Europe

Europe

• Jess fails to impress: so what’s next for Labour’s right? – weekly briefing

  

  Lindsey German on post-Corbynism and the realities of Brexit  

• The big question: can Trump keep his mouth shut for another 24 hours? – election briefing 4 December

  

  Lindsey German on the blunderbuss waiting to happen and national security

• Huge numbers join Catalonia's general strike for freedom

  

  Hundreds of thousands marched in Barcelona and around the territory today in defence of democracy and their right to independence, reports Chris Bambery

• A Socialist Defector: From Harvard to Karl-Marx-Allee - book review

  

  An American socialist’s memoir of his life in East Germany overturns many standard assumptions about the contrasts of West and East, finds Dominic Alexander

• Stalingrad - book review

  

  Vasily Grossman’s novel Stalingrad offers vivid insight into the heroic fight of Russian people at the decisive turning point of World War II, finds Lindsey German

• What’s been going on in the Supreme Court?

  

  Dragan Plavšić looks at what lies behind the arguments

• Border chaos: why Priti Patel's plans can be stopped

  

  Boris Johnson and Priti Patel want to create a new hostile environment, but they can be stopped, argues Eleftheria Kousta

• The refugee crisis: the situation worsens in Greece

  

  Attacks on refugees in Greece are indicative of the situation throughout Fortress Europe, argues Eleftheria Kousta

• Greece elections: the right is back in government

  

  The conservative right won the Greek election but didn't do as well as predicted, and the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn were wiped out, reports Kevin Ovenden

• The dog didn’t bark, but it’s not been silenced: Labour’s Brexit policy

  

  Brexit is not the most important issue facing working people, but in order to make that argument, Labour must stay the course, argues Martin Hall

• Ten things they don't tell you about D-Day

  

  As the commemorations of the 75 year anniversary of D-Day take place, Lindsey German reminds us of the truth about the end of the Second World War

• No centrist surge, but a fragmenting Europe: European elections explained

  

  European politics is increasingly fragmented, which poses important challenges but also opportunities for the radical left, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• Remain and reform? European Parliament elections suggest otherwise

  

  Promises of progressive reforms within the EU will ring hollow, with the hard right set to gain from polarisation. The left here can challenge this trend, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• The Brexit crisis and the disintegration of Britain's political system

  

  Brexit is a crisis that cuts deep into the ruling class and Theresa May's failures have brought to the fore the cracks in Britain's political system, argues Sean Ledwith

• Why the EU is not internationalist

  

  Seeing the EU as internationalist is a fundamental error rooted in a misdiagnosis of its aims and effects, argues Chris Nineham

• A Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank merger spells trouble

  

  The proposed merger of German banks is a disaster waiting to happen and exposes the weaknesses at the heart of European capitalism, argues Chris Bambery

• Nato and the new imperialism

  

  Written in June 1999, John Rees explains why the war in the Balkans was not about the plight of refugees but part of Nato’s expansion. It wanted to dominate the Balkans and eastern Europe as well as control the oil rich areas of the Caspian Sea

• Serbia's spring in October

  

  Written in 2000, Lindsey German analyses the Serbian revolution and NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia which began 20 years ago today

• Saying never again means resisting in the present

  

  Remembering the Holocaust means remembering the horrific slaughter of Jewish people, but also the resistance and solidarity, and resolving to put 'never again' into practice, writes Dana Mills

• Europe in revolt

  

  As protests across Europe are generalising, UK activists must seize the time, writes Dragan Plavšić

• No confidence in May, and no confidence in this failing government: a general election is the only option

  

  This government is sustained by class hatred alone.  But they are weak and we must keep up the pressure for a general election

• They've got to go! General election now - Counterfire freesheet January 2019

  

  Tory Brexit crisis, the fightback against austerity, Eurovision boycott campaign, Trump and Syria, remembering Rosa Luxemburg, Yellow Vests and protests across Europe in this month's Counterfire Freesheet

• New wave of protests in Serbia – opening new horizons?

  

  In the face of austerity and exploitation, the left must act as a counterweight to the established political order, argues Anja Ilic

• Europe in turmoil: what to expect in 2019

  

  Chris Bambery explores European political economy and what developments of the last twelve months can lead us to expect about the year ahead

• ‘No Christmas for the bourgeoisie’: Protests erupt across Europe at the close of 2018

  

  Mass protests across Europe show that a new politics is on the horizon, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• France's streets flooded with protest three days before Christmas

  

  The Yellow Vests outwitted Macron's repressive state forces to stage a surprise mobilisation in Paris and storm towns and roundabouts across France, reports Susan Ram

• Student protests in France and Albania: could Britain be next?

