Eurocomunismo y estado (Temas hispánicos)

by Santiago Carrillo

Text: English, Spanish (translation)

Genres: Politics

218 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Alvaro · Rating 3 out of 5]

En este libro, Santiago Carrillo da una explicación profunda y práctica sobre la deriva eurocomunista del PCE de la época. Sin embargo, teóricamente, Carrillo deja mucho que desear y cuesta separar esta deriva de la socialdemocracia. Sobretodo, el libro está lleno de justificaciones de porqué el PCE apoyó el estalinismo y las purgas y cómo llego a su critica y consecuente rechazo. El eurocomunismo ha resultado ser parecido o igual a esa socialdemocracia que traicionó a los marxistas alemanes (entre otros) hace más de 100 años. Qué alternativa se debe plantear?

[Left_coast_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eurocommunism was a tendency within the broader communist movement in the 1970s and 80s, especially in Italy, Spain, and France. Its proponents attempted to update communist political strategy to make it more compatible with various forms of parliamentary democracy in developed capitalist countries. They kept the Soviet Union at arm's length, becoming increasingly critical of its repressive policies. For Santiago Carrillo, the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 was the final straw.

One of his arguments is that different conditions require different strategies. Previous socialist revolutions had succeeded in relatively agrarian countries besieged by imperialism or in countries in the midst of a terrible war. In the era of nuclear weapons it would be insane to hope for war, so the question is how to adapt strategy to the conditions of industrialized, democratic countries. Carrillo says they will build an alliance of labor and culture (workers and students, mostly, but also employees of the government, etc.) and gradually unite all progressive forces in society to pick apart capitalism.

Results were mixed. Initially they scored electoral successes. The Italian Communist Party had its best ever results. But ultimately these parties failed to distinguish themselves from social democrats or to overcome doubts about their commitment to democracy. Western communist parties faded from relevance.

Eurocommunism appeared at a time of ideological crisis in both capitalist and communist parties. It was correct to reevaluate their strategy even if it meant challenging some of the Marxist "canon." Violent anticapitalist insurgency simply wasn't in the cards. And the CPSU's dismissal of various "bourgeois" concepts like democracy was a grave mistake. As Marx said, the historic task of the working class is to win the battle of democracy. The bourgeoisie did not invent democracy--perhaps one flawed form of it--but socialism is the precondition for the genuine democratization of social life. The challenge is preserving the goal of revolution while pursuing reforms.

I'm sympathetic to Eurocommunism, but I need to learn more about their successes and failures.

[Ander · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leído por necesidad e interés académico. Ningún valor teórico. Seguramente ese sea su mayor valor: el nulo aporte teórico y las fallas del que fuera SG del PCE plasmadas en una de sus obras maestras para justificar la deriva eurocomunista.