– Communiqué from the Alternatifs:
In the first round of the presidential election, Hollande is leading: in the eyes of many left-wing voters, he seemed the most capable of defeating Sarkozy.
For Sarkozy, the candidate of the bourgeoisie and business interests, this is a resounding national defeat, which is a cause for celebration.
The good national results, encouraging at the departmental level and in Nice, from Mélenchon’s candidacy, supported by the critical left and a large part of the alternative left including the Alternatifs, is a major event in this presidential election.
The militant dynamic of his campaign, the success of large popular gatherings reflected the will for resistance and alternative. It is mainly this campaign that highlighted the social and political stakes by clearly rejecting austerity policies and debt blackmail, while rehabilitating politics.
Despite their modest scores, Poutou, Arthaud, and to a certain extent Joly, also reflect an aspiration for radical societal change.
In addition, the phenomenon of “tactical voting” pushed some voters tempted by the radical left to vote for Hollande on April 22.
However, the strong surge of the National Front candidate, especially in our region in urban and rural areas, is a very worrying phenomenon that could contribute to a new racist, anti-feminist, and anti-social radicalization of parts of the right, the bourgeoisie, and the middle classes.
This vote is also coming from parts of the working classes and the youth. This is a major challenge for the alternative left.
Hollande: a change in leadership, not in policy.
But, in the second round, getting rid of the right is a necessary step: we must mobilize to get rid of the brutal and cynical right, racist and corrupt, so close to the National Front, which Sarkozy is the discredited representative.
Getting rid of the right means changing the balance of power, regaining hope and confidence in our ability to change the course of events, and sending an encouraging signal to the peoples of Europe mobilized against austerity policies.
However, the deep and multifaceted crisis of capitalism has been largely concealed by most candidates, starting with those present in the second round, and the weeks and months to come will undoubtedly be a harsh reminder of reality. The change in leadership promised by Hollande will quickly yield to the pressure of financial circles. Only strong popular mobilization will oppose it and lay the groundwork for an alternative on the left, an ecological and anti-capitalist alternative.
It is through social and ecological mobilizations, those of workers, precarious workers, and the youth, their ability to self-organize and take power, that social and political power dynamics will change.
The alternative will require both significant mobilizations, powerful social movements; a broad civic, social, and political gathering of which the dynamic of the Mélenchon campaign marked the beginnings.
The regrouping of an alternative and alter-globalist left, red and green, feminist and self-managing, today dispersed, will contribute to this.
The Alternatifs reaffirm the dual challenge of this election: to defeat the right and pave the way for a left-wing, anti-capitalist, red and green, feminist, and self-managing alternative.
Let us have confidence and hope to prepare together for the alternative: Together let’s drive out the right on May 6th!
Bruno Della Sudda, Marcelle Monzeglio, spokespeople