  

  Dragan Plavšić looks at spreading student protest and where it could go next

• The establishment seems to have forgotten we live in a parliamentary democracy: let's remind them

  

  We must demand a general election to resolve this crisis, argues Chris Nineham

• The Left Case Against the EU - book review

  

  Costas Lapavitsas makes a convincing argument why the Left should oppose the EU, writes Martin Hall

• The Tories are incapable of delivering Brexit: we must push them out and do it ourselves

  

  A number of contradictions are causing the Tories to lose grip; Reuben Bard-Rosenberg looks at why they have no clear way of holding on

• May's deal is dead: this is what must happen next

  

  Only a general election can break the impasse, and to make it happen we need to get out on the streets and pile the pressure on, argues Martin Hall

• Grace Blakeley vs the EU - video

  

  Newly appointed New Statesman economics commentator Grace Blakeley delivers compelling case for leaving the EU 

• Watch the Guardian's Larry Elliott take down those calling for a People's Vote

  

  Even the Guardian's economics editor thinks staying in the EU is a bad idea

• It’s still not a done deal – whatever May, Tusk and Juncker want to tell you - weekly briefing

  

  Theresa May and the EU are the beneficiaries of the idea that this deal is the only option - it's not. We need to oppose it and fight for a general election, argues Lindsey German

• A state of disunion: Europe after Brexit

  

  Liberals lament Britain leaving the European Union, but the politics of the bloc is increasingly right wing and nasty, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• May's Brexit deal is a dead duck: the only option now is a general election

  

  May and her party are completely incapable of delivering a viable deal, writes Chris Nineham

• Stop Tommy Robinson, All out for 17 November - Counterfire Freesheet November 2018

  

  Opposing the far right, people's vote, police racism, precarious workers, climate chaos, universal credit and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet

• EU summit: nothing much happens, but the crisis continues

  

  Little progress was made in the Brexit negotiations, and Tory MPs are losing patience with May, finds Martin Hall

• Brexit breaking point: it May be the end of this government - weekly briefing

  

  The crisis for Theresa May and the Tories continues to deepen, their only lifeline would be a second referendum, argues Lindsey German

• Macedonia's failed referendum: a disaster for the EU and Nato

  

  The failed referendum in the small Balkan state represents a major upset for the West, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• Project Macron in crisis

  

  From the Benalla affair to the Hulot resignation and plunging poll ratings, there's no end in sight for the troubles of the French President, writes Susan Ram

• Aftermath: Art in the wake of World War One - review

  

  Modern art was a way of actively willing war towards an end says Alistair Cartwright in his review of the Aftermath exhibition at the Tate

• The TUC are wrong about a second referendum

  

  A second referendum would be a disaster for the working people the TUC are supposed to represent, argues Reuben Bard-Rosenberg

• Sweden’s elections and the mounting far right threat in Europe

  

  The far right Sweden Democrats didn't do as well as commentators anticipated, but the fascist threat must be confronted across Europe, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• Turkey police attack Saturday Mothers vigil

  

  A statement from Solidarity with the People of Turkey on the recent attack against the Saturday Mothers

• How did socialists respond to the advent of fascism?

  

  As the far right gains energy across Europe, John Riddell reminds us of how the emergence of fascism was met by socialists

• Failed: what two decades of the refugee crisis could not teach Europe

  

  Europe's failure to deal with the refugee crisis is resulting in more deaths in the Mediterranean and the growth of the far right argues Eleftheria Kousta

• Steve Bannon: international orchestrator of the alt-right

  

  Steve Bannon has gained international notoriety for his role as Trump's chief strategist. Sean Ledwith examines his role in organising the transatlantic alt-right

• The EU: As racist in deed as Trump

  

  Following our mass condemnation of Trump, Reuben Bard-Rosenberg highlights the inherent racism of an organisation closer to home

• Brexit and the left, two years on

  

  The left should not avoid political struggle, it should actively work to shape the outcomes of political crisis argues David Bush

• Europe's Fault Lines: Racism and the Rise of the Right - book review

  

  In Europe’s Fault Lines, Liz Fekete exposes the links between neoliberal centrism, EU economic policy, and the rise of the far and fascist right, finds Martin Hall

• The Storm Clouds Gather: Is there a future for the European Union?

