European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes columns Flora Lewis Europe s lost stalinist holds Sway m France Ning even Hough poll its sympathizers 49 p Marchais ousted 55 not All european stalinist Heads have rolled. As a French commentator said. Georges Marchais advantage is that he is not in Power so he can t be brought Down by hundreds of thousands demonstrating in the streets. The French communist Leader Gener Al Secretary since 1972. Will be 70 in june. He is fighting off. Apparently successfully another in a Long series of at tempts within the party to topple him and launch Reform. His plan insiders say. Is to have himself elected party president and install a Loyal Henchman in his place to perpetuate his Rule. It s probably As Well for France. Mar Chais has presided Over a decline of the French communists vote by Well Over half from a powerful Force that once blocked policy to a marginal role on the National scene about 8 percent. Reform ers argue probably correctly that that share will keep falling almost to the Van Ishing Point if they Don t get rid of him and freshen up. Events in Eastern Europe and the so Viet Union Are affecting the French communists but they still hold some crucial Strong Points. They dominate the major labor federation the Cut and David Binder run the floor in a lot of factories. They have a shrinking but substantial string of local governments not just in the suburban Paris red Belt which control patronage. And they have flourishing enter Prises and a big publishing House. As the late ave Roll Harriman wrote when he was recollecting his role a Yalta there was Good reason in the Early postwar period to fear that France and Italy would fall under communist Rule. That he believed was Stalin s reason for not demanding the partition of Germany at Yalta and accepting joint four Power control with the United states. Britai nand France. Moscow changed its stand later but at the time Stalin hoped to get it All. The French party has always been firmly Moscow bound. A socialist prime minister once said of French communists that they were not to the left but to the  now Marchais pays lip service to perestroika. In the 1970s, the French flirted briefly with eur communism alongside Italy s communists who were trying to Dis Tance themselves from Moscow. But they snapped Back proclaimed Brezhnev s heritage and now Eastern Europe s experience before the fall As on balance Overall  even the Brand new sex communists of the East see their French comrades As an anachronism. Marchais is a glib almost Clown ish old apparatchiks who rules with a table thumping fist and performs so outrageously on to that he s considered prime entertainment by Many of the French bourgeoisie. Since he can t rely on the armies and secret police forces that kept easterners in Power his survival As Vest pocket totalitarian is some thing of an achievement. He has done it with astute Leninist command tactics patronage an Appeal to nostalgic bonding for the cause and discipline. The Moscow correspondent of l humanity the French communist party s daily paper recently wrote a Cri Tique from the Point of View of Gorba Chivian reformism. L humanity refused to print it so the correspondent sent the article to be Monde where it appeared a grave breach of fealty. L humanity now has a second More circumspect correspondent in Moscow. With or without Reform the French communist party is bound to keep weakening though polls show that Amon percent Don t want Marchais s3 percent feel close to him and 38 percent Don t think recent events in Eastern Europe amount to a condemnation of communism. But the financial support the party has always received from the East is diminishing and there have been some mini revolts of communist officeholders who would rather keep their jobs than their party s approval. A considerable part of the electorate lost by the communists in tact has gone to the far right National front party of Jean Marie la pen. This May be a sign that extremists prefer some kind of extreme and that the protest vote is determined to protest. Still there is a Core of the faithful and the True believers. They fear blurring the identity line that separates them from socialists if they Mellow their orthodoxy. They chose communism for the idealism of its rhetoric their revulsion at capitalist injustice and their yearning for absolute conviction. There will always be some who succumb to these attractions of a Dogma whatever it s called.  thin line separates romanian leaders anarchy Bucharest Romania there was a moment Friday night when it appeared that an angry mob of several thousand was dictating policy in the capital to the frightened provisional leadership of this country. At the same time army generals were taking command in the cities of Timisoara and Lasi. These events unforeseen by the Council of National salvation which had been in Power for Only three weeks gave the impression that having toppled a communist dictatorship. Romania was now teetering to Ward anarchy. On Friday three leading members of the Council s executive Board had taken it upon themselves to face a crowd gathered at the very doors of their Headquarters in the foreign ministry on Victory Square. It had begun As a somber ceremony in memory of the thousands of romanians who died in the popular insurrection that overthrew the leadership of Nicolae Caus Csc last month. It corrupt cd into a mob scene by a surging horde fired up by vengeful slogans and by suddenly plentiful bottles of Brandy. Within a Short time the crowd was demanding the ouster of Premier pct re roman and of Ion Iliescu the president of the ruling Council. These two men were practically drowned 9ut when they tried to speak. Only Dumitru Mazilu vice presi Dent of the Council seemed to please the mob and he urged them on in their shouts of death to former communists. After a Brief consultation the three agreed to toss some scraps of political meat to the mob a decree outlawing the already defunct communist party and the announcement of a referendum on reintroducing the death penalty. This seemed to meet the mob s de Mand to legalize the killing of cd communists. Aurel Dragos Munteanu who functions As a spokes Man for the National salvation front the 150-member group from which members of the governing Council of National salvation Are drawn declared at a news conference monday thai the Hasty decisions of three nights ago were a mistake acknowledged As such by everyone including Iliescu. Munteanu who otherwise works As director of romanian radio and television said the three Council leaders were not entitled to adopt decisive measures such As decreeing the outlawing of the communists. That was Why he said the entire 11-member executive Board had voted on saturday morning to place the Issue of the party ban before the nation along with the death penalty in a referendum on Jan. 28. Munteanu added that he personally opposed a deat Penally and a party ban. We Don t have to Start by Banning any party except fascists he said. He went on to deny that the Assumption of command in Timisoara by Gen. Goco Rhc Popescu replacing Lorin Fortuna a civilian was not an indication that the army was Tak ing charge in Romania. There is no military takeover in this country he said. The army is not governing a single Village in this  if Popescu stayed on As governor in the Timisoara Region or if other army officers were chosen to run government operations As in the City of Lasi then they have to leave the  despite Munteanu s assurances on monday and the efforts of Iliescu roman and Mazilu on saturday to present a semblance of Unity in a joint television appearance it is Clear that the provisional government of Romania does not speak with one voice. Meanwhile it was reported that Munteanu was Pur porting to speak for the Council on monday morning in a conference room at the inter Continental hotel. On the one hand you have a Lack of experience it has been remarked about the new leadership. On the other hand the legacy of Ceausescu is indeed a Monu mental disaster. Thirdly you have people who never knew democracy either theoretically or practically. This generated very serious anarchic tendencies As became evident  since Friday an arc of soldiers has been posted in front of the foreign ministry around the clock to prevent such demonstrations in the future. A semblance of order in romanian affairs is provided weekly by the visits of foreign officials and politicians including foreign minister Hans Dietrich Genscher of West Germany and . Rep. Chester g. Atkins a mass. Still the Prospect in the next weeks and perhaps months for political life in Romania would appear to be a measure of chaos As the new leaders try to Cope with a ruined Economy criminal trials of Caus Csc aides and the preparation for free elections currently scheduled for late april. But the alternative would be even bleaker. As it has been remarked if we withdrew there would be a terrible mess probably a Slaughter. As we noticed Fri Day the feeling of revenge is very  disk Binder new York time correspondent. Warts frequently on East in Europe