The European Liaison Committee
“Against War - Against Social War “
has been set up
On Saturday September 30, 2023 activists from sixteen
countries (Germany, Portugal, France, Denmark,
Spanish State, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Austria,
Belgium, Norway, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, and
Switzerland) met via video conference for the first
meeting of the European Liaison Committee “Against
War - Against Social War".
This meeting follows the agreements of the European
Conference on July 8, 2023, which had taken place on
the initiative of German activists from various
organisations, MPs and trade unionists.
The aim of the European Liaison Committee is to unite
and strengthen the struggles against the warmongering
and socially destructive, anti-democratic policies in
each of our countries.
We jointly founded the European Liaison Committee.
This is an important decision at a time when all
governments are seeking to divide the peoples. This
war is not our war.
The following demands were recorded as the common
basis of the Liaison Committee:
• For an immediate ceasefire and negotiations!
• No to arms deliveries!
• No to arms budgets and war budgets!
• Repeal the sanctions!
• Neither NATO nor Putin!
• "No to war - No to social war!"
• No to hundreds of billions for war budgets!
Billions for hospitals, schools, municipalities ...
• Defence of the real wage! General price freeze!
At the video conference, the activists emphasised the
need to constitute themselves as European Liaison
Committee against the war to "expand joint campaigns
against the war and against social war", as the
colleague from Denmark pointed out.
Reports were given on the respective struggles, against
the war, the war budgets and rearmament budgets and,
therefore the unleashing of social war against the
people. Different proposals were mentioned, e.g., for
campaigns against NATO military bases and their
planned expansion like in Italy or also Ireland.
 In Madrid, a meeting "Youth against the war"
will take place on November 18, 2023.
 In Berlin, a massive demonstration will take
place on November 25, 2023, against the
adoption of the war and rearmament budget in
Germany. The appeal will be made public in a
few days.
 It was agreed that on the second anniversary of
the war in Ukraine, on February 24, 2024, the
forces of resistance against the war should be
mobilised in each country for meetings or rallies
- depending on the possibilities in the respective
country. Kathrin Otte from Germany
summarised: "The 24th of February 2024 should
become a day on which the will of the people for
peace and social stability is carried onto the
streets and squares throughout Europe in a
coordinated manner.”
 The preparation of a European Conference (in
presence) by the European Liaison Committee
in Berlin in March 2024 was confirmed as its
important task. It is a result of the decisions of
the European Conference of July 8 this year.
The European Liaison Committee invites all
committed forces to take part in the struggle "against
the war - against the social war" and thus to contribute
to the extension of the activities and their summary at
the European Conference in March 2024.
September 30, 2023
Members of the European Liaison Committee are:
Belgium
Ludo de Brabander (Spokesperson of the Disarmament
for Development Initiative, VREDE)
Luc Bertrand (Comité de Signataires appel «halte à la
guerre»)
Denmark
Anton Schou (Movement against the European Union )
Germany
Carla Boulboullé (Editor “Soziale Politik &
Demokratie", former MP of the Federal State of North
Rhine Westphalia )
European Liaison Committee Against War - Against Social War