  

  The gathering crisis in European Union should make it clear the EU provides no haven from racism or austerity

• The EEA: the worst of all possible worlds

  

  The European Economic Area is an extension of the EU's dominance and is not to be taken lightly, argues Martin Hall

• World Cup 2018: thirty two nations under a groove

  

  Will the World Cup which opens today be an orgy of petty-minded nationalism? Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman doesn’t seem to think so

• Europe: time to look reality in the face - weekly briefing

  

  A People’s Brexit that unites the left is the only way to confront an increasingly bold neoliberal mafia, argues Lindsey German

• The Italian coup and the growing crisis in the EU

  

  The unelected Italian President has carried out a soft coup which is highly undemocratic and which has thrown the country and the EU into mounting chaos, argues Chris Bambery

• Marx200: the Paris Commune and the Marx family

  

  The Paris Commune only lasted from 28 March to 28 May 1871 but it inspired Karl Marx and continues to inspire and inform socialists today argues Judy Cox

• The first twelve months of Project Macron: a provisional audit

  

  One year on from Macron taking office, Susan Ram analyses what he stands for and what he's achieved

• France Insoumise: What is it and where is it going?

  

  As a massive wave of strikes continues in France, what forces might propose a mass political alternative to Macron? John Mullen discusses the party being led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon

• Catalan Spring? Resistance fills the streets as ex-President arrested in Germany

  

  Marching on the motorways and confronting police violence, the mass movement has returned with a new defiance, reports Jack Hazeldine

• What's happening in Catalonia is an assault on democracy

  

  As the wave of repression from the Spanish state continues, Catalonia needs our solidarity now more than ever, argues Chris Bambery

• Belgrade’s municipal elections: a class analysis

  

  After the regime’s win, the left needs to build a movement in the working-class areas

• The rise of fascism in Italy?

  

  The gains made by the far-right in Italy are worrying, but there is time to turn the tide, argues Chris Bambery

• Italian elections roundup: The centre can hold, but it is weakened

  

  With the possibility of another far-right leader in a European government, the left needs to get its act together

• Social democratic suicide? What’s going on in Germany? Interview with Mark Bergfeld - podcast

  

  As the SPD go into another 'grand coalition' with the CDU, Mark Bergfeld looks at the prospects for the left in Germany

• Berlusconi's back: Things are not looking good in Italy

  

  The hatred the elite in Italy have inspired, is, for the moment, flowing rightwards, finds Chris Bambery

• Westminster and the Brexit bubble

  

  Westminster is stuck in a Brexit bubble. The left need to provide an alternative to the washed-up parliamentary politics argues Chris Bambery

• The problem of relativisation

  

  On the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Kevin Ovenden takes on the mistaken politics of relativisation and argues that Europe must take responsibility for its history.

• Macron: Europe's new Blair

  

  Things have got so bad - with Brexit and the Tories - that the establishment long for the reincarnation of another unblemished Blair argues Brian Heron

• Catalan independence forces win majority

  

  Pro-independence parties in Catalonia have won the majority of seats in yesterday's election. Jack Hazeldine explains what this means and what the movement should now be doing.

• Final Solution: The Fate of the Jews 1933-1949 - book review

  

  David Cesarni’s posthumous Final Solution is an essential and magisterial history on Hitler’s war against Europe’s Jewish population, argues Chris Bambery.

• What does the Austrian election tell us about Brexit?

  

  The formation of a right wing government in Austria shows us that the European Union is not a bulwark against racism – and that the left would do well to turn against its institutions in order to prevent a far right resurgence, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• “Building a Republic from the bottom up”: A view from the Catalan left - interview with Quim Arrufat

  

  Covering the independence struggle in Catalonia from the ground, Jack Hazeldine interviewed a leading figure of what looks to be the fifth party at Thursday’s elections, the anticapitalist CUP

• Where is Germany heading?

