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

2.1.3 A disputed freedom

The associative mode seems equipped with the glance with the militants of a whole of virtues. However, the perception of the associative mode homogeneous at is not surveyed. For some, it represents a sign of democracy compared to political parties and trade unions. On the other hand, certain people interviewed affirm that the associative form is a too exiguous framework which restricts the participation of the members. For example, Lionel considers that the associative form was not necessary to the local level because it is already present at the national level. This is why Lionel militates within the committee only since October 1999, whereas it adhered to national association in July 1998. It sought a regrouping whose operation is more « abstract » and whose development can be more « spontaneous » and « unforeseeable » that an association. It thought of militating in the Savoy committee which did not constitute itself in association. Not having been able to adhere to it (for professional reasons), it joined the committee isérois « on the point of the feet » almost a year after its creation. Lionel hesitated much since Attac Isere is an association law 1901. The associative form represents for him an organization of group « ground » and which imposes on its participants, one « tally » and one « yoke ». Since, its Lionel adhesion refused to take part in the sets of themes groups of reflection which exist in the committee. It also did not wish to integrate the Board of directors, in spite of the fact that it appear among the most former militants of the committee.

Lionel : I adhered very quickly to Attac, in the month which followed its creation on the national level. I started to go to see in Savoy how that occurs, because I have a work over there [...] I knew that in Grenoble created for itself an Attac association and I was not there immediately because of the framework even of association with elected officials, an office, chair. I am relatively careful. In Savoy, there had been discussions to which I had assisted and they wondered whether it were necessary to create an association or a committee and they have in makes lean rather for a type of operation of committee, i.e. which is not an organization with a framework of official operation. Association it is already an organization which is largely thought and ground, an organization of group. That imposes a framework with all that that implies, i.e. a yoke. I more thought of registering me in something of more spontaneous, in a more unforeseeable creation in the organization. Because one is in something which is to be created and to institute. One was several to think that the associative framework was not necessary because it is already established on the national level. This official representation it currently exists but what one could live on a small scale could be different [...] I joined them more than six months after creation. It was the associative form which slowed down me a little, and then, I came on the point from the feet. I came for a demonstration organized by Attac in October 1999, practically a year after the formation of Attac Isere. I wanted nevertheless to try to join or meet people who adhered to Attac and which a priori shared common ideas with me.

The critics who are formulated concerning the operation of Attac seem to go against the associative model. Association, as Stanislas Varennes notes it, represents an operating mode « flexible » which facilitates the participation of the members. Contrary to the centralism of the strongly hierarchical structures, association is characterized by a horizontal model where the capacity is diffuse. However, there are, according to inquired, within the national structure of Attac, a strong concentration of the capacity. One « directory national " would exert, according to Thomas, a unilateral control on the operation of association. We are thus far from operation « flexible » and « opened » that certain members evoked. The same reproaches were formulated against the procedure of the committee isérois. The decision-makings would be carried out only within the turnover and would leave with the variation the majority members. The associative structure suitable, according to some is not surveyed, for a local committee because it supposes a too rigid operation. Several inquired consider that there is a too important formalism within the isérois group. Cecile insists on several occasions on the difficulties which it encountered in her militancy. She adhered with an aim of setting up a specific group for the campus but which is related to the committee isérois. She ran up, explains T she, with several obstacles in the operation of the group. For example, Cécile had the idea, in February 2001, to publish a newspaper suitable for the campus group which is entitled Trat' Attac. The turnover, which was very being wary, wished to have a right of glance on the articles which were published. After the publication of the first newspaper, which had not been subjected to the approval of the turnover, the militants of the campus were very criticized. It was then decided that any document should be presented to the A.C. Cecile considers it regrettable that the turnover wishes to control the totality of the committee. It results from it, according to it, a lack of confidence which constitutes a barrier to the engagement of the members. It explains why it all the more encountered difficulties, that it laid out of a preceding associative experiment within Ras the Face, where it had taken part in the launching of a newspaper high-school pupil. The direction did not exert any control on the publication. Cecile notes that operation within Attac Isere is not also flexible.

