Europe

War is Peace: Finland and Sweden poised to join NATO

The expansion of NATO will only escalate a new Cold War, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
Ukraine: The consequences of war

A new global militarism is emerging from the war in Ukraine, argues John Rees
Johnson on the warpath – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the hawks circling over Ukraine
EU mining troubles: what unites striking coal miners and protesting anti-mining activists in the Balkans?

Vladimir Unkovski-Korica joins up the dots as mass struggles from below kick off in the Balkans
The shame of Europe – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the horrors of modern border control and the fallout from COP26
Counterfire’s Climate Briefing for activists

The growing mood for radical change has to be harnessed by the left on a global scale, and the demands for action over the climate have to be put at the heart of every movement, argues Feyzi Ismail
Europe's shame: The horrific treatment of refugees on the Poland-Belarus border

A humanitarian crisis is deepening on Europe's borders as one country after another militarises itself against the movement of refugees and desperate people, writes Kevin Ovenden
‘O if we could only be a proletarian swarm of rats’ - Europa review

This year’s London Film Festival opened with ‘Europa’, a rediscovered treasure of inter-war avant-garde cinema. Tom Griffiths assesses the film’s significance.
German election: In Merkel’s shadow

Continuity rather than real change is the most likely outcome of the election in Europe’s most powerful state, writes Sean Ledwith
Is the party over? Starmer and the deep problems of social democracy

As the right strengthens its grip on Labour, Chris Nineham looks at the context of of Labour’s crisis.
Remembering Otelo Carvalho: from colonial war to revolution

Chris Bambery remembers Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho, the mastermind behind the 'Carnation Revolution' in Portugal, who died on Sunday
Tory culture wars vs anti-racist good sense

The events of the last week following the Euro 2020 final present an opportunity for anti-racists to take our arguments into every corner of the country, argues Martin Hall
Swiss burqa ban: the racist right digs in deeper

The burqa ban in Switzerland represents the latest in a series of Islamophobic policies and must be resisted, argues Maddalena Dunscombe
Vaccine nationalism: a plague on all our houses

The progress of producing good vaccines in record time is at risk from systemic capitalist and nationalist rivalries, writes Kevin Ovenden
Putin, Navalny and the Russian protests

The weekend protests against Putin offer opportunities for the Russian left, argues Dragan Plavšić
The perfect storm: Covid and Brexit merge in Kent - CounterBlast

Terina Hine looks at the growing crisis around sky-rocketing Covid transmissions and the miles of backed up lorries on the M20 ahead of the Brexit deadline
Johnson's choice: no good Brexit options

Whichever way the prime minister looks, he is presented with a circle of problems that is becoming increasingly difficult to square, argues Martin Hall
The Polish women's strike is an anti-fascist struggle

Fascists have joined forces with the Polish government to attack women protesting against the abortion ban, but women are fighting back, reports Reece Goscinski
Abortion ban in Poland: the government is waging war on women

The ruling against abortions in Poland is a monstrous assault on women which should be resisted as part of the wider fight against the populist right internationally, argues Reece Goscinski
From Golden Dawn to the AfD, the far right is being beaten back by a fighting left

The far right are not unstoppable, but neither is their decline inevitable; the radical left is key to the anti-fascist movements halting their march, argues Kevin Ovenden
Serbia and the 'refugee crisis': from good Samaritan to guard of 'Fortress Europe'

Obedience to European diktat and fierce competition in national politics has helped to harden Serbia's policy towards refugees and migrants, argues Anja Ilić
Will protest turn into revolution in Belarus?

Major questions of strategy are being posed in Belarus’s protest movement, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica.
Two Days, One Night - film of the week

Chris Nineham is enthralled by this all-too-human study of modern industrial struggle
Coronavirus: a test for Europe

The pandemic is proving to be a test for European solidarity and is adding strain to an already fragile EU, argues Alan McGuire from Madrid
Government failures laid bare by highest death toll in Europe - CounterBlast 5 May

News that the UK has the worst death rate in Europe is a grimly unsurprising indictment of Government inadequacy, argues Mona Kamal
Italy's Liberation Day: why the partisans' struggle still matters

April 25 is a great anniversary in the history of anti-fascist struggle, writes Giuseppe Franci
Shock and awe: Orbán’s corona dictatorship in Hungary

The harsh authoritarianism of Orban’s hard-right regime is a warning to the world, writes Anita Zsurzsan in Hungary
Orbánism on the march: how power is seized

Hungary’s far-right regime is exploiting the pandemic like no other European state, warns Tamás Krausz
Covid-19, the crisis and the European ideal

As Europe reels from being the centre of the Covid-19 outbreak, the EU is creaking at the seams and may not recover, argues Martin Hall
Gordon Brown is not our saviour