  

  The political crisis in Germany presents both dangers and opportunities for the European anti-capitalist left argues Evan Sedgwick-Jell

• No one likes neoliberalism: the year that the mask slipped – weekly briefing

  

  The rollercoaster of polarisation was in full flow this year and shows no sign of relenting, writes Lindsey German

• The prevalence of Islamophobia: a Europe-wide phenomenon

  

  Prejudice against Muslims is high across Europe, but in Britain there are grounds for optimism thanks to a mass movement against Islamophobia

• A life sentence of low wages and public sector cuts - weekly briefing

  

  Despite dire forecasts for the economy and living standards, the Tories are continuing with more austerity. It can't go on argues Lindsey German

• Why socialists should support Catalonia

  

  The national question has returned to mainland Europe and we have to choose a side, argues Dragan Plavšić   

• Catalonia: resistance lights the path to victory

  

  Saturday’s stunning demonstration was the largest since the referendum, and mass disobedience and community organising lay behind it

• Crisis in Catalonia - live updates

  

  Live updates of the fast-moving situation in Catalonia

• We are the Republic: Catalans back on the streets for freedom

  

  As the Catalan government stand immobilised and imprisoned, the base of the movement has taken the lead with a “week of struggle” and general strike ahead, reports Jack Hazeldine

• Catalan independence: made in the streets

  

  The victory for the Catalan people in declaring themselves an independent republic has come from working class organisation in the streets argues Jack Hazeldine

• Catalonia: no independence without disobedience

  

  As the Madrid government threatens direct rule in Catalonia, Jack Hazeldine reports on the situation in Barcelona.

• The Spanish state has ensured Catalonia's exit

  

  Further repression will only radicalise the situation in Catalonia further, argues Chris Bambery

• German elections: 'The first time in decades that a party with a fascist wing is going to enter parliament'

  

  Mark Bergfeld talks to Counterfire about Merkel‘s popularity and the deeper roots of the rise of the right-wing AfD

• Survival is victory: the facts and fictions of the Dunkirk evacuation

  

  Dunkirk 1940 has always been an ideological field day for our ruling class, Chris Bambery cuts through the fog of war  

• First Diane Abbott, now Danièle Obono: the media lynching of black women on the radical Left

  

  Like Diane Abbott, French left-wing politician Danièle Obono feels the sexism and racism of the right-wing establishment, writes Susan Ram

• A People’s History of Modern Europe

  

  Pelz’s People’s History of Modern Europe gives an illuminating history of the class struggles and revolts which accompanied the modernisation of Europe, finds Tom Whittaker

• French election tells of a divided France

  

  Macron beat Le Pen to the presidency, but there is a parliamentary election still to come

• A political earthquake in France and the fight against Le Pen

  

  With less than a week to go until the second round of the French presidential elections, John Mullen takes a look at where we are now

• Hungary: huge protests in defence of academic freedom

  

  Prime minister Orban's attack on the Central European University has inspired strong opposition

• Marine Le Pen: the reality of the French fascist threat

  

  Mainstream alarmism cannot distract us from the actual dangers of the Nazi Front National, writes John Mullen

• Article 50: how we can shape a People's Brexit

  

  As Theresa May signs off Article 50, Lindsey German takes a look at where we stand

• The liberal delusion: why fighting Brexit is a bad idea

  

  As thousands march against Brexit, Reuben Bard-Rosenberg takes a look at the politics behind the protest

• The Dutch dog that didn't bark

  

  The election in the Netherlands didn‘t bear out the media‘s prediction of a right-wing surge, writes Alastair Stephens

• Dutch lessons: time to fight for our alternatives

  

  The mainstream media is peddling a destructive lie that we have to crush, asserts Lindsey German

• Its our NHS and we'll fight for it - Counterfire freesheet March 2017

  

  The NHS crisis, mobilising against Trump and more - Counterfire's freesheet edition 016, March 2017 - Counterfire freesheet edition 016, March 2017

• The EU: is this really what anti-racism looks like?

