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

1.3.2 Relations between Grenoble and Paris

1.3.2.1 A relation of criticized opposition

Certain local committees, reproached the militants isérois for seeking to blame the national and they disapproved their attitude. They were shown to want to seize the power within association by reversing the leaders.

Luc : The first CNCL, one required as of the beginning an inversion of about a day, while saying before starting, it would perhaps be necessary to work in workshops on the function of the CNCL, which it is advisable to do and how one will work, before starting to work. And well not! There are many people who reacted in a very negative way, by saying «What that that this history there! One is wasting our time on discussions which are not worth the cost! », therefore one discussed in a rather random way of a certain number of things and nothing was decided.

F.E : There are local committees which criticized you?

Thomas: Of course! One was made treat gauchists, of caliph but all these they were given to their place quickly. Both, three which carried these criticisms there, I physically saw them with the French National Assembly or the national conference by saying that it was really small like reflection. Me my combat it is elsewhere, I do not have anything with foutre of it to become famous inside Attac.

The charges, ranges against the leaders, also are very badly perceived by certain members of Attac Isere. It acts, above all, of charges emanating members who are implied in the committee. Their criticisms rest more on the form of the opposition on its legitimacy. Moreover, some recognize that these reproaches are « perhaps justified » (Fabien), others agree to saying that they are « legitimate » (Lionel). However, they disapprove the mode of opposition which the members maintain the turnover with the national direction. They see an attempt there to obtain a certain form of recognition. Fabien, which was put at the current conflicts with the national by an internal mail^167(*), fears a drift « bureaucratic » of association where « small chiefs want to take the place of the big boss ». Cecile considers it regrettable that confidence with respect to the national is not more present among members of the A.C. It reproaches them one « systematic opposition » which would consist with « to complain to affirm itself a little ». Lastly, Lionel sees an attempt there to obtain a recognition on behalf of the national direction^168(*).

F.E : There were debates within Attac Isere...

Thomas: There were also criticisms within Attac Isere of people who in did not have enough that the problems are always re-sifted, of the bond with the national while saying «Yes to seek you the recognition of the main road! », whereas one does what one has to do and one mobilizes as one can and one is far from being the least effective.

Fabien : I would not like that Attac gives the impression to me to become too bureaucratic. I do not find but the fact that the section of Isere starts to criticize the national direction. I do not like the organizations which seek car-to be finalized. I.e. the organizations, where at the end of a certain time, the action consists in criticizing the chiefs, to try to take their place, to have debates on problems who interest only the bunch, to lose sight of the fact the initial sight. I believed to understand that the section of Isere had left very in war against the national direction. It east can be very justified, but I am wary of this kind of things, because often in the organizations at the end of one moment there are problems of leadership, there are small chiefs who want to take the place of the big boss and at the end of one moment that turns in round. It is what I call an association which tries to finalize itself. And then it loses sight of the fact this why it was made up. That was a little my fear.

Cecile : In all the organizations which want to be national, even international, one should not be deluded, there is a direction which makes the decisions and everyone cannot take part in the decision-making immediately. There too, confidence must play. As from the moment when you adhere to an organization and that there is a minimum of debates of ideas inside the organization, you can think that overall the standpoint at the national level more or less will resemble hold [...] Afterwards, me I think that there is also a share of parano, because I said that Attac Isere has a side parano, there is a very polemical side [...] Sometimes it there with temptation to complain to complain, to affirm themselves a little [...] Moreover, one discredits oneself by doing that. They is not the intelligent standpoint, it is systematic opposition.

Lionel : I include/understand completely also criticisms which there were against the national bus considering energy that they deploy, I understand that they consider it regrettable that they are not recognized with respect to the movement [...] It is completely legitimate, I think, that they reproached these objections in Paris and then there is the emotional one and it is controlled less. The fact of not being recognized. One is a little in the dialectical difficult one who reproaches his father and who seeks to be recognized. There is a little that.

* ¹⁶⁷ At the time of AG of St Brieuc, a letter intended for the members expressed the positions of the turnover isérois with respect to the national direction. It was concluded by a call to the members  : «  Consequently, we decided to vote against the management report, in order to sanction this democratic deficit and to assemble our will to obtain extraordinary AG to amend. We call all the members who join our analysis to be made in the same way  ». Cf, «  Letter with the members, «  Call for the General meeting of Saint-Brieuc  », 5/10/2000, appendix n° 22, p. 43.

* ¹⁶⁸ One can note that Lionel, which carries on the activity of psychologist, poses the problem in psychoanalytical terms. It would act, according to him, of a need for the militants isérois to obtain a recognition on behalf of «  father  ». («  One is a little in the dialectical difficult one of the son who reproaches his father and who seeks to be recognized  »). In addition, one can bring this analysis closer to the remarks of Luc, according to whom «  In Attac like elsewhere, there are some who do not want to be parricidal and the father it is Cassen in the business!  ».