ECM 2012, Contribution of the Communist Party of Norway [En.]

«The stance of the Communist and Workers Parties in relation to the capitalist crises: Assimilation or rupture? The illusion of the pro-people management of capitalism and the struggle of the communists for the interest of the working class and popular strata, for the overthrow of capitalism, for socialism.”

Intervention by Svend Haakon Jacobsen Chairman CP of Norway.

Comrades, many thanks to KKE; Communist Party of Greece for initiating this conference which take place in the building of the European Parliament, in the heart of the monopoly capitalist bourgeois class construction; the EU.

The finance escalated in the 1970-ies to halt the developing inherent capitalist crises of over-accumulation. The productive economy stagnated, and production capacity was only used by 70 – 80 %. Accumulated capital was much bigger than the volume of profitable investments in production. Credit markets developed a strong growth in the financial services. By the end of the 1980-ies financial services represented 55 % of the GNP in the OECD countries. The serious crises developed in 2007. In 2009 instruments of debt and derivatives in the unregulated international finance market summed up to 1500 billion US dollar - 30 times more than all the GNPs in the world together.

In Norway the social democratic “red-green” government in 2008 bailed out the big banks who had gambled with heavy losses. 70 milliard Euros of taxpayers money was given. After this, the big banks again went on speculating in the unregulated international finance market to maximize their profits.Capitalism shows its character as less and less productive.

Communist Party of Norway acknowledgethe character of the crises; capital over –accumulation, based on capitals exploitation of labour power. Bourgeoisie management policies have new difficulties managing a way out from the crisis. They choose between both restrictive and expansive bourgeoisie management. Selection between those is done based on the interest of the bourgeoisie, it is not a dispute in favor or against the peoples interests, it is not a dispute between a conservative and progressive-left political line as claimed by the European Left Party.

ELP involves itself into the inter-bourgeois and inter- imperialist contradictions.

The barbaric measures for the workers and people in Greece, Spain, Italy etc. is decided by the new governments in cooperation with the Troika. Their goal is to reduce the price of labour power to an extreme low level, to improve monopoly capital profits. The fight against the working class and the people is coordinated in the EU in cooperation with IMF and ECB.

Norway is in a special position with no state debts. In a small nation of 5 million inhabitants the state owns a huge investment fund of 450 milliard Euros. Because the Norwegian people twice have voted no to be a member of the EECand the EU, our public sector is still relatively large.

The oil production of Norway in the North Sea still gives stable deliveries from the Norwegian industry to the oil production sector.

Despite our sound economic position, both bourgeoisie and social democratic governments follow the EUdirectives attacking the trade union tariffs and the democratic rights of the workers and the people. And the Norwegian employers are getting more aggressive in support of the economic policies of EU. The Social democratic Party initiated privatization of big state owned companies of telecommunications, post, oil production etc.

They even initiated and fulfilled a complete change in the state pension system, which resulted in huge losses for the future pensions of the younger generations, which resulted in privatization of the pensions for those who can afford it, and poverty for those who can`t. The community and state owned hospitals have been reorganized into state owned companies, and are budgeted as private companies under the regime of “New Public Management”. The whole sector is under budgeted, and goes with deficits. This is preparation for privatization of the hospital sector, initiated by the Social democratic Party.

The more radical trade unions have had a hard fight against social dumping in Norway. Our largest trade union Fagforbundetof health and community workers decided unanimously last week to claim from the government to take the chapters of tariffs and trade union rights out of the EEA agreement that associates Norway to the EU. The Social democratic Party leadership gave an immediate answer that this will not happend, they will keep the EEA association agreement ofNorway to the EU as it is.Even if Norway is in a favorable economic position, the Social democratic Party follows the policy of State Monopoly capitalism.

The only way out of the capitalist crises for the working class and the people of Norway is the same as in any other capitalist nation, by rupture and not by assimilation. The struggle must be against the monopolies and their power. The opposition must be organized on the grassroots level of the trade union movement, building and developing the people`s alliance between the working class and the social forces with objective interest in fighting the monopolies and capital, with stronger participation of women and young people. The direction must be towards the overthrow of the power of the monopolies.

The most important fight for the trade union grassroots in Norway is to win the fight for dissociation of Norway from the EEA association to the EU. This will be a decisive step on the road to overthrow the power of the monopolies in Norway. The strength of the CPN in the labour movement of Norway is far behind. We have a long way to go, but it is the only way. At the same time we are building the anti-imperialist, anti-NATO “Norway For Peace”(NFF).

We are proud having been able to makethe Globalization conference (Norway Social Forum) invite PAME to speak in Oslo Friday 2^nd of November this year, of the experiences of the serious class fight of the working class in Greece. The strong fight of KKE and PAME is of great inspiration and importance for us in our common cause.

Thank you for your attention!