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

2.2.2 The widening of the claims

2.2.2.1 Tobin tax with the boycott of Danone

To subject to tax the transactions which are carried out on the foreign exchange market can seem reducing, but it acts above all, by the means of this idea, to find a control of the transactions on which the States lost straight of glance^211(*). « It constitutes an embryo of control on the speculation, even if the only foreign exchange market is concerned, because this one is with the crossroads of all the international financial transactions, on all the kinds of credits, including the investments in the long run abroad. Giving again margins of autonomy to the national economic policies [...] it would consolidate interior measurements of tax on the financial incomes as well as the public monitoring of the external investments «^212(*). The Tobin tax exceeds the only tax on the foreign exchange markets and serves as « precondition to a recasting of the international financial system »^213(*). It is thus the whole of the financial transactions which are concerned with Attac^214(*). Moreover in its leading article, Ramonet proposed a movement which would be called « Action for a Tax Tobin d' Aide with the Citizens » and two T central still returned to the Tobin Tax in spring 1998, at the first meetings. It is before the deposit of the statutes that it was determined to change the initials of significance in order to widen and the claim sphere of activity of association^215(*). It was consequently either only of the Tobin tax but about the whole of the financial transactions^216(*).

This first widening first of all made it possible to propose the fact that the Tobin tax is only one measurement among others and that Attac is not solely intended to defend this tax. Then that made it possible to approach a whole whole of topics which while being rather different are closely related to that of the tax. Thus in the charter and the international platform^217(*), the signatories decided to defend five claims.

Two first, «to block the speculation » and «to tax the incomes of the capital », pass by the tax on the financial transactions. The sanction of the tax havens is very dependant, in the reflections which association publishes, with the Tobin tax. Indeed, the fact of taxing the financial transactions is likely to involve an escape from these flows towards the places where they are not taxed, in particular towards the tax havens which are not prone to any imposition^218(*). The fight against the funds of pension which feed the speculation is also one of the objectives because those represent for Attac, «the principal actors and recipients of this deregulation and this financial liberalization »^219(*) and «the hegemonic forces of mondialized finance constitute »^220(*). The cancellation of the debt of the poor countries is explained, have regard to the objectives of the movement, by the fact why the titles of the national debt are exchanged on the bond markets public and thus constitute an additional means of speculation. Thus, «to attack the bases of the power of finance supposes the dismantling of these mechanisms and thus the cancellation of the national debt [...] »^221(*).

The claims defended by Attac^222(*) widened little by little and they exceeded considerably the framework of the fight against the financial markets. At the time of the negotiations of the World Organization of Trade (OMC) which took place in Seattle in December 1999, Attac invited to express at the meetings of the international organizations of finance and trade, in particular through the refusal of the Multilateral agreement on the Investments (FRIEND) and of the General Agreement on the Trade and Services (AGCS) suggested by OMC. Moreover, the scientific Council of Attac published a document claiming the édiction of a «right on the alive one as a common good of the humanity» which implies the installation of a moratorium on the genetically modified organizations, the redeployment of research towards a «durable, autonomous and country» agriculture^223(*). At the time of the shipwreck in December 2000 of a tanker chartered by the TotalFinaElf multinational, Erika, on the French coasts, the national office published a declaration claiming near the government and of the French Parliament «the financial responsibility unlimited for the oil companies, the introduction of the «personal penal responsibility for the chairmen for the ecological crimes committed by their companies » and finally removal of the flags of convenience^224(*). Attac also discussed questions of education by denouncing the presence of a bank (CIC) in several colleges and colleges of France in order to make take part the pupils in a contest based on a play of fictitious speculation. In a letter at the local committees, the office estimates that it is about a «ideological endoctrination of the young people » and of an attempt so «infiltrating the consciences. This use of the public utility of National Education also calls into question « the republican principle of secularity » »^225(*). Lastly, association also discussed problems involved in work and the company. For example, at the time of the negotiations between trade unions, the national direction was opposed to the project of AVOIDS (Plane of assistance to the return to employment).^226(*) Moreover, at the time of the advertisement of a plan of dismissal by Danone, whereas the group released a benefit of 4,7 billion francs for the year 2000, the seat of association gave an opinion against the dismissals of stock exchange suitability and called with the boycott of the Danone products^227(*).

