On August 22, Egon Krenz, Former Party and State Leader of the GDR, Visited the Academy of Marxism for Academic Exchange
On August 22, 2019, a delegation led by Egon Krenz—the final General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), Chairman of the Council of State, and Chairman of the National Defense Council of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR)—visited the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) for academic exchange with experts and scholars. Egon Krenz shared his views on topics such as the historical truth behind the "fall" of the Berlin Wall and the status and influence of socialism with Chinese characteristics within the world socialist movement.
I. The Historical Truth Behind the "Fall" of the Berlin Wall
Thirty years ago in 1989, the East German crisis erupted and the Berlin Wall came "crashing down." Descriptions and reports regarding this final chapter of the Wall's historical fate have long been saturated with heavy ideological overtones; Western media has wantonly distorted the truth, leaving the facts obscured.
Egon Krenz argues that the construction of the Berlin Wall was a product of the long-term confrontation between the socialist and capitalist camps. In the late 1950s, as the confrontation between the NATO and Warsaw Pact blocs persisted, West Germany employed various economic and political means to suppress the GDR. For the GDR, an open border increasingly became a burden. Facing a crisis of national survival, the GDR was forced to decide to build the Berlin Wall in 1961, twelve years after the state's founding. The establishment of the Wall was not a unilateral decision by the GDR or the Soviet Union, but a product of the long-term conflict and confrontation between the Warsaw Pact and NATO. Furthermore, the border of the Berlin Wall was not limited to East and West Berlin; the border actually extended from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea—it was the border between two Germanys and two camps.
Krenz pointed out that the Berlin Wall was not, as Western media propaganda suggests, rushed by a crowd and toppled with pickaxes and other tools; this is a historical lie. The opening of the Berlin Wall's border was a decision taken proactively by the GDR government, but a slip of the tongue that occurred at the time caused the situation to deteriorate. On November 9, 1989, the Plenum of the Central Committee of the SED passed a resolution stipulating that residents of the GDR could travel freely to West Germany, provided they applied for an exit permit and departed only after approval; the regulation was to take effect on November 10. However, at a press conference that afternoon, Günter Schabowski—a member of the Politburo responsible for external propaganda (who had not attended the Plenum on November 9)—erroneously stated in response to a journalist's question that the regulation would take effect immediately. Consequently, the masses rushed toward the Wall. At that moment, the state had not yet issued specific orders or related implementation measures, causing the situation to develop in an uncontrollable direction. Western media broadcast the opening of the border live, claiming thousands were surging toward the boundary and toppling the Wall; this was actually ideological propaganda that did not accord with the facts. The GDR government had not issued orders to open the Wall at all; the border guards had received orders not to fire under any circumstances during incidents at the border. At the time, the GDR's room for maneuver was extremely limited: it was a choice between "opening fire or opening the Wall." The Politburo met several times to deliberate but remained at a loss. The uniqueness of the GDR lay in the presence of four occupying powers—the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union—on its territory; any wrong decision could have led to a military conflict between these nations. Objectively, the peaceful opening of the border promoted a peaceful resolution to the situation.
Krenz believes that if the historical process of 1989–1991 is said to mean the end of the Cold War, then this is a lie. During the drastic changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe [1], then-US President George H.W. Bush said that America was the victor of the Cold War. In this sense, Bush merely relegated the Soviet Union to the status of a loser; it was not any kind of "end" to the Cold War. Far from ending, the Cold War has intensified. For example, everything currently happening in Hong Kong [2] is not a "revolution" but a continuation of the Cold War—a continuation of the imperialist war against socialism.
II. Socialism with Chinese Characteristics is the Hope for the Resurgence of the World Socialist Movement
Krenz argues that the "fall" of the Berlin Wall and the demise of the GDR did not signify the end of European socialism, but rather a temporary defeat for the European socialist movement. Socialism was not buried in Germany in 1989 or the Soviet Union in 1991; what is happening in China today witnesses the vitality and lifeforce of socialism in practice, powerfully refuting assertions that "Marxism is dead" or that "capitalism has achieved permanent victory."
Krenz highly praised China’s efforts and contributions toward promoting world peace and development and solving global issues. He believes that the "community with a shared future for humanity" initiative proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping is of great significance for maintaining world peace, and that the "Belt and Road" initiative is a new mechanism for international cooperation that can replace the neoliberal model of globalization.
Meanwhile, Krenz noted that Western media coverage of China is full of prejudice, contradictions, and even lies. On one hand, they express shock at the world-renowned achievements China has made; on the other, they wantonly slander China on issues of democracy and human rights. For instance, German media coverage of the situation in Hong Kong has been one-sided in condemning police violence. Generally speaking, information about China in the German media is far from consistent with China's current reality; it contains many lies, frequently takes things out of context, and fails to seek truth from facts. The West always focuses on China's negative aspects in an attempt to fundamentally demonize the country. China should attach full importance to the influence of the media on the opinions and views of ordinary people and maintain a clear understanding of the grave situation in the struggle within the ideological sphere.
III. The Current State of the German Socialist Movement
Discussing the current state of the German socialist movement, Krenz pointed out that in Germany and throughout Europe, the socialist movement remains in a stage of low-level stagnation. Furthermore, the German socialist movement lacks a unified line and policy, making it unable to unite its forces to increase its influence.
Currently, the most influential left-wing party in Germany is The Left (Die Linke). However, Krenz believes that this party’s revision of socialist content in its platform has caused it to lose its identity as a communist party, evolving instead into a democratic socialist party. Within The Left, there exists a "Communist Platform" (Kommunistische Plattform) consisting of approximately 500 people. This organization is based on Marxist-Leninist thought and represents the progressive stance of traditional members of the SED. The organization holds that despite the GDR's many shortcomings and past wrong decisions, the GDR should have been preserved and the construction of a socialist Germany should have continued. Although this organization is a minority within The Left, its propositions receive approval and support from many within the party. The organization's current ideological focus is on maintaining peace, opposing sanctions against Russia, opposing NATO's eastward expansion, and opposing the rise of neo-Nazi forces.
Krenz explained that in current German society, many people have realized the flaws of the capitalist system and recognize that capitalist parliamentary democracy is merely an umbrella protecting the interests of the big monopoly capitalists. Meanwhile, socialism with Chinese characteristics, as a development model completely different from the capitalist system, has already demonstrated institutional efficiency in solving numerous problems.
(Drafted by Kang Yanru)