Nation,
Nationalism
and Democracy
in Europe
Walter Baier
• “To rescue for their people the thousands of German men and
women who annually succumb to the murderous effects of
capitalist exploitation: this constitutes the national conquest
aspired to by the working class. It is not the territorial principle but
social policy that represents the means of this national conquest …”
Otto Bauer: The Question of Nationalities and Social Democracy
1906
• “At present the European states are lingering on the threshold of a
monetary union which would require the national governments to
renounce their sovereignty in currency matters. A denationalization
of money and monetary policy would necessitate a common
financial, economic, and social policy.”
Jürgen Habermas: The European Nation-State: On the Past an
Future of Sovereignity and Citizenship, 1998
“Euro-sceptics” vs. “Pro-Europeans”?
Four Approaches (at least) in the Left towards European Integration
1. EU is an agent of multinational capital and German or US-American
domination. Left parties should oppose membership or campaign for
withdrawal from membership.
2. Instead of turning back the clock we must move forward towards a root and
branch restructuring of the EU, i.e. challenging the logic inherent in the Single
Act, the Maastricht Treaty, the CAP, the operation of the ECB etc.
3. The nation state cannot any longer deliver the traditional goals of the Left.
The strategic key for the Left lies in providing the EU with the mechanism it
needs to become an agent of social and political change in Europe.
4. Uncritical Pro-Integrationists: The building of a United States of Europe
becomes the primary project of the Left. A “historic compromise” between
“pro-European” forces of centre Left and centre Right is urged
Richard Dunphy: “Contesting Capitalism? Left parties and European integration”,
2004
W.I. Lenin: “Therefore, in the internal conditions of
Austria’s development (i. e., from the standpoint of the
development of capitalism in Austria in general, and
among its various nations in particular), there are no
factors that produce leaps and bounds, a concomitant
of which might be the formation of nationally
independent states”
(1914)
The Three Variants
• W. I. Lenin: “… we must inevitably reach the conclusion that the selfdetermination of nations means the political separation of these nations
from alien national bodies, and the formation of an independent national
state”.
(1914)
• Rosa Luxemburg: “Social Democracy is therefore called on not to
implement the right of nations to self-determination, but the right to selfdetermination of the working class, the exploited and oppressed class – the
proletariat”.
(1908)
• Otto Bauer: “Cultural-national autonomy” ... “Personality principal”
(1907)
Five Points of the Nationalities Programme of the
Austrian Social Democracy
(Adopted in Brno, 1899)
• Democratic federal state of nationalities.
• Self-administrative bodies: legislation and administration, elected
on the basis of general, equal and direct suffrage.
• All the self-governing bodies of one and the same nation together
make up a nationally unified association, which takes care of its
national concerns in a completely autonomous way.
• The right of national minorities will be guaranteed by a single law
passed by the Imperial Parliament.
• Social Democrats recognise no national privilege and therefore
reject the demand for a state language;
Five Principals for Re-foundation
1. European Union as a “Commonwealth of European nations”
based popular sovereignty and subsidiarity
2. A slim constitutional law, defining
-- Division of competences
-- Defining the norms of the common juridical space
-- European citizenship based on residency
-- Universal, equal and proportional suffrage.
3. A Charta of the rights nations and national minorities
4. Strengthening the rights of national parliaments and the
European Parliament
5. The pact on stability, the fiscal pact and the governance
package within the Monetary Union have to be repealed. The
European Parliament assumes the responsibility of the European
monetary policy. It exercises the control of the European Central
bank.