Announcement of OKDE on the "Macedonian" Agreement
28 September 2018, 07:09
Dear comrades ,
we are forwarding to you a message of solidarity and common struggle from Greece to the
Macedonian working class and people, in the effort to defeat the "Prespa
Agreement" in the 30/9 referendum.
A similar document is also circulated/campaigned in Greece by our
organization.
In internationalist and revolutionary solidarity,
OKDE
Prespa Agreement – Referendum in neighboring Macedonia
Message of solidarity and common struggle
Internationalist & Class “NΟ” to the US-led agreement
ΝΑΤΟ and Imperialists out of the Balkans
On Sunday 30/9 a referendum will be held in neighboring Macedonia on the
Prespa agreement signed by Tsipras and Zaev. The very question of the
referendum shows the real cause why the name issue has been shuffled.
Workers and poor popular layers will be asked to answer: «Do you support
NATO and EU membership by supporting the agreement between the Republic of
Macedonia and Greece?». A blackmailing question, that unfortunately urges
some of the neighboring people to the prospect of joining NATO and the EU,
which, according to the propaganda of the capitalist elite, will mean an
upgrading of the country and the living standards.
This agreement is totally reactionary for a number of reasons. The whole
issue is revoked only by the imperialists and the US in particular, to serve
their own interests. They re-opened the issue, guided the negotiations and
eventually imposed the agreement. Macedonia’s membership of NATO -despite
its small size and insignificant size- is a strategic step in the
integration of the entire Balkan Peninsula into the influence of US
imperialism, while eliminating all Russian influence. The goal is to
transform the Balkans into an immense NATO base, preparing for the coming
conflicts with Russia and China. That is why, along with the issue of
Macedonia, they are rearranging the whole situation in the Balkans (mainly
with moves in Kossovo).
These developments are extremely dangerous for the Greek people and all the
people of the region, as we are in the middle of two of the most important
fronts of inter-imperialist conflicts (Balkans, Middle East / Southern East
Mediterranean).
It is an agreement that acts violently, extortionately, «from above» (as the
imperialists always do) to supposedly control nationalisms in a temporary
manner, only to feed them back or revive them later. Issues like that are
never solved by the guarantees of the imperialists, but only by developing
solidarity and trust between peoples. If at the moment the US and the two
governments choose to «curb» these nationalisms, this should not be
misleading. The peoples and workers of the region, especially in the former
Yugoslavia, have a bitter experience of how the imperialists support one and
then another nationalism, according what serves their short term interests.
Besides, the SYRIZA / ANEL government takes advantage of the nationalist
rallies to disorientate workers from their real problems, to sell the fairy
tale of «exiting the memorandums», to play political games by sneakily
fueling the far-right and the reactionary trying to appear as the «left» a
guaranty of democracy. But all the «opposition» (ND, etc.), too, makes it
clear that it does not oppose the plans of the American and European
imperialists but only “rejects” the agreement in terms of temporary
electoral benefits.
The agreement contains several humiliating terms for the neighboring people
of Macedonia: forced change of the constitutional name, revision of the
constitution, change of public documents etc. This, on the one hand,
seriously hurts the two peoples’ relations. The workers movement in Greece
must stand against any such imposition, recognizing the right of
self-determination to the neighboring people as a prerequisite for
developing the solidarity and common struggle of the two peoples. On the
other hand, it is clear that the imperialists do not hesitate to impose such
conditions on «allied» countries. That is why the workers in Greece must
have nothing in common with those who celebrate the upgraded relations with
USA (mainly in competition with Turkey).
The interests of the two working classes and the peoples of the region as a
whole identify with the rejection of the agreement by the people of
Macedonia (but also the Greek one). For a “No” that apparently has nothing
in common with none of the dangerous nationalists on either side, nor of
the Gruevski type (in Macedonia) nor the late «Macedonian figthers» ones (in
Greece). A “No” of a class, internationalist, anti-imperialist, anti-war
character. To pave the way for the transformation of our region from being
the base of the imperialist hawks to the cradle of labor struggles against
poverty, misery, memorandums, war.
– NATO and its bases out from the Balkans. Greece, out of NATO and the EU.
– Common struggle of the peoples in the Balkans and Europe against poverty,
racism, repression, war. Going forward for a workers’ Europe, democratic,
radical, socialist.
– Recognition of the right of self-determination to the people of Macedonia.
