Version imprimableThe meetings began in Wallonia in the cities of Liège, Mons and Namur, and ended on Saturday 1 June in Brussels. They all succeeded in motivating a large, enthusiastic and curious public, who were carried away by our message. In each city, a spokesperson and/or local candidates and Philippe Poutou took the floor.
A radical programme
The comrades defended the relevance of an anti-capitalist voice in the current electoral period, highlighting the danger of the rise of the far right, Fortress Europe and the capitalist parties. We are the project of a left that defends the need to socialise the energy, banking and insurance sectors, that makes the regularisation of all illegal immigrants, the abolition of Frontex and freedom of movement and residence for all a central plank of its programme, which demands the right of women to control their own bodies, through greater access to abortion, freedom of dress and investment in the fight against violence, and for which solidarity with all peoples in resistance around the world, from Ukraine to Palestine, is a matter of course.
Little media coverage
Despite various requests, the local press did not bother to attend or publicise our meetings, while devoting many lines to the events of other political groupings, the ‘big’ parties. This lack of interest echoes our very low media profile throughout the campaign, with the exception of a few notable appearances. This raises important questions in terms of democratic pluralism within the major media outlets.
After 9 June
The discussions, both formal and informal, that followed the rallies were rich in lessons and showed us that our demands have a real resonance within society. Proof that there is political space for a radical and plural left, which assumes a strategy of rupture with capital and its representatives. The elections can be a springboard for broadly expressing our ideas, but our strategy will have to be deployed especially after 9 June. That’s why we’re reiterating the call we made at the end of our meetings to bring together all the forces of change to prepare the balance of power for the battles ahead.
Translated by International Viewpoint from l’Anticapitaliste.