As per the script, Gordon Brown has made an attempt to stamp his forgettable, but pernicious, brand of neoliberalism onto the current crisis, writes Morgan Daniels
A People’s History of the German Revolution 1918-19 - book review

William Pelz’s People’s History of the German Revolution is a vivid and accessible introduction to socialism’s greatest lost revolution, finds Tom Whittaker
The EU is responsible for refugees on the Greek border

Refugees are being used as pawns in a geopolitical chess game, writes Shabbir Lakha
Now the real solidarity with Europe begins - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on class and internationalism
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 Sherwood
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 Sherwood 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 Sherwood 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 Woodvale
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 Sherwood
Catalonia: no independence without disobedience

As the Madrid government threatens direct rule in Catalonia, Jack Sherwood 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
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

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Europe

Europe

The expansion of NATO will only escalate a new Cold War, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

A new global militarism is emerging from the war in Ukraine, argues John Rees

Lindsey German on the hawks circling over Ukraine

Vladimir Unkovski-Korica joins up the dots as mass struggles from below kick off in the Balkans

Lindsey German on the horrors of modern border control and the fallout from COP26

The growing mood for radical change has to be harnessed by the left on a global scale, and the demands for action over the climate have to be put at the heart of every movement, argues Feyzi Ismail

A humanitarian crisis is deepening on Europe's borders as one country after another militarises itself against the movement of refugees and desperate people, writes Kevin Ovenden

This year’s London Film Festival opened with ‘Europa’, a rediscovered treasure of inter-war avant-garde cinema. Tom Griffiths assesses the film’s significance.

Continuity rather than real change is the most likely outcome of the election in Europe’s most powerful state, writes Sean Ledwith

As the right strengthens its grip on Labour, Chris Nineham looks at the context of of Labour’s crisis.

Chris Bambery remembers Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho, the mastermind behind the 'Carnation Revolution' in Portugal, who died on Sunday

The events of the last week following the Euro 2020 final present an opportunity for anti-racists to take our arguments into every corner of the country, argues Martin Hall

The burqa ban in Switzerland represents the latest in a series of Islamophobic policies and must be resisted, argues Maddalena Dunscombe

The progress of producing good vaccines in record time is at risk from systemic capitalist and nationalist rivalries, writes Kevin Ovenden

The weekend protests against Putin offer opportunities for the Russian left, argues Dragan Plavšić

Terina Hine looks at the growing crisis around sky-rocketing Covid transmissions and the miles of backed up lorries on the M20 ahead of the Brexit deadline

Whichever way the prime minister looks, he is presented with a circle of problems that is becoming increasingly difficult to square, argues Martin Hall

Fascists have joined forces with the Polish government to attack women protesting against the abortion ban, but women are fighting back, reports Reece Goscinski

The ruling against abortions in Poland is a monstrous assault on women which should be resisted as part of the wider fight against the populist right internationally, argues Reece Goscinski

The far right are not unstoppable, but neither is their decline inevitable; the radical left is key to the anti-fascist movements halting their march, argues Kevin Ovenden

Obedience to European diktat and fierce competition in national politics has helped to harden Serbia's policy towards refugees and migrants, argues Anja Ilić

Major questions of strategy are being posed in Belarus’s protest movement, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica.

Chris Nineham is enthralled by this all-too-human study of modern industrial struggle

The pandemic is proving to be a test for European solidarity and is adding strain to an already fragile EU, argues Alan McGuire from Madrid

News that the UK has the worst death rate in Europe is a grimly unsurprising indictment of Government inadequacy, argues Mona Kamal

April 25 is a great anniversary in the history of anti-fascist struggle, writes Giuseppe Franci

The harsh authoritarianism of Orban’s hard-right regime is a warning to the world, writes Anita Zsurzsan in Hungary

Hungary’s far-right regime is exploiting the pandemic like no other European state, warns Tamás Krausz

As Europe reels from being the centre of the Covid-19 outbreak, the EU is creaking at the seams and may not recover, argues Martin Hall

As per the script, Gordon Brown has made an attempt to stamp his forgettable, but pernicious, brand of neoliberalism onto the current crisis, writes Morgan Daniels

William Pelz’s People’s History of the German Revolution is a vivid and accessible introduction to socialism’s greatest lost revolution, finds Tom Whittaker

Refugees are being used as pawns in a geopolitical chess game, writes Shabbir Lakha

Lindsey German on class and internationalism

Lindsey German on post-Corbynism and the realities of Brexit

Lindsey German on the blunderbuss waiting to happen and national security

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

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

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

Dragan Plavšić looks at what lies behind the arguments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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