  

  Those who are trying to block Brexit, using anti-racist and pro-migrant arguments need to think again, argues Shabbir Lakha

• Rapidly decreasing middle ground: the Balkans and the Trump Effect

  

  Southeastern Europe is far from exempt from post-neoliberal global convulsions, observes Vladimir Unkovski-Korica 

• We are a nation. We decide: Catalonia calling

  

  The aftershocks of Franco's Spain are re-emerging and clashing with 21st-century tensions, notes Chris Bambery 

• Towards a politics of radical deglobalisation

  

  The soft left’s kowtowing to phony internationalism has to stop now, argues Reuben Bard-Rosenberg

• Article 50, democracy and the People’s Brexit

  

  Current debates around Brexit are awash with ideology, Shabbir Lakha helps us beat a path toward strategy

• NHS: never safe in Tory hands - Counterfire freesheet January 2017

  

  The NHS crisis, Durham teaching assistants and defending free movement - Counterfire's freesheet edition 015, January 2017

• Medieval Europe

  

  Chris Wickham’s analysis of the European Middle Ages is a rich introduction to the development of Europe up to the 15th Century, argues Chris Bambery

• The populism phenomenon: fact or flawed analysis?

  

  In an increasingly polarising Europe, Lindsey German argues that the left need to recognise the possibilities arising from the collapsing centre and get organising

• Signs of change in the Balkans? The Bulgarian and Moldovan elections

  

  Is the stifling pro-western consensus that has dominated Balkan and eastern European politics for the last quarter of a century finally on the wane, asks Dragan Plavšić

• 'Brexit: what should the left be fighting for?' with Lindsey German - video

  

  What does Brexit mean? What should we be demanding? Lindsey German takes on these questions in the second talk of our new series, tackling the big issues of the day

• Trump and Nato: continuity and change

  

  As the dust begins to settle on the result of the US presidency, Jonathan Maunders disentangles the reality from the rhetoric in Trump's nascent foreign policy   

• A dagger pointed at the heart of the Euro

  

  Italy is set to vote in a constitutional referendum, but this is about much more than Renzi's reforms, argues Alastair Stephens

• Calais: Europe's shame

  

  The closure of the Calais camp is an act of barbarity, but solidarity with refugees remains strong, argues Shabbir Lakha  

• Hungary: big defeat for Viktor Orbán

  

  In spite of its desperate campaign, the Hungarian government failed to mobilise enough voters to support its anti-refugee policy, writes Bob Oxley

• Refugees, solidarity and struggle for social change

  

  Protesting is crucial to maintain pressure on Theresa May, both to reverse policy and end the wars that create refugees, reports Jonathan Maunders 

• Playing games in the face of barbarism - the rising fascism across Europe

  

  While Owen Smith and the Labour right play political football with antisemitism, Kevin Ovenden looks at the serious rise in fascism across Europe

• Turkey: Erbakan, Erdogan and after

  

  Alastair Stephens finds lessons for the movement in his analysis of the recent coup attempt in Turkey

• Brexit from afar: a view from the Balkans

  

  Dragan Plavšić offers an alternative take on Britain’s decision to leave the EU, the rise in racist incidents, and considers parallels with Yugoslavia 

• Why we voted leave: voices from northern England - documentary

  

  A short look at why those in the north of England mainly voted to leave the EU - from Guerrera Films

• Strategy beyond the referendum

  

  As the established order falls apart, Chris Bambery argues how the left should respond

• Podemos alliance on the verge of power?

  

  Europe is about to be shaken by another political earthquake as Podemos is predicted to become Spain's second party writes Alastair Stephens

• Class struggle in France: a temporary stalemate

  

  The government has been stunned by the strength of the strikes and protests, but what now for the movement? John Mullen investigates

• This vote was about far more than immigration

  

  The vote to leave the EU was fuelled by class divisions, argues Alastair Stephens

• End austerity - general election now! Lexit statement on leave vote

  

  As the UK votes to leave the EU, let's take the fight to the Tories

• The EU is no friend to refugees

  

  The EU is has a terrible record on it's treatment of refugees, argues Shabbir Lakha

• 7 reasons anti-imperialists should vote for Lexit

  

  Anti-imperialists must vote leave, argues Sean Ledwith

• Never stop us dreaming

  

  As Euro 2016 begins Mark Perryman offers an 11-point plan finally to end England’s years of hurt

• Fortress Europe: Inside the War Against Immigration

  

  Matthew Carr’s Fortress Europe is a powerful indictment of the inhumanity of the EU’s policies towards refugees, argues Tom Griffiths

• Should we stay or should we go?

