APK: Unity Against the Blue-Red Policy of Cutbacks!

A new policy has not come with the SRSF (1) government. There must be a struggle against the blue-red majority and neo-liberal policies.

Troels Riis Larsen,
spokesperson of APK

Communist Politics 20, 2011

In international media like Newsweek a picture of the Thorning-government as ”really red” – at least on paper – is being drawn. Newsweek calls the Thorning-government “the most left-wing in Europe.”

In the Guardian, Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen (2) is nominated to be the left-wing´s new queen, who has got more personal votes than the incumbent prime minister:

“In a time where a large part of the European left is in despair over its inability to transform the three-year old financial crisis into an electoral success, Denmark is now the exception.”

Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen´s first reaction to the new government platform was that Enhedslisten (the Unity List) agrees with some points of it and recognizes itself in it.

But now the hangovers are coming. The new government is not coming with a new policy. It continues virtually where the worn out VKO-coalition (3) left off.

APK refused to participate in the prevalent left-wing fraud that a Thorning government would also mean a new policy for the benefit of the workers and the large majority. The reform of retirement and the slaughter of the ”after wage” stand firm (4), the unemployment benefits are being halved, the firings in the public sector continue, and Thorning is focusing on keeping the wages calm and putting the working-time up high.

Troels Riis Larsen, spokesman for APK, says that there is nothing to wait for. A broad unity against the blue-red policy that now is to be run through, must be created:

– There is no serious new policy coming from the new Folketing and the new government.

It must be clear for all now, he says:

-The time has come to examine the consequences of what is happening. That can only be that there must not be fueled expectations to the parliamentarian game, or illusions that the 12 mandates of the Unity List will change the downward direction.

Troels Riis Larsen continues:

– APK thinks that the blue-red majority should not have peace to implement and continue the reactionary policy that people have rejected with their votes, within opinion polls, and in widespread protests for many years.

A new broad movement that will put an end to the slaughterings of welfare, the breakings of promises, and the continued policy of war must be created. A movement of all forces that are serious when they say that there must be a new policy and a fundamental break with the VKO period.

In that context it does not matter whether one has supported a Thorning goverment or not.

-The Unity List has both a special duty and special possibilities in participating to create such a movement. In our view only such a unity of popular movements, labour, and political forces could slow down the blue-red storm that will come fast.

See also:

APK: 12 demands to a new government

FOOTNOTES

(1)

S: Socialdemokraterne http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Democrats_%28Denmark%29

R: Radikale Venstre http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_Social_Liberal_Party

SF: Socialistisk Folkeparti http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_People%27s_Party_%28Denmark%29

All those three parties participate in the Helle Thorning-Schmidt government.

(2)

Political spokesperson of Enhedslisten. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-Green_Alliance_%28Denmark%29

(3)

V: Venstre http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venstre_%28Denmark%29

K: Konservative http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_People%27s_Party_%28Denmark%29

O: Dansk Folkeparti http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_People%27s_Party

(4)
Originally proposed by the former Lars Løkke Rasmussen government, and is now to be accepted by the new government: Everyone who was under 45 years in the end of 2010 will lose the right to the afterwage (efterløn – a form of early retirement, 5 years before retirement age, is at 60 years (65 years retirement age)), Those who are 45-54 years old will get a shorter afterwage (4½ year for those who are 54 and 1 year for those who are 45). Those who are 55-56 will go later on afterwage, but it will still be 5 years. Those who are 57 or older, including those who already are on afterwage, will not be victims of any changes. The afterwage will be replaced by a “senior early pension”, which will be harder to get than the afterwage.

The retirement age will be raised, so it will fx be 67 in 2022, and for those who are in the beginning of their 30´ies will get a retirement age on 71 years.

Original article in Danish:
APK: Enhed mod den blårøde nedskæringspolitik

Netavisen 14. oktober 2011