(The following appeared as two articles in the December 31 issue of Rouge, the weekly newspaper of the Revolutionary Communist League (LCR), the French section of the Fourth International. The translation is by Intercontinental Press.]
The fifth congress of the Revolutionary Communist League took place December 16- 19, 1981, at Nanterre. One hundred and sixty delegates took part. In August a draft resolution on the political situation had been adopted by the majority of the central committee and was presented for several months of discussion by the entire LCR membership.
At that point a tendency (Tendency I) was formed on the initiative of several members of the central committee. The tendency put forward alternative theses to those of the majority of the central committee.
The debate had to do with the assessment of the LCR's activity during the presidential campaign, the assessment of intervention by LCR members in the Unity in Struggles movement,' and their trade-union activity at the time the Marseille Call was issued.
The discussion was also, and mainly, concerned with tasks. How should we analyze the situation opened up by Mitterrand's victory in the May 10 election? How should we assess the scope, and the limits, of the Socialist Party's growth in the working class? How should we characterize the new government, and what attitude should we take toward it? How should we give concrete form, today, to the demand
Twenty press conferences were held in cities throughout France by groupings of activists supporting the call. On March 17, in a Paris mass meeting. CGT leader Georges Séguy, who is also a leader of the Communist Party, denounced the 5,000 signatories of the Marseille Call, using terms like *Trotskyist termites.
for a break with the bourgeoisie? What kind of unity policy should we follow with regard to the other organizations that describe themselves as Trotskyist — Workers Struggle (LO) and the Internationalist Communist Organization (OCI)?
How discussion was organized
To carry out this discussion, an internal bulletin was published every two weeks. It was open to contributions from individuals, bodies, and tendencies.
The right to form tendencies is recognized in the LCR's bylaws. The concrete organization of the discussion was carried out in line with that. Tendency I's theses were made known to all the members, and 20 percent of the space in the internal bulletin was given over to this tendency to present its positions, in whatever forms it chose. General assembly meetings were organized in all the cities, in the course of which the members of the tendency were able to present their position, with equal speaking time for their reports and with travel financed by the organization.
The discussion in the local congresses and at the national congress took place on a series of amendments to the resolution of the central committee majority (for example, on the place of jobs in building the party, on the united front, on the political situation, and so on).
At the end of the discussion, during the course of which some amendments were integrated into the resolution and several passages were rewritten, the resolution presented by the central committee majority received 77 percent of the votes. The one presented by Tendency 1 got 21 percent of the votes.
The election of the central committee was carried out in line with these proportions.
It would be impossible here to provide a detailed account of the contents of the political resolution adopted by the fifth congress (which will soon be published in a pamphlet). We will instead limit ourselves to providing some points of reference concerning several questions discussed at the congress.
The political situation
Mitterrand's election did not inaugurate a "new era of Social Democratic stability." On the contrary: a "series of factors make it possible today to outline the perspective of a confrontation between the proletariat and bourgeoisie that will eventually lead to a revolutionary situation in France, although we cannot predict the pace, depth, or duration."
Notes
1. The Unity in Struggles movement emerged around a petition campaign, signed by tens of thousands of workers, calling on the Communist-and Socialist-led trade unions to work together in joint struggles. In many places committees made up of members of the CP, SP, the various unions, and other organizations were formed to circulate the petitions.
2. On February 19, 1981, eight officials of the Communist-led General Confederation of Labor (CGT) from the Marseille area, representing 200 trade-union signers, held a press conference to announce the Marseille Call, which stated that "The CGT should do everything possible to defeat Giscard. It should contribute to the unity of the CP and SP so they might govern together. Before, during, and after May 10 the demands must be maintained."