There is one month left until May 1st of this year, and once again in Bilbao (Vizcaya) the Socialist Council of the Basque Country (EHKS) has launched a mobilisation call. This year, he has called mainly to mobilize "against the imperialist war and the rearmament of the European states". In fact, he explained with concern that "plans to increase the military capabilities of the states are being promoted" in all the countries of the European Union, under the pretext of "ensuring the defence or the 'strategic autonomy' of Europe". "We want to emphasize the need to deal with all of this, and we will use May Day for that," says the EHKS.

The main organisation of the Socialist Movement has noted with concern the warlike agenda that is setting the road map of the European Union. He believes that the EU is "becoming even more displaced" on the "global political playing field" and that, at a time when the US has called into question monetary investments aimed at "financing the war in Europe and Ukraine", the EU authorities have made a clear response: "The plans for the rearmament of European states and their 'strategic autonomy' have multiplied."

EHKS, however, warns of this fraud. It clarifies that the EU will remain "economically, politically and militarily bound to the mandate of the US and NATO"; and that even with the acquisition of "possible strategic autonomy", "the sovereign Europe would continue to be a capitalist, imperialist and militarist power" and that this would not be a "solution of anything" "from the point of view of the working class". As if that weren’t enough, the organization believes that instead of “increasing security”, the EU will achieve the opposite with its rearmament plans because it will be seen as a “threat” by governments “beyond European borders” and this will “tighten relations”.

The War Boom and Social Cuts at the Hand, Capitalism and War at the Hand

The EHKS stressed that the rearmament is taking place "in a situation in which the European economy is sinking" and that the war against Russia "has led to a deepening of the structural economic crisis due, among other things, to the increase in the prices of supply". While sectors such as the automotive industry are in the midst of a crisis, the authorities are making moves to "finance the private arms trade of the Atlantist oligarchy", which the EHKS believes can have two main effects: an increase in the "danger of war" and "cuts" in the social sphere. In this sense, among the immediate tasks that exist in the Basque Country, the organization considers it necessary to "oppose the militaristic restructuring of the Basque industry" and "take the streets".

In the same way that the rise of military spending and social cuts go hand in hand, the organization emphasizes that “capitalism and imperialist warlike tensions” also go hand in hand. "The history of capitalism has shown us that the imperialist blocs in crisis are moving towards the development of the military industry, towards war and destruction," he said: "The idea of peaceful capitalism has been shown to be nothing more than a dream."

The European Union’s authoritarianism in secrecy

While giant steps continue to be taken to increase spending on war, the EU authorities have deployed a “cultural offensive” to legitimise “state militarisation,” the EHKS said. He also recalled that "the militarization of states will deepen the violation of political rights and authoritarianism" and that "the undemocratic and authoritarian character of the European authorities is emerging", as he is seeing in Ukraine and Romania. "One of the arguments against Putin is his alleged dictator status, but the European states act in the same way," says the organization of the Socialist Movement: "They put presidents on the back of society, dismiss them, annul elections, shape constitutions or carry out manipulative campaigns."

The Whole Parliamentary Arc United

At the same time, in full bellicose escalation, the EHKS is confident that "all parties in the parliamentary arc" will support the rearmament when it is "necessary". "Everyone is using their own arguments to justify this strategy," he details: "Some maintain the Atlanticist discourse; others refer to the strategic autonomy of Europe; certain far-right parties justify the militarization of states through the sovereignty of nations, etc."

In the Spanish state, the EHKS says that all political parties are "promoting the militarization of states"; "from the PSOE to the PNV to Vox". He also denounced that "the social democratic parties that speak out against the militarization plan of the European Union, such as the EH Bila, will also guarantee it when the situation demands its affirmative vote." The GSC has made clear that: "Supporting Sánchez's mandate necessarily involves deepening the militarization of states."

As for the French state, the organization insists on leading the "European militarist escalation", understanding that the government's intention could be "to precipitate the arms industry and calm its internal conflicts". "In addition to emphasizing the need for rearmament, they are constantly talking about the defense of their homeland and the need to prepare the youth for war, to the point of mentioning the re-establishment of military service," he recalls: "Even in the French State, which seeks real opposition to the war, it would hardly find it among the parties of the parliamentary arc."

The unity of the working class against war

"In order to combat the war and the rearmament of the states," the EHKS said, "a union of organizations, collectives and individuals of the working class is essential." But he details that this must be done "outside the social democracy" and "outside the institutional fraud and its aspects": "We must organize the opposition to the militarization of the states in the streets, independent of the deception of the mainstream media and institutions."

The central organization of the Socialist Movement warns of the need to “form a revolutionary referent to combat war and the impoverishment of the working class,” which is “internationally widespread and rooted in every country.” "On May Day we have the responsibility to reveal all this contradiction and to take one step further in the direction of socialism," the EHKS adds: “Building a communist society is the guarantee for a world without war and oppression.”