Cecile: Yes, yes it was at the beginning of year, one was said: «that will make a regular activity, on the campus; one will make a newspaper» [...] When the first newspaper was left, it is me, which called them in their saying: «Here one leaves our first newspaper» but one did not show them. It is true that that was super hard, because me, à ce moment-là I could not go with the turnover, it was a buddy who had gone with the turnover for saying that a newspaper had been made. It had been made set fire to by the members of the turnover but then in a really serious way. It had left there super shocked compared to what had occurred.

Had F.E. They read the newspaper? It was according to the contents?

Cecile: Not! It was not even according to the contents; it was according to the step. One had not passed by the A.C. And they are very afraid of all that is recovery, all that is bursting within Attac which would make that one could not have control on all that is done within the groups. They said: «Any document must pass by the turnover before being published».

Cecile : At the beginning, as I said it to you, it was difficult and in particular that was difficult because one made subjects without the agreement of the turnover, because us, in our head, one had associative experience and one had also a colleges group, one made similar, one drew 12 000 leaflets per month and it was ever read by a member of the office. There was no checking, there was a confidence between the groups. It y forever have problems. As it was a college group, one was forty at the best time [laughter], therefore, as there was world, one considered that it was the fruit of a collective work and that there did not need to pass by again behind to see whether it were in agreement with the ideas of the group. While in Attac, it did not trust us this there.

The formalism of the committee isérois leads, according to Cécile, with « blockings » in the operation of association. First of all the meetings would be anchored in a too rigid form^187(*). For example, Cécile explains that recently the turnover, in which it takes part, tackled a material question relating to the purchase of a cupboard. The discussion overflowed on the casch management and lasted a little less than one hour. Each thing being subjected to the agreement of the members of the turnover, the material concerns occupy a central place in the debates. Moreover, blockings also occur during the mobilizations. For example, precise Cécile, with irony, that at the time of the manifestation of May 1, 2001, the campus group was « elected » by the turnover in order to carry out a streamer. Blockings also occurred when actions were carried out with organizations whose operation is more flexible. It was the case in particular at the time of the Festival of Anti-Kapitaliste Resistance (FRAKA) which take place on the campus. The FRAKA is an association made up of forty students and which have an operation very flexible and not very arranged hierarchically (not of turnover, decisions taken with the consensus). Attac took part in the festival which proceeded in April 2000. However, the members of the FRAKA had cancelled an intervention without informing the committee of it. The members of the turnover were opposed by it. Moreover, the militants isérois had invited Jose Bove on the campus during the course of the festival. The militants of the FRAKA had announced the event in their plate without to have taken part in the organization. That was very badly accepted by the local committee which decided not to take part more in the festival. However, in 2001, Cécile, who attends the members of the FRAKA, wished to take part in it. For that, it decided to adopt a very formal step at the turnover which was constrained to accept the participation of the campus group.

Cecile : And then there are blockings. For example with the last meeting one discussed during three fifteen minutes if one needed a cupboard for Attac Isere to arrange the documents in the FSU room. At the beginning one did not need pieces of furniture spoiled compared to its furniture, one includes/understands them, therefore they were inevitably to buy a cupboard which went with their pieces of furniture. This cupboard was to cost 2400 F. That involved us to have a wide-ranging debate on the treasury and as the trésorière had difficulties.

