Beyond Europe 2.0 – Vision for an Anti-authoritarian future
Rising authoritarianism, nationalism, climate collapse and new forms of repression are just some of the problems facing the whole world, not just Czechia. We have therefore decided to join Beyond Europe, an antiauthoritarian platform connecting radical leftist groups in Europe. We are not indifferent to the political future of Europe, but we reject the current form of Europe Union, governed by financial capital and bureaucracy, as well as dreams of “Europe of Nations”. We want Europe that’s going to be open to all, where democracy and self-government will flourish in a framework beyond state, nation and capital. Below you can read a recent Beyond Europe manifesto.
A context of accelerated exploitation, oppression and disorientation
In March 2018, the Beyond Europe platform met in Nicosia, Cyprus to reappraise the potential of anti-authoritarian struggle against global capitalism. At the present time, capital is tightening its repressive grip in order to continue destroying our communities, our human and other rights, and the earth itself. This was a rare opportunity for the members to meet face-to-face and have extremely constructive discussions. While exchanging thoughts and experiences, we became aware of the speed at which damage is being done globally, the confusion surrounding facts, events and motives, and the numbing effect that this constant turbulence seems to have for coordinated resistance. But while this increasingly intense storm has led to widespread disorientation and a debilitating sense of our collective incapacity to control the situation, we realise that reversing this is of the utmost urgency.
Following this meeting, we captured our vivid impressions of chaos, confusion and the inability to act in two statements (We won’t accept anything less and Let’s make this century wild (will be published in March 2019) which both aimed to highlight the pressing need for new approaches, strategies and direction. Almost a year after the meeting in Nicosia, repression has further intensified on multiple levels, again reaffirming the need to step up our own efforts, acting strategically and taking concrete actions. Indeed, there seems to be plenty of energy for new ideas and practices. An organisational turn to organising communities around housing struggles has slowly been gaining ground. New concepts and tactics are being explored in anti-fascist struggle with women and feminists crucially reconfiguring the terms of the game across the globe over the past year. Finally, more recently, the Gilets Jaunes who appear as a hub for every conceivable anti-capitalist demand, occupy the streets of France with impressive assertiveness and have become a major challenge for the French police and establishment. How does Beyond Europe come into this picture?
Beyond Europe’s position
Beyond Europe reiterates the need to scale up the fight, and develop new methods, tools and frameworks for anti-authoritarian politics.
Beyond Europe stresses that the present moment is ripe for this radical reconsideration of anti-authoritarian forces in the fight against global capitalism, as its desperate attempts to continue ruling the planet resort to increasingly oppressive means.
Beyond Europe proposes that we leave behind reactive forms of resistance and transition as quickly as possible to a different level which enables us to act pro-actively. Firefighting constantly on multiple fronts (which also proliferate exponentially) has become untenable. We have reached a stage in which we have to try to stop the emergence of new fires. And although firefighting against authoritarian attacks of all kinds will not end any time soon, our long-term aim should now be to find ways to stop conditions of oppression from becoming tougher, explore how to stop instances of oppression before they materialise rather than just confront them once they are in full swing.
Beyond Europe 2.0 programme
What tools, concepts and new techniques of organising do we need in order to be in a position to perform anti-authoritarian politics pro-actively?
The first step is to implement internal organisational changes, so that the anti-hierarchical principles of anti-authoritarianism apply more consistently to Beyond Europe itself. For more information about what is the anti-authoritarian, see Positions, Proposals, Framework of Antiauthoritarian Movement produced by Anti-Authoritarian Movement | Αντιεξουσιαστική Κίνηση (AK).
City-led activities
Beyond Europe remains an anti-authoritarian platform against capitalism. But rather than this being an alliance of national networks and organisations – which raises the expectations that entire countries are represented – individual city groups can now participate autonomously in the work of the platform. This means that we no longer must canvas the views of a whole organisation to move forward. Local city groups, rather than national networks or a few individuals, are now sovereign. Cities interested in common issues can join forces together without needing approval by “national” organisations. Beyond Europe is now properly defined as a platform among many, rather than the “international” wing of our respective organisations, which amounted to maintaining an unnecessary informal hierarchy and was enhancing engagement with internationalism. But this does not mean that it has any less reason to exist. Quite the opposite. We expect to produce more content, inspire more people to participate, and become more democratic in the process.
