Contribution of CP of Finland [En]

FOR PEACE AND SOLIDARITY AGAINST FASCISM AND MILITARIZATION

In today’s political situation in Finland, it is great to be a communist. From a communist point of view leftist and social democratic oriented political forces have strongly adopted logics from the bourgeois elite and accepted right wing austerity measures. Trade unions in Finland understand EU concepts of freedom and business so well that it has forgotten its basic function.

This international class struggle needs an honest radical left front to coordinate political work to fight back imperialism and its concrete forms.

In my talk I wish to concentrate in three topics that from a communist point living in the North of Europe are the most current issues.

1. We have to defend and develop democratic structures like public services and involve masses to participatory processes.
2. We have to develop alternative environmental policy and work closely with the ecological movement
3. We have to present a vision of world without wars and endless militarization

This international class struggle needs an honest radical left front to invite new forces and faces to speak for their rights and to build speakers platforms like Lenin said.

We don’t do the change alone but YES we can and we will do it together with mass movements, critical trade unionists, peace activists, feminists, LGTB volunteers and with all those who want an alternative to the current capitalist exploitation.

This international class struggle needs a radical left to strengthen peace movements call for a different defense politics. A left that resigns from growing militarization and cutting lists from education and culture. An alternative Finnish defense policy is needed.

I strongly oppose our prime ministers Alexander Stubbs’s say “Money is the best peace defense”. Minister Stubb´s politics is not only harmful for world peace, or relations with our Russian brothers and sisters. With the Russian market boycott campaign Minister Stubb is also ruining Finnish Economics, and making the working class pay price of EU-anti Russian politics.

IMPERIALISM FIGHTS AGAINST DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURES

- FINNISH REFORM IN HEALTHCARE AND SOCIAL SERVICES

Today Imperialism tries to hide behind secret negotiations and short acronyms like TTO, TISA, or TTIP. For a communist Imperialism is showing itself concretely in different bilateral negations, that United States (US) is proceeding with various counterparts. Most important negations are Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement TTO and Transatlantic Investment Partnership TTIP. Over 60 % of world trade would be handed over to the US and other imperialist economies with these so called agreements

TTIP agreement would directly affect Europe. The planned agreement has to be seen as part of an US plan to compete with the BRICS countries. TTIP agreement negotiations function as a maneuver to win in the battle of the world hegemony and power. The US tries to hold on to it with both hands to maintain its hegemonic position and its ideology of one polar world order.

There is a radical reform plan to change social and healthcare system in Finland. All parties present in the parliament stand behind this highly undemocratic reform that will concentrate all social and healthcare services into five big sectors. Communist Party of Finland has proposed an alternative for the reform. CPF alternative stands for local participatory democracy, safeguarding all the basic services as local services and CPF proposes creation of a county government.

From a working class point of view the TTIP agreement means growing powers of the big capital and weakening of democracy. From a little nation’s point of view this is a real and concrete risk. International healthcare businesses in the framework of the TTIP would have larger markets and freedoms leading to privatizations of the healthcare and social services.

IMPERIALISM FIGHTS TO EXPLOIT NATURAL RAW MATERIALS

- MINING BOOM, ABORIGINAL RIGHTS AND TOURISM. MINING POLITICS

Today Finland, country of thousands of lakes is strongly attacked by multinational mining companies. 15 % of our territory is under different kinds of mining reserves or declarations for mining rights. It is uranium that unites most of the companies because the few remaining uranium resources globally are found in our arctic regions.

Mining boom will first bring work and income for a group of people. After some 30 years only cleaning and radioactive ground and particles will be there with the question whose responsibility is to clean and oversee the radioactive. We are sure that there will not be a boom of private responsibility takers.

In our Northern regions, in Lapland mining business and the growing international interest in the Arctic is oppressing the process of the Saami people in their just demand for their rights to land, culture and language. For us Finnish communist it is important to declare here internationally that we firmly stand with the right of the Saami-aboriginals for their basic democratic rights. We demand the Finnish government to approve the ILO 169 declaration.