  

  Alex Gordon, convenor of Lexit – The Left Leave Campaign and former president of the RMT trade union, talks to Counterfire about the upcoming EU referendum

• All roads lead to Calais

  

  We need working class solidarity in support of the refugees - John Westmoreland reports on building the convoy in Doncaster

• To stop the far right we must oppose the EU

  

  Kevin Ovenden argues for an internationalist approach to the European crisis in the second half of a two-part series on the European question

• Upsurge in France: a revolt against the European economic order

  

  France's working class is taking a sledgehammer to Hollande's neoliberal reforms - an echo of the European economic machine, writes Reuben Bard-Rosenberg

• France: savage labour law vs strikes and blockades

  

  Class struggle is back in France, with some surprising new initiatives, reports Paris-based activist John Mullen

• Unions: the EU offers us nothing

  

  Many trade unionists will be voting to leave the EU in the upcoming referendum. An ASLEF, BFAWU and RMT statement explains why

• We cannot win the middle ground by moving to the middle

  

  Blairite MPs want to topple Jeremy Corbyn and occupy 'the middle ground'. This is the path to electoral breakdown and the ascendancy of the racist right, argues Kevin Ovenden

• Macedonia at the crossroads

  

  Activist Maz Saleem continues her frontline reporting from the refugee crisis with this insight into the Alexandreia Camp

• Debunked: 12 left-wing reasons for remaining in the European Union

  

  The referendum is not a vote on whether we want to be ‘part of Europe’. It's a vote on an institution that has done far more harm than good

• The EU: ratcheting up racism

  

  As the EU referendum draws closer, and the Tories split further, Chris Bambery looks at why the debate is not the orgy of racism that so many predicted

• Left anti-EU campaign launched

  

  Shabbir Lakha reports from the first anti-EU meeting organised by the left. This needs to be the start of a concerted campaign

• Undemocratic and irreformable: why we must vote to leave the EU

  

  As the Tories descend into civil war, we argue that a vote to leave the EU would be a blow against the neoliberal order 

• Brexit: In or Out? Podcast

  

  Lindsey German and Marina Prentoulis join James Butler and Aaron Bastani to discuss Britain's forthcoming referendum on EU membership

• Carta a favor da saída da Grã Bretanha da União Europeia

  

  This is a Portuguese translation of the letter by trade unionists and socialists in favour of an exit from the EU

• 5 reasons to leave the EU

  

  The EU referendum will be held on 23 June. There are many reasons why Britain should leave the EU. Alastair Stephens lists just five

• Fire and Blood: The European Civil War, 1914-1945

  

  Fire and Blood brilliantly recounts the European civil war of 1914-45, which brought the idea of capitalist progress to an end, argues Chris Bambery

• The Tories’ civil war: why do they do it to themselves?

  

  The Tories' brewing civil war over Europe is not the first to divide the party

• For a Europe of peoples

  

  The EU is fundamentally undemocratic and cannot be reformed, argues Chris Bambery

• No to Fortress Europe: solidarity with refugees and migrants

  

  While the War on Terror has destroyed the Middle East, it has also been the source of racism across Europe

• Podemos blows a wind of change through the Spanish parliament

  

  The first day of the new parliament was one of high drama and low deals, writes Alastair Stephens

• A troubled relationship: the UK and the EU

  

  Chris Bambery takes a look at the UK's troubled relationship with the EU, both in the past and in the present

• Marine Le Pen: the demon child of war and austerity

  

  Not since the 1930s has a far right, indeed a fascist party done so well in an election in Western Europe, writes Alastair Stephens

• And yet it moves: Europe's long crisis

  

  The financial crisis and the subsequent imposition of austerity has led to a deep polarisation of European politics, writes Alastair Stephens

• The end of liberal Europe

  

  In so far as it was ever a reality, the era of a liberalising Europe with diminished national tensions and ethnic conflict is over, writes Kevin Ovenden

• A coup in the EU: Portugal's left win election but are banned from power

  

  Portugal’s president, has blocked a Left-wing coalition government even though it secured an absolute majority in the Portuguese parliament on an anti austerity mandate reports Nick Wright

• Portuguese elections: the left's opportunity

  

  The political centre is shattered. Now the left needs to seize the time, argues João Camargo

• New Book 'Syriza: Inside the Labyrinth' out now

  

  A new book by Kevin Ovenden looks at Syriza’s rise to become the most important party of the European radical Left

• Another Europe is necessary

  

  We cannot be neutral with regard to the upcoming referendum on EU membership. If Britain votes to stay in, we will be effectively signing up to all of Europe’s neoliberal strictures for another generation

