The Guardian 15 February, 2006
Anti-communist resolution
blocked in Europe
Laura Petricola
An impressive wave of militant, popular resistance to an anti-communist resolution
presented before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe blocked its passage
when it came up for a vote January 25.
While critics of the resolution hailed the vote, they warned that its backers are boldly continuing
their efforts to legitimise and legislate anti-communism. They called for an intensified campaign
against such measures worldwide. "No form of anti-communism should be legitimised in the
consciousness of the people", said a statement by the Communist Party of Greece.
The resolution, titled "Need for International Condemnation of Crimes of Totalitarian Communist
Regimes", equated communism with Nazism/fascism, claiming that "communist ideology, wherever
and whenever implemented, has always resulted in massive terror, crimes and large-scale violation
of human rights" and that this is "a direct result of the class struggle theory". It called on communist
parties to renounce their views.
Despite frantic efforts by reactionary forces to push the vote through, including shameless
manoeuvring by Council President Van Der Linden to prevent speakers against the resolution from
taking the floor, it failed to win enough votes to pass. Significantly, the majority of voting members
chose not to partake in the vote; less than half of the 315 regular parliament members of the
Council were present.
The resolution was voted on in two parts. In the case of the "Draft Resolution", 99 members voted
in favour, 42 against and 12 abstained. The second vote, on the "Draft Recommendation", which
would have mandated the resolution's immediate application in the Council's home countries, did
not gather the necessary 96 (two-thirds) votes to go through: 85 voted in favour, 50 against, 11
abstained.
The resolution is thus relegated to the status of an "archival document". However, after the vote,
the resolution's backers, including its author, Swedish parliamentarian Goran Lindblad, made it
clear that they will continue their efforts to bring the resolution to life.
The broad militant movement against the resolution, including mass mobilisations and petition
campaigns, was key to blocking it.
The highpoint of the demonstrations against the resolution took place outside Council of Europe
headquarters in Strasbourg, France, on January 24, where delegations from communist parties
and progressive people's organisations from all over Europe demonstrated in a mass show of
militancy.
Gennady Zyuganov, President of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, released a
statement at the Strasbourg demonstration that said, "The 'left direction' the world is taking has
frightened the most aggressive right-wing forces. They are trying, using the Council of Europe, to
create a judicial parody at the expense of the left and the communists, poisoning the political
atmosphere in Europe."
Communist parties from all over the world have issued declarations condemning the "new
McCarthyism", including 18 communist parties from the former Soviet Union. On January 21 in
Brussels, 17 communist and workers' parties met on the initiative of the Workers' Party of Belgium
where they declared their intent to build the broadest possible movement against all forms of anti-
communist attack. The movement has succeeded in rallying many thousands, including an
impressive number of leading personalities from the fields of art, culture and science.
The fight-back against anti-communism concerns everyone, opponents of the resolution said. They
pointed out that today, under the pretext of the "war against terrorism" many basic democratic
liberties are under serious threat. Reactionary forces are relentlessly trying to silence even the
smallest whisper of dissent.
The situation demands coordination on a worldwide level, they said. Aleka Papariga, General
Secretary of Communist Party of Greece, commented, "The best response to anti-communism is
for communists to become even more impassioned, more militant, more resolute in the battle
against imperialist war and terror."
People's Weekly World