Naomi Klein writes in her new book “This Will Change Everything” that it is capitalism that has caused the current ecological crises. We communist have had that analysis already there but it is highly interesting that Klein sees the role of the aboriginal people as a catalytic force in progressive politics for future sustainable ecological politics. Maybe a Canadian intellectual media star has to say it out loud that our aboriginals in the North of Europe will add imperialism and capitalism in their vocabulary. And for us communist it is a perfect time and space for a class oriented Marxist collaboration with the natives of our arctic north.

IMPERIALISM FIGHTS AGAINST WORLD PEACE

- UKRAINIAN CRISES USED AS AN EXCUSE FOR CLOSER NATO MEMBERSHIP. TOWARDS PEACE AND WORLD WITHOUT WARS

Finland is officially still a non NATO member country. With the Lisbon treaty and EU membership we have been forced to a closer military collaboration with the almost all NATO member EU partners.

Recently at the Wales Nato summit Finland has signed a Host Nation Support memorandum of understanding with Nato to effectively allow troops from the defense alliance to train on Finnish soil and to provide assistance in the event of accident, crisis or conflict. Now NATO troops can move in Finland almost as if they were “home”.

For a reason we have to share peace movements worry of militarization. According to parliamentary debate future military spending is leading in increasing the military budget firstly with 50 billion euros in 2016 and thereafter with 150 billion euros in 2020. And there will be an extra cost of new Hornet air fighters to be invested that meaning huge costs from 6 to 20 billion more.

Now it is time to end talks of increasing the military budgets and investing in new war machines. Now or never we have to say no to NATO. It is time to turn a new page in our defense politics. It is time for culture of Peace and better funding for civil societies international relations, for culture and education.

World peace will not be built with military alliances or increasing military funding.

Politics, dialogue and Peace – from working class point of view is always the best

TO END MY SPEECH

Imperialism can´t be fight alone. This fight against imperialisms concrete projects is a Communist fight. We communist demand just distribution of wealth. All working men are equal in this fight for a better world where neither men or women nor nature is oppressed.

Together we are strong in this battle that has an old name, a historical task and new characters adapted by the changing society. Comrades, you know we are talking about international class struggle.

Class struggle is a broad international action plan done together with the society’s progressive forces. Today class struggle is a feminist struggle. Equal society demands equal rights for all sexes and equality for the people with different sexual orientation. Today class struggle is an ecological struggle for saving the planet earth. Today class struggle is a universal fight for Peace to strengthen up culture of peace, people’s self-determination and abolish foreign military bases.

LONG LIVE PEACE AND INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY!

Find the speech also at

www.skp.fi/2014-15-11/for-peace-and-solidarity-against-fascism-and-militarization-

SHORT SUMMARY CONCERNING GUAYAQUIL MEETING:

Militarization, growing right wing populism, fascism and racism are key topics when World´s Communists and Worker´s Parties analyze current political situation, role of imperialism and how to strengthen international class struggle 13.–15.11. in Ecuador.

JP Väisänen chairman of the Communist Party of Finland speaks at the Guayaquil meeting and lifts up Marxist demand on common action. Mass movements like trade unions, environmentalists, peace movement, Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual initiatives (LGTB) and feminist and aboriginal movements should be seen as closest companions in the fight for change of current political situation.

Communist Party of Finland (CPF) wishes to thank Communist Party of Ecuador for its hospitality during the 16. th meeting of the Communist´s and Worker´s Parties in Guayaquil.

CPF finds the work of the international Secretariat of high importance in collecting progressive forces to international class struggle. CPF is pleased about the work of the Secretariat in the preparations for Guayaquil meeting.

JP (JUHA-PEKKA) VÄISÄNEN

Chairman

Communist Party of Finland

Hitsaajankatu 9 A 6. Kerros

00810 Helsinki, Finland

Email:juha-pekka.vaisanen@skp.fi

Tel: + 358 505738598