ROGER GARAUDY was a member of the Political Bureau of the French Communist Party [PCF] in May 1968. However, he cume out against the PCF's line on the May events, the mildness of its critieism of the Soviet invasion of Czechosiovakia. and its stance on a growing number of other questions. In Apn 1970 be wis expelled from the party.
On the tenth anniversary of May 108, the French Trotskyist daily Rouge asked Garaudy to recall the interview, published in its 25 May Issue, caused an immediate storm.
Next day's Issue of 'Humanite, the PCF daily, carried a prominent reply by the Political Bureau which inventing differences inside the leadership. The completely then. and still was except for handful of Intellectuals. charge that the PCF had any control Roger Garaudy, member of the Political bureau of the French Communist Party in 1968.
Translated from Rouge, 25 May 1978.
Did the existence and strength of the May movement greatly surprise the French Communist Party (PCFY?
Nobody foresaw these events, Therefore one cannot reproach the party for not having done so. However, Its racho was neure roots ourse That was not accidental, even if certain events afterwards justified it The party had not (and still hasn't) made a serious analysis of what i call, to paraphrase Gramsci, the "new historic bloc It did not analyse. * between the the particular between working class and social layers who have the same histors goal. 1 am thinking of white collar workers. technicians, and engineers. Aren't Discussion at Féte Rouge SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 15 June 1978 pape 12 over what happened in the CGT union federation DE TALES DAEEN INSURESTED was forced to respond immediately to newspaper shows internal crisis. What really enraned the PCF Political Bureau was thut Garaudy added fresh fuel to the disputes which have flared since the March election defeat.
Can the leadership really claim that the party is united when the number opposition petition has shot from 300 to over 1,200 In two weeks? When a growing number of militants are asking why it was that the supposedly "unanimous Central extended for an extra day, and why made available to party members?
Foually, enincidence that the CGT came out students the future white collar workerst mistake. The party still retained the ance, the all-inclusive coalition, a sort of 'block of antis*.
Tes animosity towards the student Juquin had been pushed out of a Haly or ene ar he time ont window Nanterre and Roland Vins (both were Central Committee members - cds).
When I was invited to speak at the Sorbonne the Political Burenu sent me a strict order, even when I was at the gates of the faculty, not to speak. Having discussed comrades, who taught in the faculty. 1 spoke a toe sanc..
This was the first row. The reason I could speak at the Sorboone was no accidental. In Democratie Novelle, magazine died by Ducios, I had just published an article contradicting the official line on the student movement.
Its central theses analysed the common denominator between the so strongly in support of the PCFs the depth of its leaders who are members of whowst rany nud to keep incur mouths shut?
these questions, the Political Bureau Statement completely enored Gar andy's basic charge; that the PCF 1968 generul strike as quickly workers.
Committee turn against its own supporters like this? We think all CP members have answers.
demanic of the workars and the aspirations of the students. It could be and what were later called qualitative LEE BES Political Bureau to such an extent that the maoazine was suppressed...
Your disagreements with the majority numerous arguments. At the time the Roland Leros prominent PCF intellectual -protested against the policy adopted towards the intellectuals.
Tew Leroy's hostility to my proposals..
in Nanterre in July, Jacques WELCEBUIC the German Cohn-Bendit very violent.
like TOILE capitulating 3 June.
WITh TREET the me.
TLITLIL.
The revolt sufficientiv as completely scandalous.
The second came over Champigny the PCF Central December 1968 There, 1 was right-wing leftist veneral strike? position after the split in the Union of the Left last September? And why was GT leader Georges Seguy able to call publicly for a vote for the PCE in the elections while local CGI leadership tried to call off the May possible against the resistance of the How could a Communist Party Interest in searching out the We therefore reprint the bulk of the interies with Garaudy helow as an importaat contribution This article enraged the of the Political Bureau gave rise to and Louis Aragon (a eds).
Iam not a historian. But there is one thing 1 recall perfectly, and that is At the Central Committee meetin when 1 attacke Marchais for his editorial on 3 Mas 'the activities o pseudo-revolutionary grouplets" and strong.
•ods), Leroy was the first to reply. He was Political opponents stopped. propapanda against Marchail. As fo Aragon, he said nothing in particular I sbould also cire what happened ann wemen: melectuals on 1 090 They sent a letter to the WOTACTS Central Commitlee on 26 May. A delegation, of which 1 was part, met the events In the course of this meeting, in a very undisciplined way, I sided witl intellectuals. There again, Leray and Juquin unanimously disowned The liberalisms of Leroy is a pure revolt of the intellectuals the hardly reached the base of the party, who were tied up in the strike. But this bothered the TIENCELE leadership for this mecting to take place, My attitude therefore appeared the This was my first important break.
Crechasla- chough. vakia and brought a public censure.
