Europe

The closure of Rover involves the loss of 26,000 jobs, in the plant and the industries that supply it. The present owners were called in to “save” jobs. All they have done is siphoned off millions for themselves. The only answer is nationalisation under workers’ control.

Some of our readers will perhaps remember the inauguration of the right-wing coalition government in Austria in February 2000. For the first time since 1970 the Social Democratic Party was not part of the federal government. The new government was formed by Wolfgang Schüssel of the conservative Peoples’ Party and Jörg Haider, the leader of the Freedom Party. This led to a big movement of Austrian “civil society” and a wave of international protests starting with the tops of the EU. Many on the left saw the threat of fascism because of the participation of the Freedom Party in this new bourgeois government.

The state of the world economy, the USA, China, the disastrous war in Iraq, all have a direct effect on the situation in Britain. Some may find a contradiction in the fact that although Blair is very unpopular he will almost certainly win the elections. The fact is that there is no alternative. The workers of Britain have not forgotten what the Tories did when they were in power. But the undercurrents are already discernable and these will sooner or later come to the surface.

The media have just finished celebrating the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. We would like to remind our readers of an important event that took place around the same time, the Neath by-election on 15th May 1945. For the first time in Britain, a Trotskyist party, the Revolutionary Communist Party, contested a Parliamentary election. The seat was solid Labour, but the vote for the RCP was significant. Even more significant was the way the party was able to link up with the most advanced workers and youth.

One year ago the Zapatero PSOE government came to power after a truly gigantic mobilisation of the masses. Apart from a few minor reforms the direction of this government has not changed in any fundamental way from that of the previous PP government. The workers and youth are watching and drawing lessons. Sooner or later this government will face the wrath of the Spanish workers. Editorial statement of El Militante, the journal of the Spanish Marxists.

Erik Demeester interviewed Remi Verwimp, who is an activist of a special kind. He is in fact a priest who belongs to a group called Christians for Socialism in Belgium inspired by liberation theology and Marxist ideas. As a lecturer at the Theology and Society Workshop (Werkgroep Theologie en Maatschappij) he has developed a critical view on the Catholic Church and especially on the latest pontificate.

On April 2, after long sufferings perfectly played out across the media, Karol Wojtyla, also known as the Pope, passed away. The media made an enormous spectacle of his death, allowing thousands to mourn and helping the Catholic Church enter a second spring – even if this may be only for a short period of time.

Dear Comrades,

I’m writing this letter to inform you about the ongoing paranoia in Poland which is related to the death of John Paul II. It is absolutely incredible and probably most of you will find it difficult to believe.


He who does not learn from history will forever be doomed to repeat it. It is time to take stock of the past of the Republican movement and to draw a balance sheet. Only by such means can we extricate ourselves from the present impasse, and build the revolutionary movement urgently needed to prevent a further descent into sectarian chaos and achieve instead the historic task of overthrowing capitalism and constructing the 32-county Socialist Republic. This is the introduction to the recently published book Ireland: Republicanism and Revolution, to be ordered from Wellred...

The message of this book is that the destiny of Ireland is a Workers’ Republic, a free Republic without landlords, bankers and capitalists. It is a message of hope, of confidence in the future of Ireland, the working class and socialism. It is non-sectarian equally addressed to all thinking people from different backgrounds, but especially to the cadres and the youth of the Republican movement, who have paid a very heavy price for the last thirty years and who are now seeking explanations.

The right-wing parties suffered an absolutely crushing defeat in the local elections in France. Never, in the entire history of the country, have the capitalist parties been so completely eradicated from elected institutions at any level. As we predicted the victory of the right two years ago was merely preparing an even bigger swing to the left at a later stage.
See the original in French: La déroute électorale plonge le gouvernement dans une crise majeure

Last Saturday March 19, in Brussels, three demonstrations were gathered in one huge wave of opposition to the plans of renewed militarism, increased deregulation, the dismantling of the social security system, increased job insecurity and other plans of the European Union. At the front of the demonstration marched the youth, followed by the heavy battalions of the working class and then the social movements.


In April a new book by Alan Woods is being published by Wellred Books. The title of the book is “Ireland: Republicanism and Revolution”. It looks at the history of the Republican movement from a Marxist viewpoint. Gerry Ruddy, Ard-Comhairle member of the Irish Republican Socialist Party, has written a preface to the book, which we provide here. As he says, “Hopefully, it will stimulate debate and analysis. Serious revolutionaries, genuine Marxists, committed Republicans will read this book with thoughtful interest.”