Gotthard Krupp (Member of the ver.di regional
executive Berlin-Brandenburg )
Kathrin Otte (Coordination “Was Tun?!?)
Harri Grünberg (Trägerkreis aufstehen)
Marcus Staiger (Heizung, Brot und Frieden [Heating,
Bread and Peace], Berlin)
Andreas Kutsche (Alliance for Peace, Brandenburg,
Shop steward, ver.di Berlin-Brandenburg)
Michael Altmann (ver.di, Initiative "Trade unionists
say No to war”)
Andrej Hunko (MP of the German Bundestag, Die
Linke, Left Party)
Evelin Genzel (aufstehen Berlin)
France
Pierre Bonnier (Student at Nanterre University)
Jérôme Legavre (MP of the National Assembly for the
LFI, POI member)
François Livartowski (CGT trade unionist)
Greece
Lida Dodou (Municipal councillor, NAR, New Left
Current)
Evangelina Sotiropoulou (Anti-NATO Action)
Dimitris Konstantakopoulos (Delphi Project)
Ireland
Tom Crilly (Peace and Neutrality Alliance , PANA,
Communications Representative)
Italy
José Nivoï (Spokesperson of the Autonomous Dock
Workers' Collective of Genoa, CALP )
Norway
Marielle Leraand (Fred og Rettferdighet, Peace and
Justice Initiative, former Vice-President of the Red
Party, Rødt )
Austria
Axel Magnus (Trade unionist)
Franz Koskarti (Trade unionist)
Portugal
Pedro Soares (Former MP of the Bloco de Esquerda,
Bloc of the Left)
Romania
Mugurel Popescu (University union leader)
Sweden
Marcus Carlstedt (Trade unionist of SACO, umbrella
organisation of Swedish academics )
Suisse
Beppe Savary Borioli (Alternative Forum, regional
deputy)
Ercan Atas (Trade unionist, independent journalist)
Albert Anor (Trade unionist, Editorial Board of “Free
Tribune )
Serbia
Ratibor Trivunac (Anarcho-syndicalist and anti-
militarist activist)
Nebojsa Komanovic (Labour militant)
Spain
Pablo Garcia Cano (CCOO trade unionist)
Jordi Salvador Duch (MP, ERC - Republican Left of
Catalonia )
Vicent Garces (PSOE, Socialist Left, former MEP)

For more information see

https://gegendenkrieg-gegendensozialenkrieg.info/
Contact us: GotthardKrupp@t-online.de

The documentary contains contributions from Belgium,

Denmark, Germany, France, Greece, Italy, Iceland,
Norway, Austria, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Sweden,
Switzerland, Spain.
The brochure at a donation price of 5 € comprises
36 pages.
Orders to: GotthardKrupp@t-online.de
Download at:
https://gegendenkrieg-gegendensozialenkrieg.info/
Donations for the activities of the European Liaison
Committee (EVK) to the account:
C. Boulboullé, BIC: BEVODEBB
IBAN: DE42 1009 0000 5629 4550 02
Keyword: EVK

