Panspoudastiki: A strong force of rupture and overthrow

The students list supported by communists remains a strong force of rupture and overthrow.

On 13^th May 2009, were held in Greece the elections for representatives in the students' associations. In Greece, political youths participate through students lists. The students list supported by the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) is Panspoudastiki (PKS).

Aproximately 18.000 of students cast the ballot with the red carnation.

In tens of students' associations PKS took first or second position.

According to the aggregated results by that time, PKS gets 15,48% of the votes in universities and 14,71% in Technological Educational Institute (TEI). It’s obvious, due to its percentage in the elections as well as its positions and action, that it is the force that resists bipartisanism and negative correlation of forces within the educational institutions.

A characteristic element on this year’s elections is the drop in participation by 15.000 students, and as a consequence, of the number of votes for all students lists and slight changes in the percentages. We must underline that the previous years whenever the elections took place on May (beginning of summer, just before the exams in June) they presented the same picture. The decision for the elections this year to be held on May was taken by the forces of DAP (students list of ND, the party in government) and PASP (of the social-democrat party PASOK).

Nikos Sofianos, member of the PB of the CC of KKE, noted in his article in “Rizospastis” that “The vote of 140 thousands of students formed this year the correlation of forces in the student movement. This year’s elections took place in a period of preparation for the EP elections. Within this period the parties of the capital and of the EU intend to let prevail the conflict on scandals and prescription in order to conceal the consequences of the capitalist crisis in progress, as well as the choices of the EU through the governments that turn every day life of popular families into a struggle for survival. Our forces in the universities and TEI, the thousands of people who participated in our lists of participants in 260 institutions and departments and gave a struggle based on the criteria of vote under conditions of crisis and overall attack on our rights. They called on their colleagues to vote for their rights to studies, job and life. They highlighted the road of political rupture and desobedience to the choices of the parties at the service of the monopolies and EU. These choices actually adjust education according to the needs of the capitalist economy; they transform a large number of university and TEI students into workers and scientists cheap and dispensable, most of who are already flexible workers.

Our forces conducted a large-scale personalized and intensive discussion with thousands of students at the universities and TEI. They added political content in an encounter that was characterised by the weakness of bipartisanism to activate its supporters. It was an electoral battle that was given on the ground of parties, notes for the lessons, excursions, joberies, blackmails and pressure.

The students list supported by KNE at the universities and TEI in this year's elections too is proved to be the force that opposes to bipartisanism and the negative correlation of forces that has developed within the educational institutions, just like in society.

These forces are the strong pole of resistance, organisation and overthrow. They do not use verbalisms for a rebel youth, adventurisms convenient for the system without a real way out; they do not manipulate the students nor proclaim themselves as representatives of the students;they are aware of the fact that the capitalist ideology is still dominant in universities and TEI, that bipartisanism is still able to exert influence despite its relative weakness.

Nikos Sopfianos notes that “the correlation of forces in universities and TEI has positive elements for KNE, the policy and the prospect of KKE as a whole. We are the only political force which under conditions of intense polarisation and intensive activity of interlocking mechanisms in all institutions exerts influence on the students, which is twice the number of the votes we received in national elections“.

“The votes that both bourgeois parties, ND and PASOK, gathered in students’ elections are lower than those they received in national elections. In addition SYRIZA, the alliance of opportunist forces, whose basic component is  the “new left” SYNASPISMOS has 4-5% in universities and 2% in TEI. The so-called extra parliamentary left finds itself  in a state of political crisis; it consists of splinter groups while in TEI it does not exist at all” notes the member of the PB  of the CC of KKE.

According to Nikos Sofianos “despite the full support of the media in December, despite their uprising propaganda and their open cooperation with the “anti-authoritarian” forces,  the opportunist forces that hinder the liberation of the students from the ideological and political influence of the capital’s parties, did not manage to identify the mobilisations with the provocative activities of the hooded persons,  and turn things upside down as SYRIZA propagated”.

“Our dynamic response to anti-communism and Stalin-propaganda through the discussion about socialism and the way out constitutes a valuable contribution to the ideological struggle in universities and TEI. The course that started in December and will be completed with the formation of the militant pole in universities and TEI has already shown its dynamics. The electoral result sets new duties for us and creates increased responsibilities for the numerous forces of KNE“.

“The negative correlation of forces requires the forces of rift and overthrow to play a leading role  in a ideological  struggle against the values that the bourgeois university propagates, against the ideology of capitalism , for the struggle for its overthrow. In addition it requires our forces to play a more decisive role to a struggle through movement procedures against the reactionary changes promoted in the higher education through the realisation of the EU guidelines; it shows the necessity to struggle along with the class oriented labour movement  through coordinated struggles for the rights of young workers and scientific staff; it stresses the imperative, urgent need for the regroupment of the students movement“ adds Nikos Sofianos.