Launched in autumn 2022 by communist activists and the social movement, the media outlet Nos Révolutions aims to rebuild the essential links between the communist current of ideas and the multiple struggles for emancipation shaking our country. This platform, which will grow over time, is open both to all willing participants and to contradictory debates!

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8 May 2023

This is undoubtedly a historic moment. Rejected by public opinion, dogged by scandals and surrounded by demonstrations, Macron's government is being challenged everywhere. The pension reform, imposed on 16 March without a vote in the National Assembly, has led to the longest and most powerful popular movement against it in decades.

This movement, which is inextricably linked to social and political issues, is not limited to the 64-year-olds. Democratic demands (rejection of the 49-3, dissolution of the Brav-M, referendum), but also feminist demands (against a measure that will primarily affect women) and environmentalist demands (for an economy that does not destroy the environment) have all found their place. And for good reason: this is a movement of the entire working class, whose opposition to the profiteering class is becoming more resolute by the day. On this basis, the aspiration for a new, non-capitalist society is gradually taking shape and spreading throughout French society.

But is change within reach? If the parliamentary elections and the current level of mobilisation confirm the absence of a majority in France to apply the neoliberal programme, it is not certain in the current conditions that an alternative political majority will have the strength to replace the rotting Macronism.

All the more because, in any crisis, dangers rise just as fast as opportunities. Born out of opposition to the excesses of the Fifth Republic^e — regime of permanent confiscation of the popular will — could the current mobilization lead to the victory of an even more authoritarian solution? This is the dangerous paradox, now embodied by Marine Le Pen, that progressive forces must confront.

Beyond the risk of the far right, let us not forget the past betrayals that have caused popular movements to collapse. While the most recent national elections favored radical solutions on the left, centrist strategies — whether under the banner of social liberalism or left-wing nationalism, depending on the mood of their voters — continue to align themselves with the agenda of the ruling class.

Facing these challenges and helping the people’s movement reach power requires a firm commitment to ideas and principles at the heart of politics. To change the world, it takes millions standing together — their ability to learn, question, adapt, and hold firm amid shifting realities is crucial.

In France, the communists have often played this role within the left. In light of this history, we want to reconnect with a meaningful contribution to popular struggles and Marxist debates. To do so, we are convinced that the communist movement must reach a new stage by fully confronting the paradigm shifts shaking our century.

Among the communist shortcomings, we identify four that are most detrimental to action:

1. From the fragmentation of the wage-earning class arise new forms of mutual aid, awareness, and struggle. The pension movement confirms the strategic importance of major public or monopolistic sectors (such as SNCF, energy companies), where a strong trade union tradition prevails. Yet alongside and within these sectors, due to the geographical and contractual fragmentation of work, new forms of struggle are emerging — from Facebook groups to roundabouts. This leads to new modes of action, and therefore to a new way for communists to act alongside and within social and civic movements.
2. The horn of plenty is no longer the horizon of emancipatory projects. In a handful of wealthy countries, mainly in Europe and North America, the golden era of the late 20th^e century spread the false idea of eternal abundance, supposedly only requiring the arbitration of its distribution. The 2008 economic crisis, the climate crisis, and the widespread crisis of Western imperialisms have shattered this sweet dream. The abundance, which was illusory, was actually the result of sacrifices borne by other peoples around the world, as well as unsustainable extractions from the planetary ecosystem. Far from being insignificant, this is the standard by which any serious program for social transformation must now be reconsidered, both in France and globally.
3. In response to the violence of the dominant powers, a new radicalism is emerging. The pension movement is characterized both by historic union demonstrations and by spontaneous nocturnal marches led by youth. In the face of escalating police repression, new forms of action are being invented, ranging from evasion to confrontation. Against water basins and agribusiness, the environmental movement is also marked by a diversity of protest forms. Far from the pompous media condemnations, the role of communists is to help identify the most effective paths to victory for all these struggles.
4. Resolving the democratic crisis becomes the condition for any progressive advance. Our current institutions can only shock and brutalize French society, which is increasingly educated and connected, eager for controversy and political debate. Everyone understands that there will be no positive outcome to the ongoing crisis without a complete overthrow of the political system. In this situation, it is more vital than ever to renounce any authoritarian temptation on the left. Misplaced nostalgias for the 'authoritarian socialism' of the 20th^e century, as well as tendencies toward political control or cautious relations with popular movements, show that there is still a long way to go to fully integrate the popular aspiration for 'real democracy' into our political approach.

To restore communism to its rightful dignity, we nurture the ambition of a humble and open-minded communist practice—one that seeks to learn before claiming to teach, demanding first of itself before demanding of others. This is what we aim to do through this new media platform, launched in autumn 2022. A melting pot of activist experiences, reflections, and debates, Nos Révolutions seeks to serve the communist current of ideas and the social movement. Through articles, analyses, debates, interviews, as well as videos and news monitoring… As everyone takes their share, the regularity and diversity of our formats will grow!

Open to the movements of society, grounded in the struggles of the present, and with minds open to future ideas, it is with this triple commitment that we will work for Nos Révolutions.

David Arabia
Chloé Beignon
Aurélie Biancarelli-Lopes
Hugo Blossier
Hadrien Bortot
Sophie Bournot
Juan Francisco Cohu
Manel Djadoun
Rosa Drif
Anaïs Fley
Théo Froger
Nadine Garcia
Gabriel Gau
Laureen Genthon
Nina Goualier
Antoine Guerreiro
Marie Jay
Noâm Korchi
Carmen Mallejac
Frank Mouly
Hugo Pompougnac
Katia Ruiz-Berrocal
Bradley Smith
Lola Sudreau