Note: Speeches, greetings and contributions in German,

Danish, Spanish, French, English and Swedish have
been published on the above website so far.
 European Liaison Committee Against War - Against Social War
Dear colleagues,
I would like to begin my introduction by reminding you
once again of our common demands around which we unit-
ed at the European Conference on 8th of July (see page 1),
So, I would like to emphasise that in view of the escalation
of the war, the demand for an "unconditional ceasefire im-
mediately" is of central importance.
500,000 dead and seriously wounded Russian and Ukrainian
soldiers. This barbaric slaughter, which according to some
journalists, who worked at the front lines, is reminiscent of
the trench warfare of the First World War, must end imme-
diately.
Hundreds of thousands more Ukrainian and Russian youth,
workers and peasants must be prevented from being killed.
It is not their war! (…)
But at the same time, NATO General Secretary Stoltenberg
repeats: "We must prepare for a long war in Ukraine" and
declares for the NATO member states, in agreement with
the USA, that the war must be fought until Russia is defeat-
ed. (…)
European countries are on the road to a war economy. The
multi-billion-dollar war arms build-up is financed by a dras-
tic austerity policy against hospitals, schools, the entire pub-
lic services, the social infrastructure. And all this while im-
poverishment and social misery are spreading in every coun-
try in Europe.
With its sanctions policy against Russia, the USA is fuelling
the economic war against the countries of Europe. The con-
sequences: De-industrialisation, massive destruction of jobs,
as we are experiencing in Germany in the car and chemical
industries, for example.
But this also leads to conflicts and confrontations between
NATO countries. As in the case of the Polish government's
decision to restrict arms deliveries to Ukraine as part of the
so-called grain war.
In the USA, opposition to the payment of ever more billions
to Ukraine is growing. A deep crisis and division shakes the
US bourgeoisie. Despite the interventions of Biden and
Zelenskyi, in the UN, India, South Africa, Brazil, among
others, have not changed their position and are not partici-
pating in the global campaign against Russia.
This is the time for the defence struggle of the people, the
working class and the youth, against the governments that
are unleashing war and social war.
At the European Conference on 8th of July, we have been
able to realise the first links of several resistance forces
against the war. The reports clearly show that in all coun-
tries the number of forces trying to organise the resistance
against the war policy of their governments, NATO and
Putin it is growing.
In the struggle against war and the delivery of weapons, we
are also clashing in our own organisations, in the parties that
refer to the workers' movement, but above all, in the trade
unions with the sections in the leaderships that are subordi-
nating themselves to the demands of the governments' war
policy.
I have been one of the delegates at the federal congress of
ver.di united public services union (Vereinte Dienst-
leistungsgewerkschaft), which is the second strongest trade
union in Germany. The congress was determined by the will
of tens of thousands trade union colleagues to reject the at-
tempt of the executive board to unite the ver.di trade union
as one force behind the government's war policy. Even if the
executive board still managed to get its way in the final vote,
one third of the delegates still voted in favour of a ceasefire,
a stop to arms deliveries, sanctions policy, and armament of
war. The struggle against war can no longer be silenced in
the union. This is encouraging!
Today, the task before us is to determine for ourselves the
means to coordinate, strengthen, mutually support, and ex-
pand the campaigns against the war in our countries.
For example, mobilisations against the war that take place
on the same day in all countries could be able to express
more visibly the strength and determination of the struggle
and consolidate confidence in the power of resistance
against the war. Even if in some countries the forces are still
limited or just beginning to gather.
Three proposals that we discussed in the German coordina-
tion:
1.
A big rally will take place in Germany on the 25 th of No-
vember this year – prior to the adoption of a war budget by
the German parliament (Bundestag). Sahra Wagenknecht
will be a speaker along with others who were the first MPs
to raise their voices in the Bundestag last September against
the policy of war and social destruction of the Scholz go-
vernment. At this time, the governments in most NATO
countries in Europe will put budgets to the vote in the parlia-
ments, i.e., the war budgets for 2024.
Could we take this as an opportunity, for example, to orga-
nise actions or assemblies in all countries against the adop-
tion of the war budgets? And publish in a Liaison Commit-
tee text contributions from the different countries on how the
budgets reflect the social war that all governments are wag-
ing against their people?
2.
The 24th of February 2024 marks the second anniversary of
the beginning of the war. Wouldn't this anniversary be a
good occasion to mobilise the forces of resistance against
the war in each country of Europe where we are represented
with a joint call of the European Liaison Committee for
meetings an rallies on that day (or related to that day)?
Whereby the exact definition of intervention is up to the
decision of the liaison committee colleagues in each of these
countries.
3.
A special task should be the preparation of a European Con-
ference (in presence) "Against war - Against social war" in
Berlin in March 2024 - as decided at the European Confer-
ence on the 8th of July.
In addition, we should consider whether we could invite
representatives of the struggle against war from one country
for events or to rallies in another country - depending on the
possibilities - to promote the exchange of information and
experiences and the coordination between us. That would
certainly help our activities a lot.
These are the first proposals. The discussion is completely
open.
