Athens Council
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SI COUNCIL IN ATHEAIS The first meeting of the SI Council to be held in Greece took place on 9 - 70 February 1993 at the invitation of PASOK. The main theme on the Council's agenda was 'PeAce, democracy and economic cooperation'. In his opening address to the the early 1980s, when then However, he added, 'the choices Council in Athens, SI President Prime Minister Papandreou host- we made at that time, the choice Pierre Mauroy said: 'Let us not ed a meeting of European social for Europe, for firmness towards forget that the very idea of democratic heads of govern- communism, certainly played an democracy was born here thou- ment, including Olof Palme, important role in subsequent sands of years ago. But it remains Mario Soares, Bettino Craxi, events'. a new idea which must still Kalevi Sorsa, Felipe Gonz6lez and Evoking these memories, the today inspire and guide our Mauroy himself. He remarked SI president stressed that 'in set- work'. on how little able they had then ting our priorities, we must look He recalled a visit to Athens in been to predict developments. at the road we have travelled... ,,. 7 Pierre Mouroy with Andreos Papondrau ond Luis Ayola we must fully take on our justice, security and economic great cause, which we must pur- responsibility for the times to regulation at national and inter- sue for the sake of humanity. come. Responsibility for defining national level. Alongside the Strong in the gains made a more satisfactory economic grave military conflicts, such as throughout the last century we system. Responsibility too for that in the former Yugoslavia, must look to further victories for the emergence of a new balance requiring the clearest and the next century'. in the world... We are now fac- strongest response from democ- Welcoming the SI delegates to ing profound questions for social ratic socialists intemationally, he Athens, PASOK Leader Andreas democracy in post-communist placed those third world coun- Papandreou paid tribute to the society'. tries struggling for democratisa- International as a 'meeting point Pierre Mauroy went on to tion, and the risk to stability for all progressive and democrat- address the Council's main posed by poverty and inequality, ic powers', and to those SI lead- theme of 'Peace, democracy and as well as the crisis of social ers who had been good friends to economic cooperation', express- proSress being experienced by the Greek people and stood by ing his conviction that'the the most developed countries. the country during the hard peri- Socialist Intemational is the best 'From the Socialist Intemational od of resistance against dictator- possible framework for tackling must come a global plan which ship. the immense challenges of this builds on all the gains and suc- Papandreou referred to 'star- new period'. Willy Brandt, he cesses of social democracy in tling developments on our plan- said, had left behind him an order to sustain those gains and et'- the internationalisation of organisation whose universality adapt them to the present histor- production and the development and influence made it a point of ical circumstances', he said, 'and process, the deSradation of the reference for all those on the side we must also seek out many environment and the new forms of progress and struggling frameworks for debating our of concentration of economic against poverty and iniustice. ideas, with trade unions, associa- povrer. The greatest challenges He spoke of the Intemational's tions, intemational organisa- facing the Socialist International active work for fteedom, human tions, representatives of the eco- and its member parties, he said, rights and democracy, and of the nomic and financial world'. were to prolect strongly our need for ever more systematic The SI president made a num- vision for people and the world, initiatives in support of the ber of suggestions for future ini- both North and South; to distin- democratic electoral process tiatives, such as the organisation guish our policies from those of worldwide; in particular, the of a'summer school', and reactionary, neo-liberal forces International, he said, would increased activities at regional which had led to worldwide seek to collaborate more closely level. He also stressed the impor- recession and the dramatic rise with the United Nations in its tance of the concentrated and of unemployment and increase work of assisting and observing specialised work carried out by in inequality; and to give radical elections. various committees of the Inter- meaning to our ideals of peace, He spoke also of the need for national. democracy, development, social ideological clarity when faced He concluded, on a note of fustice and solidarity. with the great questions of social optimism, 'we are fighters for a He also referred to the instabil- ity prevailing in his own region, democracy in today's world and as in many parts of the world, the Socialist International under with the risk that the war in the its new president. He invoked former Yugoslavia might spread. 'the profound contradiction of Given the geopolitical situation those peoples who are moving of their country - a member state towards the universality of inte- of the European Community, gration, but have an equally pas- with historical and traditional sionate and insistent impulse to ties with the Balkans and the live their personal identity, to Mediterranean - the Greek peo- live in their immediate, every- ple were fully aware of the pre- day, local world' - a contradic- sent risks and of the need to tion whose most extreme exam- reach a peace agreement. Having ple, he said, was to be seen in gone through two world wars, Europe, where the conflict of President the first of which started in the nationalisms in the former Balkans, he added, they firmly Aristide Yugoslavia was taking place believed that peace terms must alongside the creation of the sin- be imposed not by means of mil- uting the gifts of the gods to all gle European market and the itary supremacy and coercion, earthly creatures, he completely greater integration brought by but through close cooperation in forgot to spare some for humans. the Treaty of Maastricht. This pursuit of economic and social In order to remedy this injustice, striking iuxtaposition of univer- development, with full respect his brother Prometheus stole fire sality and localism was, he said, for human rights and for the and the arts from the workshop the sign of our times, and he rights of all the peoples of the of the gods and offered them to expected to see it lived out all former Yugoslavia. He appealed men, so that they could manu- over the world during the com- to world powers to work togeth- facture weapons to defend them- ing century. er to restore peace in the Balkans selves from the strongest ani- before it was too late. mals. Nevertheless, the beasts Democrocy Papandreou went on to continued to kill many people, express support for the United as they lived alone and scattered. Under the heading of Nations and for the develop- 'Securing So the people got together and democrary: regional priorities', ment of collective responsibility built cities. But even then, they the SI council focused on the sit- and collective security systems. treated one another unjusfly, uation in central and eastern He stressed the need for the lacking the necessary political Europe, in Angola, international community to in Haiti, and art, so they continued to scatter in Pakistan. ensure with equal stringency the and to perish. So Zeus, the father Hor6k, Czech implementation of all UN Jiri Social Demo- of the gods, fearing that the Party, resolutions. cratic introduced a discus- human race would become sion on current developments He underlined the pressing in extinct, sent Hermes to bring central and eastern Europe. crises around the world, includ- He people decency and with stressed that, athough ing developments in many lustice economic which to restore harmony to and political transformation was republics of the former Soviet their cities and create the bonds happening fast all over the Union, and the extreme situa- of friendship. facing tion many countries of 'People today, like those of the For right: the South, where the dilemma, ancient myth, are threatened Lopo do he said, was: 'peace or war; with destruction. This time not development or poverty; life or from the beasts, but from igno- Noscimento ecological I destruction'. rance of the political art which He supported, in particular, could peacefully settle differ. regional integration efforts and ences in today's universal l the systematic 'city'. ideological coun- To my mind it is obvious that we tering of neo-liberalism, in must find refuge in the old defence of workers' rights and divine gifts of decency and social justice. The dominant fac- justice.' tor distinguishing socialist eco- Pierre Mauroy welcomed to nomic policy must be concrete the Council meetingJaime Paz proposals on employment. Zamora, president of Bolivia and The leader of the host party a vice-president of the Socialist ended by recounting an ancient International. President Paz Greek myth: spoke about the opportunities 'When Epimethus was distrib- and contradictions facing social region, the moral and personal over the deteriorating situation ister of Norway. He has since transformation that would have in Angola and stating that the been appointed co-chair of the to take place in the wake of com- political bodies democratically international peace conference munism's collapse would take at elected irt 1992 were legitimate on the former Yugoslavia (see least a generation. The region's and deserved full recognition. People, page 46). A resolution social democrats must take a (Lopo do Nascimento writes on based on his report and setting long view, therefore, in building page 23).