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Big majority for new program
Information regarding the Party Congress in Erfurt, October 21-23, 2011
From October 21st till 23rd, 2011, the 2nd conference of the 2nd party congress of the party DIE LINKE took place in Erfurt. Debating and adopting a new party program was central to the party congress in order to substitute the "Programmatic Key Points” enacted at the time of the foundation of DIE LINKE. More than 500 delegates and international guests from 33 countries representing 42 partner parties and organisations took part in the consultations.
The draft of the party program has been discussed within the party and in the public for over a year. All in all more than 1400 amendment proposals have been submitted which were either integrated into the draft or discussed in pooled form on the party congress and adopted upon approval by a majority afterwards.
The new program calls for a system change that is primarily linked to the question of property. Common property, that is the public sector, shall be enlarged. At the same time energy companies and big banks shall be nationalized and the wealthy shall be charged with a tax for millionaires.
The program sharply criticises the financial markets' casino capitalism which favours the short-run profits of just a few over the social interests and rights of the big majority of the population. In a resolution issued by the party executive committee and adopted by the party congress, DIE LINKE shows solidarity with the worldwide protests of the occupy movement. "There has to be put a stop to the financial mafia's speculators' game", it reads. The rescue of the Euro in its current form is "another life ring made of lead" for Greece and "in the end an attack on the democracy in Europe".
Speech of Alexis Tsipras
At Sunday the president of Synaspismos, Alexis Tsipras, adressed the congress: "Thank you very much, comrades! I am very happy to be here at your congress. And I came at a very special time. I just came in the moment you were voting and had this big majority, this big consensus in your decision. ..."
DIE LINKE calls for an effective European capital levy and the introduction of a tax on financial transactions next year, for which there has been put forward a joint initiative of the left parliamentary groups in the French National Assembly and the Bundestag. The European banking and financial system has to be put under public control permanently. The term "restart of the EU" is the catch phrase for DIE LINKE to achieve a "revision of the neo-liberal, militaristic and undemocratic provisions of the European treaties". "Europe will be social or it will not be" it says at the end of the resolution.
Regarding peace policies the new party program sets clear priorities: DIE LINKE stands for an explicit rejection of foreign assignments of the Bundeswehr. Instead of armed soldiers a civilian "Willy Brandt corps" should administer humanitarian aid. The disbandment of NATO and its substitution by a collective security system involving Russia is a further central demand of the program.
The new program was accepted by the party congress with an overwhelming majority of 503 affirmative votes (96,9 percent), 4 voted against, 12 abstained. Within the next weeks DIE LINKE will conduct a vote among its members about the program to have it finally adopted.