24.9.2018
Organization of Communists Internationalists (Greece)
Dear comrades ,
we are forwarding to you a message of solidarity and common struggle from Greece to the
Macedonian working class and people, in the effort to defeat the "Prespa
Agreement" in the 30/9 referendum.
A similar document is also circulated/campaigned in Greece by our
organization.
In internationalist and revolutionary solidarity,
OKDE
Prespa Agreement – Referendum in neighboring Macedonia
Message of solidarity and common struggle
Internationalist & Class “NΟ” to the US-led agreement
ΝΑΤΟ and Imperialists out of the Balkans
On Sunday 30/9 a referendum will be held in neighboring Macedonia on the
Prespa agreement signed by Tsipras and Zaev. The very question of the
referendum shows the real cause why the name issue has been shuffled.
Workers and poor popular layers will be asked to answer: «Do you support
NATO and EU membership by supporting the agreement between the Republic of
Macedonia and Greece?». A blackmailing question, that unfortunately urges
some of the neighboring people to the prospect of joining NATO and the EU,
which, according to the propaganda of the capitalist elite, will mean an
upgrading of the country and the living standards.
This agreement is totally reactionary for a number of reasons. The whole
issue is revoked only by the imperialists and the US in particular, to serve
their own interests. They re-opened the issue, guided the negotiations and
eventually imposed the agreement. Macedonia’s membership of NATO -despite
its small size and insignificant size- is a strategic step in the
integration of the entire Balkan Peninsula into the influence of US
imperialism, while eliminating all Russian influence. The goal is to
transform the Balkans into an immense NATO base, preparing for the coming
conflicts with Russia and China. That is why, along with the issue of
Macedonia, they are rearranging the whole situation in the Balkans (mainly
with moves in Kossovo).
These developments are extremely dangerous for the Greek people and all the
people of the region, as we are in the middle of two of the most important
fronts of inter-imperialist conflicts (Balkans, Middle East / Southern East
Mediterranean).
It is an agreement that acts violently, extortionately, «from above» (as the
imperialists always do) to supposedly control nationalisms in a temporary
manner, only to feed them back or revive them later. Issues like that are
never solved by the guarantees of the imperialists, but only by developing
solidarity and trust between peoples. If at the moment the US and the two
governments choose to «curb» these nationalisms, this should not be
misleading. The peoples and workers of the region, especially in the former
Yugoslavia, have a bitter experience of how the imperialists support one and
then another nationalism, according what serves their short term interests.
Besides, the SYRIZA / ANEL government takes advantage of the nationalist
rallies to disorientate workers from their real problems, to sell the fairy
tale of «exiting the memorandums», to play political games by sneakily
fueling the far-right and the reactionary trying to appear as the «left» a
guaranty of democracy. But all the «opposition» (ND, etc.), too, makes it
clear that it does not oppose the plans of the American and European
imperialists but only “rejects” the agreement in terms of temporary
electoral benefits.
The agreement contains several humiliating terms for the neighboring people
of Macedonia: forced change of the constitutional name, revision of the
constitution, change of public documents etc. This, on the one hand,
seriously hurts the two peoples’ relations. The workers movement in Greece
must stand against any such imposition, recognizing the right of
self-determination to the neighboring people as a prerequisite for
developing the solidarity and common struggle of the two peoples. On the
other hand, it is clear that the imperialists do not hesitate to impose such
conditions on «allied» countries. That is why the workers in Greece must
have nothing in common with those who celebrate the upgraded relations with
USA (mainly in competition with Turkey).
The interests of the two working classes and the peoples of the region as a
whole identify with the rejection of the agreement by the people of
Macedonia (but also the Greek one). For a “No” that apparently has nothing
in common with none of the dangerous nationalists on either side, nor of
the Gruevski type (in Macedonia) nor the late «Macedonian figthers» ones (in
Greece). A “No” of a class, internationalist, anti-imperialist, anti-war
character. To pave the way for the transformation of our region from being
the base of the imperialist hawks to the cradle of labor struggles against
poverty, misery, memorandums, war.
– NATO and its bases out from the Balkans. Greece, out of NATO and the EU.
– Common struggle of the peoples in the Balkans and Europe against poverty,
racism, repression, war. Going forward for a workers’ Europe, democratic,
radical, socialist.
– Recognition of the right of self-determination to the people of Macedonia.
24.9.2018
Organization of Communists Internationalists (Greece)