Parallel to these claims which have a national width (by the fact that they are launched on the initiative of the office) the local committees discuss very diverse topics^228(*). For example, the committee Attac Strasbourg formed a commission entitled « Publicity, Image, Capacity contemporary forms of the voluntary constraint » which, through the analysis of the advertizing speech, aims at highlighting that publicity «operates a certain number of mechanisms which are processes manipulators [and which it] produced and promotes a certain number of values»^229(*), whereas the national office taken forever position on the subject of publicity. The local group Attac Isere also discussed certain topics on a purely personal basis « », i.e. as a local committee. For example, a ' think tank ' on the women east is created recently^230(*), and this «reflection » was accompanied by a participation of Attac Isere in the walk of the women which took place on Grenoble on May 8, 2001. At the time of against Summit of Nice, at the time of the European top of December the 6,7, and 8 2000, the national office did not invite to express during the surrounding of the Palate of the congresses, but certain local committees whose Attac Isere took part in it. They claimed the maintenance of article 133 of the Treaty of Amsterdam, a democratization of the decision-making process which increases the responsibility of the Commission. They also marked their opposition to the General Agreement on the Trade of the Services (AGCS) and to Millénium Round carried out by OMC with the support of the European Commission. Lastly, they asked the ministers at this meeting in Nice to express a position which is favorable to the cancellation of the debt of the Countries of the South of the World and the European East, with the introduction of a Tobin tax and the elimination of « tax havens ».

* ²¹¹ One can note besides that the direction which the founders of Attac give to the Tobin tax is hardly different but that which Tobin itself granted to him, namely to return to the States a share of their autonomy and their margin of action.

* ²¹² Cf, Attac France, «  Why the Tobin tax  » in All on Attac, op.cit, p. 72.

* ²¹³ Ibid, p. 66.

* ²¹⁴ The financial transactions comprise three dimensions  : monetary transactions, obligations and actions.

* ²¹⁵ «  Very quickly, we became aware that this objective, if important that it is, remained restrictive, because the imposition of the speculative operations [...] is by no means only possible measurement to somewhat control the devastations of the capital in madness.  » Cassen, (Bernard), To include/understand and act with Attac, op.cit.

* ²¹⁶ Inquired seem to attach rather little importance to this widening. Seule Julie which adhered to the beginning of association evoked. It is, in addition, one of the persons in charge for the group «  economy  » what explains can be its attachment with this idea

Julie  :  «  Moreover the name of Attac, it is the tax on the financial transactions and it is much broader than the Tobin tax. The Tobin tax plays on the money markets and on the change of currency, the tax on the financial transactions it is that, but they is also the actions, the funds of pension, i.e. these financial flows which do not obey any law [...] There was much discussion at the beginning, the proposal of Ramonet it was a taxation centered on the Tobin tax but during its creation there was a reflection at the national level between the founder members and one decided a tax on the financial transactions. And it was already much broader than the tax Tobin, it was a questioning of the way in which circulates free money of way and without control.  »

* ²¹⁷ Cf, Attac France, «Platform of the international movement «  Attac  »  », 11-12/12/1998.

* ²¹⁸ «  Some think that the Tobin tax would be ineffective, because the financial operators could circumvent it. But it is the characteristic of all the taxes to be confronted with tax avoidance [...] The implementation of this tax requires that one attack the tax havens.  ». The Council scientic of Attac France, «  Why the Tobin tax  », in All on Attac, op.cit, p. 71.

* ²¹⁹ Chesnais (François), op.cit, p. 43.

* ²²⁰ Ibid, p. 45.

* ²²¹ Ibid, p. 12.

* ²²² One can note that they are there only the claims supported by the head office of Attac. It will be a question of the claims specific to the local committees thereafter.

* ²²³ The scientific Council, «To prevent the hold up the transnational ones on the alive one  », 06/1999. In All on Attac, op.cit, p. 96.

* ²²⁴ Declaration of the office of Attac, «To sanction the ecological serious crime and to found the personal penal responsibility for the chairmen  », 4/01/2000, in All on Attac, op.cit, p. 53.

* ²²⁵ Letter of the office to the organizers of the local committees, «Against the stock exchange speculation at the school  », 8/03/00, in All on Attac, op.cit, p. 62.

* ²²⁶ «  The national office of Attac decided to join the call of the four organizations of unemployeds- AC! , APEIS, CGT unemployeds and MNCP counter the Plan of assistance to the return to the employment (AVOIDS) signed by the Movement of the companies of France (Medef) and two trade-union confederations minority, and it asks the government to refuse to endorse such a project  ». Attac France, Official statement, Paris, 03/07/2000. The office signed the petition against the project AVOIDS proposed by movements of unemployeds.

* ²²⁷ «  Attac can only denounce the attitude of Danone, multinational French in full health, which destroys the life of those which took part in the profits records announced in 2000 [...] Attac decided to join the call to the boycott Danone products launched by the employees of the companies of Calais and at Laugh-Orangis and incites all its committees and groups local and adherent to mobilize and sensitize our fellow-citizens on the spot of sale  ». Attac France, Official statement, Paris, 04/01/2001. http://www.attac.org.html

* ²²⁸ It is important to recall that the local committees are autonomous and they are free to give an any opinion provided that that Ci respects the charter of association.

* ²²⁹ The commission Publicity, Image, Capacity, Internet site local committee Attac Strasbourg, connected the 13/06/2001. http://www.local.attac.org/strasbourg/commissions/comp1p.html http://www.local.attac.org/strasbourg/commissions/comp1p.html

* ²³⁰ One can note that it did not start yet to function truly and that no meeting took place for lack of a sufficient assumption of responsibility.