International Conference on Education, Management and Social Science (ICEMSS 2013) An Exploration of “Eurocommunism” Sun Ping Ideological and Political Teaching Department, North China Electric Power University, Beijing China [email protected] Abstract - “Eurocommunism”, which was founded in the establish the wide alliance of the democratic power and the 1950s, has produced great influences on the International progressive power, instead of the alliance of workers and Communism Movement. The understanding of this important peasants. “Eurocommunism” admits the guiding ideology of contemporary trend of thought provides a great reference for the Marxism and the organizing principle of democratic building up of socialist modernization. centralism, taking communism as its final goal. At the same Index Terms - Eurocommunism, exploration, influence time, it keeps the previlege of using violence in special In the late years of the 1970s, “Eurocomminism”, situations, like the situations when democracy and freedom are proposed by the Italian Communist Party and responded by lost. It holds the view that to realize socialism, a “Special the French and Spainish Communist Parties, drew the great Democratic Road” is inevitable, that is, implementing people’s attention of the whole world and became a powerful political democratic revolution to realize economic, political and trend of thought, pushing the Communist Parties of the socialist democracy, with socialism revolution as its final goal. European developed countries to the front of the political It emphasizes that Marxism must be combined with the stage. However, in the early years of the 1980s, the respective situations of the countries, and every country Communist Parties advocating “Eurocommunism” were should find its unique way of development. Comparatively frustrated more or less, so the once fashinable speaking, “Eurocommunism” involves more theoretical “Eurocommunism” did not achieve the expected results in elements than “Democratic Socialism” and “General practice. Therefore, this paper attempts to analyze the Socialism”. The party proposing “Eurocommunism” makes following aspects: What trend of thought “Eurocommunism” every effort in the following three aspects both theoretically is? How is it developed? What functions does it provide in the and practically. process of history? First, it is required to shake off the control and fetters of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union so as to gain the 1. The History and Theory of “Eurocommunism” right of policy decision. The Communist Parties in the “Eurocommunism”, different from that of the Soviet developed countries of Europe were mostly founded under the Union, is a socialist road or model proposed by some of the leadership of Lenin, and by this guiding ideology they led Communist Party members in the developed countries on the their working people to fight against capitalism, and they also basis of their own country’s social reality. It is originated from played a significant role in the anti-fascism in World War II. the “Positional Warfare” by Gramsci in the 1920s, but it is not But since the Cold War of 1947, the Communist Party of the further developed because of the change of the international Soviet Union began to show arrogance over the other small situation and the interference of the Soviet Union’s Parties in the International Communism Movement, Communist Party. strengthened the control over the European Communist Since the “Twentieth National Congress of the Parties, and forced them to follow their way. After the 1960s, Communist Party of the Soviet Union” in the 1950s and the the politics and economy of the capitalist countries changed a decreasing blind worship of “Stalin Model”, the Communist great deal, and the situation urged the Communist Parties of Party members in the European developed countries began to the different countries in Europe to understand the real seek a different road from the Soviet Union or the Socio- circumstances of capitalism and seek their own appropriate democratic. In March, 1977, the Communist Party leaders of way. The twentieth Congress of the Communist Party of the Italy, France and Spain, Enrico Belinguer, Georger Marchais Soviet Union and the Sino-Soviet polemic propelled the and Santiago Carrillo met in Madrid, made a joint statement, European Communist Parties to seek their own specific ways. the so-called “Declaration of Eurocommunism”. This meeting At the same time, the masses in the countries were unsatified and the joint statement are regarded as the symbol of with their own party’s blind worthship of the Soviet Union, “Eurocommunism”, the embodyment of their theoretical and this dissatisfaction increased with time. Some of the voters explorations. even called their Communist Party as “the Party of Foreign “Eurocommunism” was put forward by the socialist Nationalism”, because the Party was devoted to the Soviet theorist, Enrico Belinguer, the former Italian secretary- Union instead of its own country and nation. In order to general. Its guiding principles are the following: to wrest state resume their