The third was my criticise or th Manifesto Tadopted by Cuntmittee jD ods). completely sone Marchais case up with this definition which I find admirable: You are a were in dire Whut discussions occurred on the What happened with the COT leaders was much the same as with the ibert Hercet (Unified Socialist Party), Roger Garaudy, and Alain Krivine (Re union leaders mos It is necessary to be exact. The Bureau, and notabl)
Marchais, said to Seguy (the CP leader of the CGT - cds) 'You must tind a way out. The strike must be done, that the cot hat sure ne the CGT had sufficient authority, but that they would lose some militants. His relation to the him clearer understanding of the importance of And in fact some militants were lost, In absolute terms the CGT wan some new members, but these were generally from the most backward Jayers of the working class, such as the that Textile industry in the Norh Against that, the COT lost out in tracitional Vanguard layers. especially in the Paris engineering industry. This is very significant HANU WOLKCIS could perhaps find some positive aspects in butoome of 1968, hut the professional workers, for example, realised that we had not gone far Wasn't Marchais's position discussed on the Political Bureau?
We met every day and the meetings were often very beated. Those wha concact with the movenient never censed explaining that it was not possible to get people to go back like that - under a pretext On this point the two Georges (Marchais and Seguy - eds) opposed cach ocher. 1 remember That even a year later Marchais let sip at B meeting: Perhaps we Hopped the strikes too soon Seguy gor very angry: -Well, it was decision of the Political Bureau Tol you that shoulde't blame the lendership of the CGT.
And he was right. For Marchais, to continue the strike would have beer an adventure According to bin, tbe students were isolated, and the working class if i went on, would be equally Isolated. It therefore bad to stop a soon as possible The difference betweer Marchais and Seguy is that Segu knows what a mass movement 15 Even 1, an intellectual, led strike among the miners in 1947 48; we have all been denounced many times for We have been in contact with the masses, Marchais never. It is the first time that this sort of militant has led the party. Since be has taken things in hand has very Strongls personalised authority. He lays dow the line.
1968 was also the year of the Wargan Pact's intervention ngainst the Prague spring. A very important date for th party At the time 1 was in the USSR.
As 1 was a member of the Political Bureau, a member of the Central Committee of the CPS came to give me a communiqué announcing the Warsaw Pacintervention, "called for by the majority" of the Chechoslovak people.
1 demanded to return at ooce. In Moscow I met Jeanietre Vernteersch who had telephoned Gaston Plissannier (bot members of the
SUMS "DasDUur UO590 STUT TE DDA CEU!
SISNOWELEUN SELT DAMJOOE SEM anhanc t a0 T sg o a41 UE o vE JOma, LES CAUS EILE IR3a1 ECe Suo hunda seo t loua om os pies an map jo upo su ШeyR3 wo a are non SoBo.
Sugnapa] palets asso e pee 07-1180 poptodsa130s DOLDU0S Su.M LAns noge agap dessapa art maje ESCUUEI CDS AMTSINAOBTCHATCBIE bb snoruadur siamap sou sud pue 70 05 1157 -"pyos upip supresip assil Spur Sou pep 11 maasaad Tuasal SIS1ST00 MultEU 404021020 SIS TEASER opend aut sag DSN 30341 Ra paronend Bal majep Speal (Karuspio NAT DP ULM soafinog tea u papan am ss CZ TON 91 104] SOlEL віров).
spégene ITLA1 tagpaps spaawnaop warsagu ue pur u spaa on wi sale.
HESTEHALA dyd dot sad doe ae sagdo agtes DUO tan tàn tan tan ton ton to snoiasuan adress sonboer pоu8ia) оці 10 догра се BETE 338218 803 заві 1. тар з шо рорпр анашалош STEAL 101] 00li2a137 spunsno y quea pur uado nom aspe 40001 pop an n Sm ege M0N0 01 sod spp ise ci Qued istuntuco T DIW ERU HEU SIEHUC EE SOUL unuaas ( dupq annuaã арарка 01 1011 32DE0 sen sangsensod sus j0 'артеринів "Step.
um0je MUS31 DaNi B0l0 tund PHECaNTuE S4I so popa sn antydde IT:
Use Bokssp, HEE ISIND o somna paral LOSNI BOTO.
Sumado dn Tung SUD
DIEN posoddns
e g3n0d SuN-uNu a01 Dua Lo 1 da nam a wa 20 550 Susy so suomsant gane nospd Opus anoge uciun uan Sana 1! I11 UE sias Jom Find peg mispe jo sones 1000b1-or 1 0330385 0330 3481(3139 SKOUS ODO BOI TROES S9HOS e yua uopsaoqgoo ssmp jo ssep.
spesuy premier dae amsser e 4 pp dTI 11 DES 11312033 pur
members have since signed! But there is another undeniable every year.
ATTETHSIREDDVO the line, Enjoy the EIHHUECSHIE sport (but They TUPELSSJOB) nubitante is a consistent altitude to the ESUEEHELEC ACELHE HE
----- pull-quotes -----
Spa mang maned I pascuddesp, paom aya n pur d