4-08-05, 9:11

From Granma BY RAISA PAGES

THE need for the European Union to reject US pressure and adopt an independent position in the Human Rights Commission in Geneva was highlighted by Ali Ruckert, president of the Communist Party of Luxembourg, at the end of a visit to Cuba.

In an exclusive interview with Granma International, Ruckert said that in his view, it was very positive that the United States had not found any country to take on the Judas role. Washington had to take on the task of accusing Cuba directly.

He affirmed that it is essential that the European Union does not yield to the Washington government because what the United States is hoping to achieve with its resolution is to impose greater economic pressure on Cuba. That US intention does not coincide with the interests of the European Union, whose countries wish to extend their commercial ties with Cuba, he noted.

If the European Union votes otherwise and yields to the dictates of Washington, bilateral and multilateral relations between Cuba and the European Union will be affected, which would impede further positive developments.

On the influence of the Luxembourg government as the current alternating president of the European Union, he felt that it would be unable to adopt its own initiative but would conciliate its position with other countries, particularly France and Germany.

COMMUNIST IDEAS ARE GAINING STRENGTH

Ruckert indicated that the collapse of the Eastern European Socialist bloc had a major negative impact. “We lost a major part of our formed values. Although it was hard work to get out of the hole, we worked very hard. Many people had to donate their personal savings to keep our newspaper alive, but the daily is now solvent.

“The Communist Party of Luxembourg has grown in the last few years. The fact that five to six comrades are joining every month is a positive sign. We have never sold as many newspapers as we are doing now,” he affirmed.

“But this resurgence of communist ideas is not a phenomenon exclusive to Luxembourg, given that communist parties in other European countries have gained ground due to the effects of neoliberal capitalism on our lives.

“Living conditions are making things very difficult and many people are searching for an alternative to capitalism,” he said. “The whole situation in Eastern Europe has had negative repercussions for all workers.” 

He noted that a group of Luxembourg enterprises have moved to those countries to exploit the qualified labor force trained during the socialist era. Those workers are being paid a tenth of what a worker in Luxembourg would receive.

Ruckert expressed his concern the text of the European Constitution includes an extension of neoliberal ideas.

He argued that it is very unfortunate that the new European Constitution includes a provision for committing rapid intervention forces, which is only going to increase the arms race in Europe.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES OPENING UP FOR CUBA

Although representatives of the Communist Party of Luxembourg have not visited Cuba in 25 years, Ruckert affirmed that his visit has given him an opportunity to witness the efforts underway to raise the population’s living standards and move ahead on improving the health and educational services.

Even with the problems caused by the US blockade, new opportunities are opening up for Cuba in its relations with China and Venezuela, nations that are prepared to cooperate and break the country’s economic isolation, he highlighted.

Ruckert stated that the Communist Party of Luxembourg is giving much publicity to events in Venezuela so that people can see that it is not only Cuba, a small island, which is demonstrating the viability of socialism.