FRENCH
TROTSKYISTS HOLD NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Paris
The Parti Communiste Internationaliste, the French section of the Fourth International, held its Nineteenth Congress at the end of January. The preceding congress, held a little less than fifteen months previously, was devoted mainly to international problems connected with preparations for the World Congress of the Fourth International in 1965. Already at the time of its Eighteenth Congress, the PCI was gaining new members among the youth, more than making up for the loss in numbers when a faction headed by Pablo split a few weeks before the congress. Since then, the French section has continued to grow through the recruiting of youth. Thus the Nineteenth Congress was marked above all by the fact that there was an increase of about fifty percent in the number of activists since the previous congress, the average age of the party membership dropping considerably because of this.
Under these circumstances, the primary objective of the congress was to consolidate the gains (which did not at all signify stopping recruitment, just the contrary), to achieve homogeneity through a discussion in the preparatory period and at the congress on the principal political questions which a large number of the new members understood but partially upon joining the ‘party. The outcome of the congress indicated that this objective was achieved. .
The Nineteenth Congress opened by paying homage to the memory of the comrades who had died since the previous gathering -- R. Zakine, Alfred Iuu, Bruno (Birger). The congress likewise paid homage to Comrade Leo Bernard of the Socialist Workers party in the United States, murdered in Detroit by a fascist, and sent greetings to two other com-. rades, Jan Garrett and Walter Graham, wounded during the same attack. Hugo Blanco, K. Modzelewski and J. Kuron were named honorary chairmen to represent all the victims of repression throughout the world and the congress paid tribute to the heroic Vietnamese freedom fighters.
Fraternal representatives from various sections were present at the congress. Comrade Livio Maitan brought greetings from the United Secretariat of the Fourth International and talked on the main problems facing the International at present. Greetings were likewise read at the congress, among others from the SWP in the United States.
The political report on the situation in France and the political tasks of the organization was presented by Comrade Pierre Frank. He dealt in particular with the politics of de Gaulle in face of the needs of French capitalism and the new contradictions this has engendered. He analyzed the struggles of the workers, the objective and subjective difficulties they have encountered and the need for an overall perspective in order to unite their struggles. A considerable part of his report was devoted on the one hand to the French Communist party and the lessons to be drawn from its recent congress; and on the other hand to the renewal of the revolutionary vanguard which is now occurring thanks to the political development of the young generation.
A full discussion took place on these questions and the draft document around which the preparatory discussion was held for two months was considerably amended and completed before being adopted by the congress. (The PCI will publish this document as rapidly as possible.)
Under the same point on the agenda, the congress adopted a resolution concerning the party's orientation in the legislative elections next March 5 and 12.
: The second part of the congress was devoted to an organizational report by Comrade Michel lequenne. He dealt with the various activities of the organization, opening a serious discussion which was very frank with regard to weaknesses without ceasing to be realistic as to the measures to be taken to remedy them.
The congress finally took up the question of the incoming leading bodies. In the election of the Central Committee, a considerable number of youth were included who had had the opportunity to demonstrate their capacities in the past period and who could thus develop politically and become genuine Trotskyist leaders. The Political Bureau was enlarged in the same way.
The congress ended after two days of ardent work. The encouraging progress of the party in the past two years gave grounds for confidence that the coming period will prove as heartening both in recruiting the new generation and in seeing them mature politically as Trotskyists. The French section of the Fourth International will be in good position when the series of developments taking place in the depths, under the apparently calm and stagnant surface of Gaullism, emerges into the light of day and among other things shakes the conformism and apathy due to the old workers leaderships.
APPROACHING A DECISIVE TURNING POINT IN GREAT BRITAIN
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