Greece
The reform of the Constitution, attempted the recent period in the Greek parliament by the government of New Democracy (centre-rightist) with the collaboration of PASOK (social-democrat), is part of the attack by the capital’s forces against the workers, the youth, the interests of people’s toiling majority and the democrat and social gains.
The constitutional reform concerns certain subjects of decisive significance since they were the result of our people’s struggle and gains for decades.
It concerns:
Article 16. It concerns the FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION which is the state’s commitment for all education stages. The abolition-reform of this article opens the way for the abolition of the right to education of the people, the working class and the youth. It is also connected with the abolition to professional and democratic rights of the youth and the people. It opens the way for the complete privatization of Education and the establishment of private Universities.
Article 24. It concerns the declassification of forest land which becomes prey to the constructive capital, land-grabbers and temporizers of every kind. Practically it aims at turning large forest land to building ground bearing great danger for the environment.
Article 103. It concerns the abolishment of permanence of public service employees (they cannot be fired). It is the overthrow of the labor relations and being a hostage of the workers and the working class in the capital’s hands.
The required process is the follow:
At first we should clarify that a referendum is not required for the reform of the constitution articles.
It requires the majority of Parliament Members, 3/5 of the current parliament – that is 180 PM – in order to reform the articles by the simple majority of the next parliament (government) – only 151 PM. If in this parliament the number of PM who will vote for the reform of the article 16 is less than 180 then in the new parliament that will try to reform the constitution the number of PM that is required should be more than 180.
Therefore it is important to develop such a movement that will include all the people and it will cause such political problems to both parties ND and PASOK in order to make it impossible to reach this majority and to sharpen the contradictions within the bourgeoisie. It is also important to create the conditions for the building up and the existence of a movement that will be able to defend people’s gains, to politicize even more in its confrontation and be able to win.
The initial plans of the ND government – with the collaboration of PASOK – were to vote for the new law for the Universities and the reform of the article 16 during summer. This changed after the great mobilization of the students and it was postponed for October. However it was followed by the great –also- strike of teachers that lasted six weeks and the students in high schools who sat in their schools. For reasons concerning the shortcomings of the movement and the balance of power within the teachers’ sector the strike and the sitting in the high schools “stopped” – sold out- the moment that this movement was tending to include the whole education section (to gain all education features). We believe it was not by chance. Once again – with PASOK’s collaboration – the vote for the reform was postponed for January.
Despite the blackmail for losing the semester and the exams and despite the fact that time was barely enough, almost every University school went on strike and sitting in right after the Christmas holidays and the rallies in January the 10th were massive ones all over Greece. Things went on the same way. All the more university schools, via the decisions of student’s unions’ general assemblies, were seized and continue week after week. Certain initiatives have been established trying to put forth this issue to trade unions, parents’ associations and neighborhoods. They try to turn it from an issue of the education sector to the case of all people, who is the only guarantee for the final victory.
It’s almost one month since the students started their struggle and the first victory came. PASOK, under the movement’s pressure withdrew from the constitutional reform and the government is left alone and with its back to the wall. The students though demand full victory with final withdrawal of every project and law of the government and they continue their struggle unflaggingly. More than 300 university schools are on strike and sit in, all over the country, demonstrations are organized with thousands participants and open debates to inform the people about what is going on. An all-education and all-people front is being organized. The struggle goes on.
Chrissi Perperidou "mailto:chrissip62@hotmail.com
ILPS, ICC member
Greece, 5/2/2007