image and win over the votes, the Communist power by democracy instead of violence; to reform but not Party of every country saw the necessity of getting rid of the abolish the state apparatus; to establish the Multiparty control of the Soviet Union and carrying out the policy of Alliance, with the Communist Party as the political center; to independent strategy. Therefore, the countries proposing © 2013. The authors - Published by Atlantis Press 91 “Eurocommunism” adopted independent policies and even branches of the native trees, and the socialism that the people expressed their criticism of the Soviet Union, for example, of France want must be democratic and full of French they blamed the “human rights” in the Soviet Union, and characteristics. Generally speaking, the socialism that condemned their action of sending soldiers into Cambodia in “Eurocommunism” proposed has the following features: its the late years of 1970s. economic mechanism is a “new economic model”, in which Secondly, it is necessary to explore a peaceful democratic the public ownership is dominant but various systems of way to socialism. “Eurocommunism” holds the view that if the ownership also exist; its political power prefers a high degree developed countries want to transform to socialism, they of political democratic society, with “leadership by the cannot seize the power by armed force just as the Bolshevism workers” instead of “proletarian dictatorship”, aiming to form of Russia did, they must follow the peaceful democratic way, a state in which the workers are the dominant group, the especially the rooted democracy tradition of the western alliance of the strength of work and culture is the main countries. Just as Carrillo (1982) said, according to the leadership, and the masses of people are the major support; its Constitution, the western countries have a rooted tradition of system of leadership is mainly a system of multiparties, that is, democracy and they can carry out the democratic socialism every party follows the democratic principle according to the transformation. Violence is not only unreasonable but also Constitution of Democracy, and then through general election unrealistic. Marchais (cited in Wilson 1993: 69) once pointed they reach the internationalism. Without the differences and out “In France, democracy is the convenient road to independence of every socialist country and every Communist socialism”. So these Communist Parties started to re-comment Party, there is no real internationalism. Every party should be on the Capitalist Parliament Democracy. Lenin regarded equal and independent, showing respect to every other Capitalist Parliament Democracy as hypocratic and took it as a country, exercising equal power, and not interfering with each form of dictatorship by the capitalists. But most of the Parties other’s affairs. believe “Eurocommunism” changed their attitudes towards 2. The essence and historical significance of Leninism which they adhered to for so many years, holding the “Eurocommunism” view that Communist Party comes to power through Congress Democracy and general election. Simultaneously, they began At the high tide of “Eurcommunism” in the late years of to have fresh ideas of those capitalist countries, believing that 1970s, its influence passed over Europe and there came an the contemporary developed capitalist countries possess some enthusiam for it all over the world. At that time, 14 countries new characteristics. State is no longer the tool used by the of Europe claimed a firm belief of “Eurocommunism”, and the capitalists to control the oppressed, and Lenin’s state theories Communist Parties of some of the non-European countries, could no longer explain the situation of the contemporary such as Japan, Australia, Mexica also expressed their sincere developed capitalist countries. To them, the organizations of support for its theory. In its prime, the number of firm- modern capitalist countries changed a lot and the functions of believers among the Communist Party members in the the countries were broadened. So state is a neutral term for developed countries all over the world is 3,300,000 million, class struggle and a management tool over every class. over 75% of all the members of the Communist Party in those Although state has the function of ruling, its management capitalist countries, taking more than 300 seats in Parliament, function gains more and more importance. Its function of and some of the leaders even held an important position in social management appeals to all in the society. Therefore, the their government. It was expected that the high tide of task of the Communist Party is not to destroy the state but to “Eurocommunism” would produce such a huge practical effect carry out the democracatic reform by the structural that it will finally change the International Communism readjustment, so as to make it possess more new shapes. By Movement to a great extent. However, its development was general election, the Communist Party comes to political out of people’s expectation. “Eurocommunism”, so to speak, power and starts to build socialism.