• Podemos backs Jeremy Corbyn's candidacy for Labour leader

  

  Spanish anti-austerity party Podemos have issue the following statement backing Jeremy Corbyn for Labour leader

• 5 reasons why we should vote to leave the EU

  

  John Westmoreland argues that the European Union cannot be reformed and calls for a ‘No’ vote in the EU referendum

• Greek deal: a second Versailles

  

  The chances of the deal agreed between Greece and the 'Institutions' actually being enforced seem low - this is, by no means, over writes James Meadway

• In Athens and on the Clyde, workers are striking against neoliberal Europe

  

  Today's strikes in Athens and Glasgow are in opposition to the neoliberal policies of the European Union argues Reuben Bard-Rosenberg

• Confronting TTIP means confronting the undemocratic EU

  

  If we want to fight TTIP we need to confront the undemocratic and unaccountable European Union argues Reuben Bard-Rosenberg

• The EU destroys Syriza. Will austerity win?

  

  The EU have struck at Syriza to warn the rest of Europe of the folly of electing anti-austerity representatives writes Brian Heron

• EU referendum: why the Left needs to campaign for a No vote

  

  We need a broad, progressive campaign against EU membership, based on internationalism and solidarity and in opposition to the British establishment. We cannot leave the anti-EU argument to the racist right

• They have created a desert and called it Europe

  

  The capitulation of the Syriza government is complete. The only way a disaster can be averted is for the left and the movements to take mass action quickly and decisively argues James Meadway

• Europe's treatment of Greece shows why the Left should say No to the EU

  

  The very lack of democracy at the heart of the European Union together with the way it has treated the people of Greece are reasons enough as to why the radical left should oppose the EU writes Chris Bambery

• Austerity's Unelected Technocrats -Tariq Ali and Chris Bambery | Dangerous Times Festival 2015

  

  Video of the session 'Austerity’s unelected technocrats: a Marxist critique of Europe' from Dangerous Times 2015. Produced by Paul Hanes

• The last years of Neoliberalism: Greece rejects Austerity

  

  The Greek vote heralds the last few years of neoliberalism in Europe - the Left can win this time says James Meadway

• ‘No to fear’ - report from Athens as No supporters flood the streets

  

  A selection of Kevin Ovenden’s live posts from the massive No protest in Athens, 3 July 2015

• Battle lines drawn in Athens

  

  The forces which want to bury January's election outcome are regrouping through the Yes campaign. They may be using a democratic mechanism, but their methods go beyond it. Kevin Ovenden reports from Athens

• Greece: No to the deal, No to the political order

  

  The following is a letter to the Turkish and Kurdish organisation Day Mer by Kevin Ovenden regarding the situation in Greece and the lessons for the Left

• Greek workers should say No to Euro austerity - and so should we

  

  There is a stark choice facing us all: allow the elites to ruin the lives of millions, or build mass resistance across the continent writes Lindsey German

• VE Day and the comic book history of World War Two

  

  Celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War are an opportunity for Western governments to re-write History argues Chris Bambery

• The EU declares war on migrants

  

  We must end a foreign policy that is causing mayhem and misery across vast swathes of the globe

• Syriza: escaping the prison of the politics of the past

  

  Syriza's leadership is walking a tightrope between the demands of the troika and the express will of its base and of the majority of the Greek electorate

• Syriza - two months on: where is the hope?

  

  Kevin Ovenden takes stock after Syriza's first two months in office

• Bloco de Esquerda: Portugal's Syriza

  

  Alice Brito reports from Portugal on the state of the Left Bloc

• Ukraine: why the West is to blame for the crisis

  

  Chris Nineham reviews Frontline Ukraine: Crisis in the Borderlands by Richard Sakwa

• Blockupy in perspective

  

  Thousands of demonstrators converged on Frankfurt on Wednesday to disrupt the opening ceremony of the European Central Bank. Mark Bergfeld reports

• Greece: reparations and the politics of austerity‏

  

  The political symbolism behind Alexis Tsipras' speech on reparations is explored by  Kevin Ovenden in his latest dispatch from Athens

• The European Left and the Euro

  

  The Left must ensure that the case against Europe is about transforming social and economic conditions, rather than as a basis for ultra-nationalist solutions to Europe’s malaise writes Reuben Bard-Rosenberg

• Confronting EU illusions

  

  How can we voice opposition to the EU without sounding like Nigel Farage? Well the obvious answer is not to stay silent about the EU’s lack of democracy writes Chris Bambery

• Greek bailout: has Syriza capitulated?

