Tho most outstanding feature of the current political crisis in Greece has been the spontaneous action of the masses. For the firet time in 20 yoars,; tho traditional left-wing leadership of the EDA (United Democratic Left) and Greek Commmist Farty doca not have full control over the masses.
The principal reasona for this are: (1) i young goaneration ds entoring the political satcene froa fron the sins and burdens of Steliniem. (2) The broad messea lost faith in the EDA and CP leadership. (3) Many nilitants, formerly with these movonents, left then, leading to a serics of splits in the EDA. (4) The leadership of the TDA is dominated by voteran bureaucrats concerned meinily about their posts and salnriocs. (5) These officials. adapt themselves completely to Papendreou's bourgeois policies, (46) There are a number of militant tendencics active in the maas movement, including the powerful youth movement of tha Centre Union, and farther to the left, the Trotskyiate and pro-Chinosse Communists.
This situation has opened favourable opportunities for the revolutionary Marxists, Tons of thousands of militants, capad=ially the youth, have tekken up tho slogans eadvanced by the revolutionery barxiate. This has led to e good deal of fright among the burenucratic leaders.
On July 17 at the huge mass meeting in the Panathinaikos stadium, where 80,000 people turned out, tho slogen in favour of a referondum, a slogan directed against the monarchy, was launched by the revelutionory Marxists, he bureaucrats tried to opptas this but failed to gnin support. They then tricd to dissolve tha huge meoting, “prohibitnge" 2 demonatration from being held. ihe Masses paid neo attention, The mammoth domonstration adopted tho slogan favouring a roferondum, Two days later « crowd of about 1,000,000 turmed out te hear Papandroou, Teanonatrating cond Picketing went on for hours, The BEM leaders triad wnsuccessfully to Halt all this.
On July 21 whon the students turned out, clashes ccecurred with the police. Tt was in this demonstration that our young con= ride Sotirios Petroulas was killed,
The ED. leadership found itsolf in an embarrassing position. Only two months before this it had expelled Sotirioa and «2 group ef youth from the ED’. on the grounds that they were "Trotskyista’.
The EDA bureaucrats head no cholce but to participate at the funeral coremony at which 300,000 people turned out.
The slogans continucd to escalate. Hasidos the slogan ‘for a reforondum, spread at the funeral, the slogan was launched for fratornisation with the soldiers, The cry "King - hare ia your victinIi" was heard, For the first time since 1945 the strains of the workers' mourning song were hoard.
On the ove of the July 27 general striko, MNefelondis; a loader of the EDA, an old Stalinist who is a deputy, made a deal with the Police Chisf to poaceofully end tho strike mesting, Hut after the domoenstration ended, thousands of workers and students staged a huge demonstration and marched through the mein thoroughfarca of iAthens to Parlianent, shouting slogans, noinly for a referendum,
A11 the oider loaders and deputioas of the EDA were in tho streets trying to bring thinga to an end, But in. vain,
Next day ivei, the daily organ of the EDA, denounced "Trotskyists" as being behind the "provocations" and shouting for a "red rovolution", Threughout the erisis tho reactionary bourgecis press had been saying similer things, denouncing "Trotakyism" ond the "Trotskyists" for their role,
The Stalinists continuod their attacks against the "Trotakyists" until the reactionary press came cut with praise for the ED leaders and their papers "because they have at Lloast uiderstood that the Trotskyist Communists are provoking riots and disturbances as wo long ago prodictcd",
The EDA publications stopped their open attack on “Trotakyiam" and turned instead to "educational" discussion to alert the renks to the role of "Trotskylam" im tho crisis.
The atruggle continues - but 2 compromise at the expensa of the masses is being cooked up. There is a real possibility that it con bo put across beceuse of the lack of 2 masa revoluticnary party.
But in the present atruggles- a new genoration of militents haa appeoread, who have begun to fight, though in a confused way, for big objectives. This goneration, froo from the contaminating influence of Stalinism, is becoming acquainted with the trutha of Trotskyism.