Finally: The German coordination will take on the task of
publishing the today's decisions and to inform all activists
who are involved in the struggle against war - against social
war.
Gotthard Krupp
European Liaison Committee Against War - Against Social War
Axel Magnus, Austrian trade unionist: "Austria calls itself
neutral with regard to the war. But politically it is not neu-
tral: the arms shipments are carried through Austria to
Ukraine. Our border is only 300 km away (from Ukraine)."
José Nivoi, docker from Genoa: "It is an honour to be in this
Liaison Committee. In Italy there is a tightening towards a
war economy. They have abolished the minimum income....
There will be a demonstration on October 21 against the
expansion of a NATO military base."
Greeting from a group of activists from Denmark: "We in
Denmark support the initiative to build this Liaison Commit-
tee and we will do everything we can to expand the joint
campaigns against war and against social war."
Vicent Garces, PSOE, former MEP, spokesperson for the
Socialist Left of the Spanish state: "I want to participate in
this exchange. Spain is increasingly driven by the European
Union and NATO to the point of confrontation with China.
The first consequence is the war in Ukraine."
Jérôme Legavre, POI, MF for LFI: "I share the proposals
that have been made to us. The government in France has
announced that 70 billion in budget cuts will be made.... The
fight against war includes the fight against our govern-
ments."
Tom Crilly, Communications Officer for the Peace and
Neutrality Alliance (PANA):
“We would broadly support this Constitution (of the Europe-
an Liaison Committee”, along the line that we do need to
link those important social and economic factors that affect
workers alongside the slogan ‘No to War’ indeed ‘No to Im-
perialism’. (…) For the last two decades U.S. war planes
have refuelled at Shannon airport on their way to their inter-
vention wars in the Middle East, north Africa, and they now
supplying horrific weapons to support their proxy war in
Ukraine…. PANA plans to organise a National Protest at
Shannon Airport…. We work with MEPs Clare Daly and
Mick Wallace, who supply us with information on this milita-
risation… Perhaps we can link (our annual AGM) to the
suggested European Day against social war on Saturday
25th of November that also falls on this date.
The appeal "No to wars – Stop the arms frenzy – Build-
ing a peaceful and fair future" for a nationwide demon-
stration against war on November 25, 2023, in Berlin at
Brandenburg Gate was signed by more than 150 leading
figures and activists, among them: Peter Brandt, histori-
an and son of former Chancellor Willy Brandt; Jürgen
Peters FCs, former First Secretary of Germany's largest
trade union, IG Metall, and dozens of trade union leaders;
Oskar Lafontaine, former president of the SPD, former
vice-president of Die Linke; 10 members of Die Linke in
the Bundestag, including Sahra Wagenknecht, Sevim
Dagdelen, Gregor Gysi, Andrej Hunko; Kathrin Otte, na-
tional coordinator of the grouping "Was tun?!"; Harri
Grünberg, Movement "aufstehen"; Reiner Braun, Interna-
tional Peace Bureau, IPB); Andreas Grünwald; Peter Wahl
and dozens of other leaders of pacifist groups.
The demonstration is called for on the occasion of the
adoption of the rearmament and war budget by the Bun-
V.i.S.d.P.: Gotthard Krupp, Knesebeckstr. 98, 10623 Berlin
Pedro Soares, Left Bloc, Portugal: "We deplore the recent
visit of the President of the Republic of Portugal to Ukraine
and the awarding of the Order of Freedom to the President
of the Ukrainian government, which has brought shame
upon us. We support the call for a European initiative to
mobilise the people as soon as possible in defence of peace".
Kathrin Otte, “Was tun”, Germany: "The next few months
will show whether a new political force under the essential
leadership of Sahra Wagenknecht can reverse the trend: for
a return to peace politics, for a return to the welfare state...
In the meantime, in the growing network "Was tun", many
rather socialist thinkers and thus resolute opponents of war
have meanwhile joined forces, who can no longer see a fu-
ture in the party DIE LINKE (The Left), ...".
Greeting address from Ratibor Trivunac, Anarcho-
syndicalist and anti-militarist activist from Serbia:
“Even if the country I am from is officially taking a neutral
position in this war, it is clear that Serbia is in fact "neutral"
on the side of NATO, and that even that nominal neutrality
status can be changed very soon. This is why I feel that is it
of utmost importance that we are all, coming from different
states and ideological traditions, gathered together in a
democratic network that will be able to present antimilita-
rist response of the people to this inter-imperialist war.
(…)”
Nebojsa Komanovic, labour militant from Serbia: “While
this conference is underway, in the Balkans, a showdown
between Russia and the NATO pact is being prepared over
the backs and blood of Balkan peoples. (…) Events in the
Balkans should be viewed as connected with the war in
Ukraine (by the way Serbia secretly smuggles weapons to
Ukraine) and the events in West Africa, Libya, Nagorno-
Karabakh and elsewhere, there is almost no country that
does not participate in war events in some way. That is why
this Conference is of great importance, to bring together
European anti-war organizations and activists, to exchange
information, experiences, and act together.”
destag: "Reaching 85.5 billion euro, military spending in
2024 will be the highest since the creation of the Federal
Republic. By contrast, our health system, infrastructure,
support to children and affordable rents, education, sci-
ence and training are threatened with dramatic budget
cuts. For a growing number of people, a social and eco-
nomic catastrophe is looming." (from the appeal)
At the meeting on September 30 to constitute the Europe-
an Liaison Committee "Against War - Against Social
War", it was proposed to plan activities, demonstrations,
or assemblies around this date also in other countries
against the national rearmament and war budgets accord-
ing to national possibilities.
The appeal in different languages can be found on the
internet at:
https://gegendenkrieg-gegendensozialenkrieg.info/