Speech by Thomas Eisler, at the international seminar on experiences and co-operation in the struggle against neo-liberalism and war held by SKP (the Finnish Comunist Party) on 10th September 2006.
Thomas Eisler is Member of the National Committee of the Red-Green Alliance
On the 17th of may more than 100.000 people took to the streets of Copenhagen and other major cities of Denmark. This was the biggest mobilisation in 20 years. It was a unified mobilisation of the Trade-unions and the students organisations. Against the socalled welfare reforms suggested by the rightwing government. This movement lead to some of the proposals being taken of the table - it wasn't the negotiations of the Social Democrats - on the contrary - the eagerness of the Social Democrats to be included in the deal weakened the movement. When they had signed - the opposition of the major Trade-unions evaporated.
These events is the result of a period that began in 2001. The terrorists attacks on 9-11 was strengthened the rightwing - from the neoconservatives in the US to the victory in Denmark of a rightwing government based on the support of the xenophobic populist right.
But since the situation has become more favorable to us. The attempts to mobilise protests against the government in 2002 gave very weak results. Though there were some mobilisation among students.
On the other hand we experienced that people opposed to the very ideological attacks by the Danish government and the Bush administration started to discuss politics on a daily basis.
Up to the war on Iraq - in which the Danish government did and still do support the US - we saw a willingness to express opposition to the war - which culminated with the February 15th demonstration which brought 30.000 to the streets. The movement in Denmark has been much weaker than in some other European countries. But it was still the biggest mobilisation since the eighties.
Another weakness was the lack of grass-root organising - people came to the demonstrations but the movement was basically organised by the far left parties of which the Red-green Alliance played the most important part.
Clear opposition to the government and putting forward radical alternatives has been the profile of the Red-Green Alliance- and we have experienced a major growth in the last years. In the general elections in february 2005 we got our best electoral result since the foundation in 1989 with 3,4 % - an increase from 2,4 % in 2001. In the local elections in november we doubled our local councillors.
But what is even more significant is our growth in membership. Since 2004 it has increased from 2500 to almost 4500 today.
The movement against the government attacks on welfare goes on with local protests in municipalities that face cuts. In Århus, Denmarks second biggest town, 2.500 workers of the public sector met recently and decided to mobilise for a protest on the 12th of September. It is very obvious that while the government claims that public service has improved, everyday experiences is something different: worn down schools, stressed out workers who don't have enough time for the elderly, children and disabled that they are meant to take care of and poverty is on the rise.
In the local governments the Red-Green Alliance refuse to do the governments dirty work and administrate the misery they have created.
The october 3rd will be a national day of action on the opening of the parliament.
The Red-green Alliance and our militants will put all our effort in the mobilisations to come as we did in the 17th May demonstrations.
We can only build an alternative to neoliberalism with the active grassroot activity of movements representing the majority of the peoples.
The movement against the war on Iraq was very obvious an international movement. Made very visible the february 15th as a common day of action.
But our struggle to defend and improve welfare is also international. In France they faced attacks on pensions - in Denmark we faced attacks on pensions. Basically when welfare is attacked it is for the capital to increase their profits - and this is the economic theory - neoliberalism. And the rejection of the CPE in France was not only inspiring for the Danish youth - it was also a defeat of the European Bourgoisie. Only from the experience of the struggles can we build an alternative of sociale justice and peace - a world without war and poverty - in other words: socialism.