UN RENOUVEAU DE LA PARTICIPATION ASSOCIATIVE ? L'engagement et le militantisme au sein du comité Attac Isère

1.3.1.2 The refusal of a personalization of the capacity

The concept of democracy and the preference for a collective operating mode are also accompanied, for the militants isérois, of the refusal of a concentration and a too strong personalization of the capacity. It is a representation which common to the whole of is surveyed. Luc explains that as a president, it does not wish to make decisions on a purely personal basis. The function of president is, according to him, « a way of individualizing somebody too much ». He had accepted the vacancy besides with some reserves, « because it was necessary one well of them, and that nobody wanted ». Thomas had chosen not to represent himself because it preferred not to exceed two mandates. This idea is also present in the speech of members who are not militant, such Fabien for example. Its principal fear is that association is the means for some « to be made foam ».

Luc: I am perhaps a little utopian but that occurs relatively well and the decisions are always made collectively, but I do not want only me, as a Luc, to make decisions. I never made very fundamental decisions on a purely personal basis. I prefer to engage the maximum of people in all [...] I never made very fundamental decisions on a purely personal basis. I prefer to engage the maximum of people in all. The president I do not perceive that like something of very important, it is a way of individualizing somebody too much.

Fabien: What often aggravates me in the associative movements, it is when that becomes a little personal businesses, when that becomes goodwill of some people who find a means there of being made foam. Ca aggravates me little.

The militants are very critical on the way in which the leaders control association. They consider that the management of the capacity within the national direction is too exclusive. Julie considers that the leaders have evil with « to preserve the cold head » and it them suspect to want « to keep the capacity ». Moreover, they fear that it « glibness » of Cassen does not allow « to handle the Parliament ». Luc explains that the members who were present at the CNCL did not dare to intervene with the direction. The militants of the committee isérois were all the more reinforced in their convictions, by learning that at the national level some called into question it « authoritarianism » of Bernard Cassen^157(*). Luc and Thomas evoke even the fact that Cassen would exert only the power within the A.C. Thomas speaks about « national directory ».

The militants isérois seem very attached to the problems of « internal democracy ». Jacques Ion observes that this concern can be generalized with the whole of the contemporary groupings. Questioning of the word of the leaders, it « set language », takes part of this evolution. From now on, the word of organization is perceived as being a barrier with the participation and the expression of the members. Its qualities became its defects^158(*). However, as Jacques Ion notes it, « what is blamed it is less the word of a collective of members than that precisely of one « apparatus » which would confiscate the expression of the whole of the members »^159(*). Moreover, one could note that the militants isérois pareillement were pareillement attached to the questioning of the national word that to the collective expression of the members. The legitimacy of the representatives, the common development of the decisions seem to be the priorities of the committee. However what truly within the committee happenhappens ? That it places the militants they grant to « internal democracy » in their practices ?

Julie : On the level of Attac, there are already phenomena of be able, to keep the capacity. One can give them the right to speak but it is difficult on the level of Attac to play its part of citizen because I believe that it is always difficult for people who are with the head of something to preserve the cold head and to give the place to each one, i.e. it is difficult to obtain national a certain number of things [...] I think that they is people who have efforts to make to put in acts the beautiful ideas of participative democracy and to give to the citizens the possibility of having weight.

F.E : And in does these meetings [CNCL] it occur what there?

Thomas: There is not large-thing which occurred. Because all was tied up and the glibness or of Mr. Cassen and Mr Tartakowski, even if I do not owe them badly of respect because they are qualified people, but on top they fished.

Luc [it evokes the unfolding of the CNCL]: And then in more [...] after there are full people who came to find me and who said to me « One agreed with you » but nobody says it! There is a weight of the structure of head on the local committees which makes that people do not dare. And even of people whom I estimate. I could have intervened by saying that they was scandalous but I did not do it. If one intervenes within a very heavy framework, one ends up passing through extremists who want all to break, it is the reaction of step badly of people who say « one does not want to intervene because there is a weight of the Parliament which makes that one does not dare ». The previous evening, one had held a meeting but we were not numerous enough, one was not organized enough to manage to resist this species of collective inertia. A collective inertia which nevertheless is well maintained by the brains trust. They can handle the Parliament. Because people do not dare to intervene, because they are afraid to be made return inside by François Cassen. It is especially Tartakoswki. And it very is always well done

Thomas: The twelve founder members will never come to the meetings, because the founder members almost never come to the meetings and it is all alone Cassen, and all alone Tartakowsky in Paris...

Lionel : The day before [of AG of Saint-Brieuc] 4 or 5 committees whose Isere had met and a member of the office came to see to agree. Moreover this same member of the office had come for the time being Bleue and had said while discussing that the authoritarianism of François Cassen had been called into question by some in association. I was very surprised to see that the questions which arose in Attac Isere had a guarantor equivalent in Paris.

* ¹⁵⁷ A debate took place at the time of the turnover of the 18/03/2000, during which an active member put on the agenda the problems of «  internal democracy  » within Attac. The report of the turnover notes  : «  It [the active member] notes the feeling which it invests its time with loss in its participation in the A.C. It melts this feeling on its astonishment renewed not not to be better associated the last actions (meeting of the European committees, that of the cultural actors, participation in the congress of the political parties and hopes - living Vaucluse - to be at least requested for the preparation of the action to the Festival of Avignon...). It raises the question of the role of the new elected officials with the turnover with the goal to optimize the organization for a pooling of the ideas and know-how and to prevent that a small number assumes capacity  ». Cf, Attac France, «  Report of the turnover of the 18/03/2000  ».

* ¹⁵⁸ Jacques Ion enumerates three qualities which were previously allotted to the set language  : «  Initially, unicity  : the set language is one, and does not tolerate any divergent speech; it supposes a linked body, in a logic of combat where the least discordance could give taken to the adversary. Then, opacity  : what is expressed with the collective can be the product of internal discussions, but nothing of this development must show through; to some extent, the decision escapes these individual enonciator to acquire, with the image of the law, a quasi-timeless statute [...] From where its third quality  : if not fixity, at least relative permanence. As many characteristics now décriées  : refusal of the individual expressions, not-transparency, inadequacy with reality, such are the reproaches most usually formulated  ». Ion (Jacques), end of the militants, op.cit, p. 70.

* ¹⁵⁹ Ibid, p. 70.