Cecile : And this year, one held a table of Attac campus, because the relation of between the FRAKA and Attac Isere was a little complicated. In fact, it is because Attac Isere did not appreciate the way in which the FRAKA solicited. Already last year, a person of Attac Isere was to make an intervention for the FRAKA; however the FRAKA had found someone else and they had not prevented. She had begun her work. It is what explains the bad current relations, because Attac it is really a very regulated organization, one cannot do anything, nor to cancel anyhow, it is necessary to pass by the turnover before doing something. Blow, the operating mode of the two organizations was not easily compatible. Eh yes! What had occurred was in connection with Jose Bove. The FRAKA had required of Jose Bove to come on the campus, but they had not obtained an answer and they learned in addition, that the collective had invited Jose Bove. As they were opposed, they had put the arrival of Jose Bove in their plate, to announce the organization. However, as they were not yet Co-organizers, Attac had been irritated by saying that that was scandalous that they write it in their plate. It is really of small quarrels [...] Therefore, which occurs, maintaining it is that one has well measuring rod the trick, and one annoys them with formal subjects supers, the time where I went there, it was to say to them that one wanted to deal with the table with FRAKA. I asked for Cristina the president of the FRAKA to write to a letter, signed the president of the FRAKA to me: «We invite you to come... etc». I presented the letter to them and that annoyed them, because finally, they are on principles, but in reality they apply formal principles supers.

The procedure of the committee isérois and national association seem to go contrary to the values that incarnates the associative mode of organization. Operating mode of the organizations, whatever they are, which developed in France since IIIe République, was characterized, according to Jacques Ion, by an important legal formalism.  « extremely meticulous attachment with the payments » and it « fetishism of the statutes » testify to « constant concern to work out a common will anonymously »^188(*). This formalism would tend, according to him, to disappear. And « when well even the legal rules continue to be essential, it is on another register [...] they are respected only by obligation »^189(*). This report probably does not apply to the operation of Attac association. On the contrary, the militants attach much importance to the rules which govern the course of the meetings and the mobilizations. The place which is granted to the statutes, as we saw previously, also goes contrary to this abandonment of the juridism. The committee Attac Isere thus seems to go against the evolutions which currently the organizations know.

This observation must be moderated by a remark. The statutes of the committee impose that a third of the members is present during the unfolding of the General meeting. However, at the time of AG of February 24, 2001 during which the turnover was elected, this quorum was not joined together. Thus, while the committee comprises more than 800 members, only 165 members were present^190(*). The attachment of the militants towards the statutes is thus more prégnant in their speech that in their effective practices^191(*).

The engagement of the militants seems moved by a whole of values which are incarnated by the associative form. As Martine Bathélémy notices it, within the militant representations, the substrate of association is freedom. Contrary, the organizations partisanes are perceived like rigid executives hammering the individual initiative. The associative engagement, which is compartmental, seems a loophole with the speeches globalisants held by « apparatuses ». It is what explains, according to Patrick Lecomte, who « engagement preferably goes worms of associations to goals specialized rather than worms of the political organizations which claim to govern the whole of the company »^192(*). However Attac supports claims on many fields. How to explain that the field of the claims either so broad without it being perceived for as much like constraining ? The speech held by Attac could then be connected with that of a political party. Which limits, the militants pose with the standpoint of association ?

* ¹⁸⁷ The course of the public meetings is carried out within the committee according to a strictly lawful process. An agenda was previously established by the A.C. the speeches take place in turn and it is interdict to cut the word to the speaker in progress. Moreover, in order to respect a time planning, each intervention is delimited in time.

* ¹⁸⁸ Ion (Jacques), op.cit, p. 68.

* ¹⁸⁹ Ibid, p. 69.

* ¹⁹⁰ Cf, Attac Isere, «  Report of the General meeting of Attac Isere-38  », Grenoble, 24/02/2001.

* ¹⁹¹ Perhaps it is possible to explain this paradox, as we already did previously, by the fact that the militants isérois wish the recognition of the committee in the national statutes. The step with respect to the national (the respect of the statutes) implies that the militants adopt the same position within the committee isérois. However, it would be more about a formal attachment of a real conviction.

* ¹⁹² Cf, Refusal (Bernard), Lecomte (Patrick), Sociology of the policy, 1990, p. 159.