  

  Syriza central committee member Stathis Kouvelakis and economist James Meadway discuss the situation in Greece after the Syriza government's deal with the Eurogroup

• Five urgent questions: radical left Syriza MP Costas Lapavitsas on Friday's deal

  

  Costas Lapavitsas was professor of economics at SOAS before his election as Syriza MP. Here he poses five urgent questions for the Syriza leadership following Friday's deal with the Eurogroup

• 'Before it is too late': Resistance hero and Syriza MEP Manolis Glezos on the Syriza deal

  

  Greek Resistance hero and Syriza MEP has issued a statement urging opposition to the deal done by the party's leadership on Friday

• Greece is edging closer to decision time

  

  Greece's Syriza government must decide whether to surrender to the Troika’s demands or exit the Euro.The Nazi Golden Dawn are waiting in the wings should they fail. Joshua Tartakovsky reports from Athens

• Greece: this is democracy against the bankers

  

  The European Central Bank's decision to cut support to Greek banks may force the Syriza-led government to default and exit rather than abandon its anti-austerity programme writes James Meadway

• Greece: a deal approaching?

  

  With the German government's austerity mania losing them friends, it's looking increasingly likely that the new Syriza government will get a deal on Greece’s debt

• Syriza versus the Troika: the first week

  

  The Syriza government has begun to reverse austerity despite opposition from Europe's elites. James Meadway looks at the backround for the opening battle with the EU/ECB/IMF 'Troika'

• Greece: The End of Austerity?

  

  A short documentary on Syriza's 22 day election campaign directed by Theopi Skarlatos and produced with funding from Unite the Union

• Entering the Syriza age

  

  Greek writer Sofia Tipaldou gives her reaction to Syriza's vote and those of the other political parties in last Sunday's elections

• Some thoughts on the deal between Syriza and the Independent Greeks

  

  The deal between Syriza and the small right-wing party the Independent Greeks (ANEL) has been the subject of much debate. Kevin Ovenden provides some insights on what it represents

• Syriza's victory: ours to celebrate, ours to defend

  

  With Syriza's victory comes the potential to shake off the dead years of neoliberalism - years where the left had been ruled out of existence, which are now coming to an end

• Syriza victory: secure this bridgehead

  

  Syriza should internationalise its struggle to deprive the European elite the power to manoeuvre. John Rees on a stunning victory

• Letter to Le Monde: We say no to the 'Sacred Union'

  

  A call by public figures in France to reject pressures for 'unity' with world leaders guilty of violence and repression

• Voices from Syriza central campaign hub

  

  In central Athens the Syriza organising hub is packed with activists, campaigners and journalists. Jonathan Shafi spoke to some of the people who have been campaigning hard for a Syriza victory

• Greek Election Liveblog

  

  Rolling coverage of the Greek General Election on 25th January by journalist Kevin Ovenden. Practical solidarity funded by Philosophy Football

• Will the ECB’s Quantitative Easing programme work?

  

  James Meadway looks at the European Central Bank's proposed quantitative easing scheme and why a debt write-off may be the only alternative to permanent stagnation

• Charlie Hebdo: 5 problems with the Media picture

  

  Everyone agrees the Muslim community must make amends for Charlie Hebdo, right? Well, no, not really. Here’s five facts the media tends to overlook.

• Danièle Obono: the French left after the Charlie Hebdo attacks

  

  Danièle Obono, a leading member of the French Left, speaks about the impact of the recent attacks and the dangers of Islamophobia

• The Government is blaming Muslims and attacking civil liberties

  

  Opposition to war, Islamophobia and attacks on civil liberties are all connected, says Lindsey German, and we have to campaign against all three

• Greece: after the election, the deluge?

  

  Kevin Ovenden makes a foray into the economic labyrinth in his ninth dispatch from Greece

• 15 recommended articles on the aftermath of the Paris attacks

  

  Alex Snowdon compiles a selection of commentary and analysis about the contentious issues arising from the recent attacks in Paris

• Greece: the strategic question is posed, whether the Left asks it or not

  

  Kevin Ovenden's 7th dispatch from Greece turns to debates about how electoral defeat for the parties of austerity might become a chance to end austerity itself