Contribution of Communist Party of the Workers of Spain

ECA Teleconference – On the struggle of the communists against the EU and its “war economy”, the involvement of bourgeois governments in imperialist wars.

Contribution of the PCTE

 

Comrades,

Unfortunately, the phenomenon of war is as old as class struggle. Even though war does not appear with capitalism, capitalism cannot be understood without war. Lenin assessed in detail the phenomenon of imperialism, not as a synonym of war, but as a highly developed stage of capitalism.

In the monopoly stage of capitalism —imperialism—, big monopolies rule the main branches of the economy. Some of its main features are the exportation of capital, parasitism in the economy, the supremacy of a finance oligarchy, but also the division of the world between the big monopolies.

The division of the spheres of capital investment —the sources of raw materials, transport routes, markets— can sometimes be made peacefully; in other moments it is by the use of force. For capitalism, the “syndicate” of imperialist powers and their grouping in political
and/or economic blocs, in the same way companies create cartels, is as natural as the ruthless struggle in the battlefield. Everything goes to multiply profits.

The project of “European unity” began, already in the 1950's, between slogans for the brotherhood of peoples and peace. Thus, in the name of peace, the European reserves of coal and steel were shared, just like atomic energy, and a common market was created.

The real background was the need to fight the socialist bloc and uphold the ability to compete with the thriving United States.

In the name of peace, but also in the name of Human Rights and democracy, the European project was further strengthened by the Treaty of Maastricht, as well as the Treaty of Lisbon and all the other ones that have reinforced the political apparatus of the EU.

But, in the same way there was a real background to the Monnet's statements in 1951, or the signing of the Treaty of Rome in 1957, there is another one in the current process of European integration — the need to place the European capitalist countries in a position to compete for markets against the old capitalist competitors —the United States— and the emerging ones —China and the BRICS—.
Even though war is just one of the many resources of capitalism in the era of structural crisis of the system, the collapse of the profit rate, and the intensification of the struggle for spaces for the investment of capital, the danger of military clashes is increasing.

The bourgeois Europe is arming itself for war. The creation of the “European Defense Agency” (EDA), the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), and the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) answers to this reason.

Since the beginning of the implementation of the CSDP, the European Union has intervened in forty joint operations all over three different continents. Since October 2023, there have been 24 ongoing operations, involving around 4,000 soldiers.

The so-called “Strategic Compass” has meant a turning point in the European military coordination policy, with the creation of a Rapid Deployment Capacity counting with 5,000 troops. Naturally, it cannot even be equated to the projected NATO Response Force, with 300,000 troops, but nobody can say efforts are not being made. Some prominent voices have suggested the creation of a common European military fund with €100,000 millions.

Flashy names cannot disguise the true purpose of the European movements. Thus, the “European Peace Facility” has already given military equipment to Ukraine, worth €5 billions. The “Operation Aspides” has recently mobilized warships in order to ensure the freedom to navigate —i.e. of capitalist commerce— in the Red Sea.

The EU is clear on who its rivals are. The “2023 Annual Report on Implementation of the CSDP” points to Russia, China, and Iran — the same countries pointed out by NATO in its new Strategic Concept, approved in Madrid in 2022.

Spain has a direct involvement and a huge responsibility in the imperialist adventure. Pedro Sánchez —the Prime Minister— not only called for the increase of European expenditures “up to 2% of the GDP” for the “ecological transition and military expenditure”, but front row Spanish politicians are directly leading the process: Josep Borrell —a former Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs— was until recently the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; Teresa Ribera —the Minister for the Ecological
Transition until November 2024— is today the First Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just, and Competitive Transition, one of the largest operations for the transfer of labor gains to capital for the investment in constant capital.

Nowadays, more than 15,000 Spanish troops are involved in joint military operations, many of them within the EU —and not the NATO— framework; among them: Somalia, Mali, Palestine, the Baltic countries, Romania, Iraq, and the Mediterranean Sea. The “Dédalo 25”
Operation in the Mediterranean Sea, which is directly led by the Spanish Defense Staff and will participate in the Steadfast Dart 25 exercises —one of the largest NATO exercises in 2025— is now being carried out.

Contrary to what some stances claim, the development of capitalism and the rise of new capitalist powers to the peak of the imperialist pyramid is preparing the new conditions for political, commercial, and military clashes. The possibility of “proxy wars”, as well as
wide-range regional wars or even a world clash is increasing. The European Union is preparing itself for this scenario, and imperialist Spain has a great responsibility in it. The revolutionary working class, with its Communist Party at the forefront, should organize itself
in order to stop the barbarism and prevent a bloodshed. Our life is at stake.

Thank you very much