Building on transnational strengths
A new programme of work has been agreed which includes a comprehensive upgrade and sharing of best practice and skill in the following areas: media, outreach strategy, technology, security and an organisational structure driven by city-led initiatives as mentioned above. In broad terms, working groups have been formed with a decent geographic spread on the following areas: feminism; eco-social struggles; antifascism and the far right; labour digitalisation, technology and the future; housing, community and neighbourhood organising.
These groups will build on our transnational strengths in a variety of areas, including the women’s strike, reproductive rights, and trans rights; action against extractive industries and for sustainable de-growth strategies; attending and building for summit actions on European migration regimes and far right party conferences; action against local fascist groups; establishing a strike watchdog; drafting ten theses on technology; collaborating with the struggles of Amazon warehouse workers and workers in logistics; establishing and maintaining social centres, anti-eviction campaigns, tenants’ unions and opposing gentrification.
Anti-authoritarian information provider
We have also established a collaborative editorial group with the task of becoming the ‘beacon’ of anti-authoritarian struggles for Europe. The idea is not to be the ‘hegemonic’ anti-authoritarian media outlet within Europe, but to establish ourselves as the preferred source of information about anti-authoritarian struggles happening in Europe for the rest of the world. This link is desperately needed for building an anti-authoritarian internationalism that is simultaneously against globalisation and against nationalism. A user-friendly media strategy is being worked on to turn this into a reality in some years’ time.
The second step is to plan activities with an understanding of the skills, expertise and strengths of the current membership while aiming at expanding it by reaching out to other groups and initiatives interested in converging forces for the purposes of a strong anti-authoritarian movement in Europe (and beyond) which will overthrow global capitalism.
Current active members
Ums Ganze
…the German-speaking antinational and antifascist federation ums Ganze, with local groups across Germany and Austria. Ums Ganze hosts annual congresses attracting hundreds of militants, accompanying BE to the Hamburg G20 and bringing back riots to the streets of Germany on occasion of the inauguration of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt. The building of an antifascist network called “Nationalism is no alternative” is a serious asset in the fight against the rise of the far right in Europe. In the next years ums Ganze will focus on (pro-)feminist interventions and the revival of social struggles.
Syspirosi Atakton
…the anarchist/antiauthoritarian collective Syspirosi Atakton, is organised in Nicosia acting in both sides of the division line. For SA the struggle against nationalism is a daily struggle for survival as Cyprus is one of the most militarised areas on the planet, while trying to circulate the ideas of self-organisation, self-legislation and solidarity. Efforts also take under consideration the environmental crisis and gender social aspects.
Alpha Kappa
… the Greek antiauthoritarian movement Alpha Kappa, who are responsible for much of the anti-authoritarian influence in Beyond Europe. With local groups in Athens, Thessaloniki, Komotini, Ioannina, Larissa and Piraeus – AK have hosted several of the defining moments of Beyond Europe: a camp against a gold mine in the Chalkidiki peninsula rooted in local communities; the No Border Camp in 2016; and a camp against the construction of a damn in Piraeus. AK have a fascinating political history coloured by resistance against dictatorship, severe repression against communism spanning several generations, fierce disagreements with other local anarchist groups, fearless street battles against fascists and the police, and the eviction of social centres. All this in a country where there are sizeable Stalinist and Fascist parties with electoral success, resurgent nationalism, and a left party in power.
Plan C
… the UK-wide anti-capitalist organisation Plan C with similar interests in anti-authoritarian politics, focusing on feminist anti-fascism, the socialisation of strike, radical municipalism, and Rojava solidarity, and following direct democracy principles of organisation and decision making for city-led activities, which expand into UK wide projects when appropriate.
Kolektiv 115
… the recently formed group from Prague Kolektiv 115. K115 brings non-dogmatic leftist politics and new forms of language and culture of protest into cold post eastern block region. Consisting of working groups focusing on topics such as the right to the city, feminism and antifascism, the group seeks progressive answers to massive reactionary wave rolling through Visegrád Four (V4) countries.
The future
The promising potential for expansion of the current Beyond Europe membership relates to a strong belief (shared across the European radical left) that capitalism is a system which must be fought, criticised and abolished systematically if we are to win. For this reason, the existence of a platform such as Beyond Europe adds coherence and a sense of purpose for anti-authoritarian politics where there is confusion and disorientation, additionally aggravated by the distraction of media propaganda.
Beyond Europe calls all organisations, groups and initiatives, who believe that anti-authoritarian politics leads to the end of global capitalism, to join us so that we can learn from each other and use our collective power and counter-power to trigger the necessary dynamic ruptures that will allow us to move to the next level.
