsibilities.
Comrades and friends-all of you who know that the bourgeoisie will not allow us any respite, and that in any case we must not let it regain lost ground, all of you who know quite well that the CP and SP leaders will not use Mitterrand's victory as a springboard to mount a real attack on the power of the capitalists and build a socialist France-now is the time to come forward and help us build a powerful revolutionary force.
Enough of betrayed hopes, enough of defeats! Forward to socialism with the Fourth International and its French section, the LCR!
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