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ROMANIA – Deepening exploitation and repression against the people

In the following article we want to give a report on the current situation in Romania. We also quote a statement sent to us from a comrade from the Communist Party from Romania, who we want to thank a lot for it. We also want to say that the numbers of Covid-19 infected or dead people are not the very actual ones, because the statement was written earlier.

„More than 1.3 million people worldwide have fallen sick so far, of whom more than 69 000 died. In the country I live in, more than 4000 people have falles sick so far, of whom 176 died [1] (as of April 7, 2020). But the figures would have no doubt been much higher had the quarantine measures been not strictly implemented.“ In Romania we face an enormously increasing exploitation and oppression of the people, the military is controlling on the streets, without permission nobody is allowed to go outside. Part of the repression is increasing corruption and stealing of money from the working class and the people: in whole the fees and punishments of the people stole over 90 million. The corruption and arbitrariness is deepened by the „Anti-Corona“ measures. Even the state uses Military Regulations, which are now valid for the people and the economy, which shows a deeper militarization of the country.

„But the crisis will not be over once the pandemic subsides. Since Humanity does not live as one big, happy and united Family, as it should, disease will give way to an economic DEPRESSION of unprecedented proportions, as the bourgeoisie will seek to shift the burden of the economic crisis onto the shoulders of the working class. The reason for that is that the bourgeoisie, as Marx brilliantly shown, is a parasitic class. The capitalists do not work. They live off working people's labour. (…) As long as there is bourgeoisie there will be poverty. (...)

Working people of the world have no time to sit idle. Once the pandemic is over, the bourgeoisie will wage all out war on the working class. There is talk of mass unemployment. There is talk of cutting wages. Nobody, but nobody in the mainstream media dares to speak of cutting profits instead, nobody dares to touch the issue of unsustainable capitalist levels of consumption. The message is all too clear: the working class needs to suffer, the working class needs to make sacrifices in order for the capitalist class to be able to continue with their unsustainable levels of consumption.“

Around one million of Romanian workers are seasonal workers for the agricultural industries in the imperialist countries of the European Union. Now the Romanian government wants to send them, at high risk for their health, to the imperialist countries, because they demand cheap work forces. It shows the “free movement” within the EU is nothing than stealing labour forces at a very cheap price. Now they even risk the life and health of millions of people and their families.

„Things cannot continue like this. The working class must wake up and will wake up.

People are getting sick and tired of being told time and again how perpetual hunger should be their lot. People are getting sick and tired of scapegoating Asian migrants and Gypsies. (...) Communists, who are the vanguard of the working class, should take a firm and resolute stand against xenophobia and Gypsophobia. Enough with capitalists' dirty games! (...) Our common enemy is the bourgeoisie, the rich parasites who do not work, who live off the sweat and blood of toiling people, merciless Covid 19s who wear human masks to trick us they're one of us. But they are NOT us, they are who they are, Covid 19 disguising themselves in human attire. They are the ones who should be done away with.“

A video, published in a Romanian newspapers shows that also racism against the Roma minority is now increasing, especially by the state and the police. It shows policemen shouting at a group of rounded-up Roma men lying on the ground while an officer repeatedly beats one of them. That was in the yard of a private house and the police officers shout “Stay at home!” and insulting the men. Racism is used to split the people and is directed against their unity.

„There can be no doubt that a great crisis will be followed by a great Revolution. World War One was followed by the October Revolution. World War Two was followed by the Chinese Revolution and the People's Democratic Revolutions in Eastern Europe, Korea and Vietnam. What about today, when we face a crisis that will dwarf that of 2008, according to most experts? (…) Here and everywhere, Communists are duty-bound to educate and organize the working class.”

The current situation shows the contradictions deepening more and more. It is not at all about the people’s health, but about cheap labour and burdening the crisis on the people’s masses and the working class. The hatred of the people against the European Union and the ruling class will grow and the real face of imperialism is getting more clear!

[1] Actual (24.04.2020) official numbers are 10.417 of infected people and 552 died of the Covid-19 virus.

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