Leninist-Trotskyist Tendency Index | Encyclopedia of Trotskyism | Marxists’ Internet Archive
Written: 1992.
First Published: October 1992.
Source: Published by the Leninist-Trotskyist Tendency.
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The following theses were produced in response to a request from the PTS of Argentina for a statement of the position of the LTT shortly after the start of the civil war in the former Yugoslav federation in 1991. As the LTT explained, the main planks of an action programme in Yugoslavia should be:
‘(a) democratic slogans – the right of self-determination and the rights of minorities within the seceding republics;
(b) the goal of a Balkan Socialist Federation;
(c) action programmes against capitalist restoration in all the Yugoslav republics;
(d) the necessity of building Trotskyist parties in the Balkans, linked to the struggle to rebuild the Fourth International’.
1. The economic crisis, which has gripped Yugoslavia for several years, characterised by drastic inflation, falling living standards, rising unemployment and a huge national debt, has been used by the bureaucrats (particularly the Serbians) to blame the minority nationalities in order to get themselves off the hook.
Every gain workers have made must be defended, regained and further developed. The central demands must include:
* a sliding scale of wages and social benefits,
* a sliding scale of working hours,
* unemployment benefit equivalent to average earnings,
* full equality of employment and other rights at work, social benefits etc. for women, national and other minorities.
2. In republics under attack from the Federal Army and the armed gangs which support it, revolutionaries should advocate a military bloc with these republics, without taking responsibility for, or giving political support to, their existing leaderships.
Even if the different national components of the old Stalinist bureaucracy today hate each other, they are still capable of uniting around the common goal of capitalist restoration. After plundering the country in an increasingly corrupt manner for decades, and thereby contributing to its deep economic problems, the bureaucrats want to follow their counterparts in eastern Europe and the USSR in transforming their privileges into bourgeois property rights.
Workers and peasants must not, if they want to avoid even greater privations, support capitalist restoration.
* Neither Stalinism nor capitalism, but workers’ democracy!
* No denationalisation!
* Workers’ control over the entire economy – for a new plan, democratically drawn up by representatives of workers’ councils!
* For the immediate convening of factory and workplace-based committees!
* Down with the existing managers! For the election of managers accountable to such committees, who have the confidence of the workers!
* For the drawing up of new health and safety legislation, which protects both workers and the environment!
* No restrictions on trade union and political activities in the workplace!
* Restoration of the monopoly of foreign trade!
* Repudiation of the foreign debt contracted by the old Stalinist regime and the current coalition governments!
3. Yugoslavia is on the brink of all-out civil war. The dominant Serbian bureaucracy, which has ruled for so long with an iron fist, has now gone even further in its bid to remain in power. It whips up national hatreds between the different peoples, ruthlessly promoting Greater Serbian chauvinism. The other bureaucrats and the nationalist leaders exploit the minority peoples’ legitimate hatred of Serbian domination. The Serbian-dominated army has joined in the fight of the Serbian gangs in Croatia, thus escalating the conflict into full-scale war.
Workers and poor peasants, soldiers and youth must oppose Serbia’s war as thoroughly reactionary. We call on soldiers to form their own committees, to fight for the election of all officers, and to end Serbian domination of the army. We call for fraternisation with all oppressed minorities.
The different nationalities within Yugoslavia have the right to make effective use of their right to self-determination. The various governments have no right to conduct negotiations behind their backs.
* Down with Stalinist, nationalist and imperialist secret diplomacy!
The imperialist countries of the EC and the USA want to get their greedy hands on this or that part of Yugoslavia. They encourage one or other faction of Titoite Stalinists and reactionary nationalists.
* No to imperialist intervention or ‘peacekeeping’!
No country can achieve real independence if the working class does not lead the movement for national self-determination. In the different oppressed republics, workers must fight for the independence of their republics, but they should not cede the leadership of this struggle to the national-Stalinists and the ex-Stalinist nationalists, now openly promoting bourgeois politics (policies?). Under their leadership, the newly independent republics will exchange Serbian domination for that of one of the imperialist powers – Germany and Austria, followed by France, Britain and the USA.
* For independent workers’ republics of Slovenia, Croatia and Kosovo!
* No carving-up of Bosnia-Herzegovina!
* For the right of Kosovo to unite with Albania!
* For the right of Macedonians in Yugoslavia to unite with those in Bulgaria and Greece! Workers of other nationalities within the new independent republics are not the enemy.
* For the right of Serbians in areas where they constitute a majority to join Serbia!
* No discrimination – full democratic rights for all national minorities in the different republics!
* Full freedom of culture, education, religion and assembly!
* For workers’ councils to decide which parties should be recognised as soviet (workers’) parties!
Workers of all nationalities must physically oppose attempts to organise pogroms against minorities.
* For workers’, poor peasants’and soldiers’ committees to defend minorities from chauvinist reaction!
The workers and poor peasants of Serbia should reject the poison of Greater Serbian chauvinism. Only in this way can the basis be laid for a free and socialist Balkan federation, within the framework of the United Socialist States of Europe.
Stalinist bureaucrats, pogromists, black marketeers etc. should be dealt with by the working class for the crimes they have committed.
* For workers’ and poor peasants’ tribunals!
* Disband the secret police!
* Open all secret files to the public!
Workers, poor peasants and youth face serious dangers in the present situation. Either they will go forward towards socialism, or the Balkans will once more become the cockpit of struggle between competing reactionary nationalisms under imperialist domination. The only way out lies in forming a revolutionary workers’ party / parties, and in such a party / parties taking part in the struggle to rebuild the Fourth International.
In defence of Marxism Index (1992-1996)
Leninist-Trotskyist Tendency Index | Encyclopedia of Trotskyism | Marxists’ Internet Archive