The strategists of international capital are finally coming round to the idea that a new bail-out for Greece is necessary. With it comes an even harsher “memorandum” for the workers, involving the infamous “medium term programme” already announced by the government, which includes draconian austerity measures and the selling off of state assets. But now the labour movement is beginning to put its imprint on the situation.

Recent opinion polls show that a majority of Hungarians find life so miserable that they would like to live somewhere else. Many consider that life was much better before 1989 when people enjoyed full employment and an advanced welfare system. Capitalism has destroyed all that. However, as our correspondent points outs, what existed before was not genuine socialism, but a Stalinist regime that people rose up against. What is required is state ownership and planning, but under the democratic control of the workers themselves.

We are being reassured that the financial crisis gripping Greece cannot reach Britain. Many facts and figures are provided to back this up. However, a closer look at the situation reveals the real underlying financial crisis that sooner or later must surface in Britain also. In this article Adam Booth looks at the situation in Greece and Europe as a whole and shows how Britain cannot escape the inevitable.

Twenty years ago what was once a mighty Communist Party of nearly two million members, the Italian PCI, was dissolved and was transformed into the Democratic Party of the Left, later to become the Democratic Party. In the process the party split in two, with those opposing this change setting up the Party of Communist Refoundation. This article by Roberto Sarti of the Editorial Board of Falcemartello looks at how this came about and draws some lessons for today’s communists.

Yesterday a milestone was passed in the social and political situation in Greece and throughout Europe. Impressive mobilizations rolled across the country: half a million in Athens and rallies  of thousands of people gathered in Thessaloniki, Patras, Larissa, Volos, Heraklion, etc. This places Greece on the threshold of a revolutionary situation. It means that, for the first time in decades the developed capitalist countries of Europe are faced with the prospect of a revolution with continental dimensions.

Within the last couple of weeks there has been yet another outbreak of youth protest internationally with the huge movement in Spain which encompasses some 80 cities and now a new movement in Greece has erupted. Meanwhile in North Africa and the Middle East new waves of struggle are being prepared. However, if the Irish press are to believed the waves of struggle that are affecting everywhere else will barely cause a ripple in good ould Ireland. After all, with the royal and presidential distractions of the last few weeks, the only revolting youth to get any coverage in Ireland were Jedward.

“From Scotland to Spain, the problem is the same!” was one of many slogans being shouted from the streets of Edinburgh today (29^th may) as around 200 - 300 people (most from Edinburgh’s sizeable Spanish community) organised to demonstrate in solidarity with revolutionary movements in Spain and elsewhere in Europe.

The situation in Greece is changing day by day, and is moving in the direction of a revolutionary situation. Starting on Wednesday, 120-150,000 people thronged Syntagma Square and other central squares in all the main Greek towns. The masses protested the austerity policies of the government and the brutal aggression of the European Union against the people of Greece.

This leaflet was issued as part of the intervention of the Greek Marxists of Marxistiki Foni in the demonstrations over the weekend. We publish it here in English for the benefit of our readers.

On Sunday night at Syntagma Square, as a follow-up of the mass demonstration of 150,000 people against the blackmailing of the workers by the bankers and their political lackeys, there was the biggest popular assembly since the beginning of the movement, with the participation of between 6.000 and 7.000 protestors. Among the speakers who took the floor was the member of the editorial board of “Marxistiki Foni”, comrade Stamatis Karagiannopoulos, who made the following short speech:

The tactless intervention of the EU officials in Greek politics has put the cat among the pigeons here. Until now the pretence was maintained of “political consensus” as a condition for any funding from the IMF and EU loan. There was even talk of a possible "soft restructuring” of subsequent instalments of the € 110 billion loan or a new loan of € 50 - €60 billion. It was hinted that they might lengthen the repayment of the older debt.

The Euro zone is in a mess. After a year of huge financial bail outs intended to calm the markets, the latter are very unstable, with a marked downward tendency. Signs of slowing global growth, and the continuing euro zone debt crisis, have caused the markets to slump. The nervousness of the markets is an accurate reflection of the growing anxiety of the bourgeois about the economic prospects for Europe.

The workers and youth of Greece picked up the thread of the revolutionary movement in Spain, showing that the mass struggles against capitalist injustice and slavery do not respect any borders. They ignore those that considered the vision of a worldwide movement against the social crimes of capital a utopia, but also those who spoke ironically during the last 24 hours of the supposed “passivity” of the Greek people.

We are very pleased to be able to publish this eyewitness report from Fran Bowman of the Irish Fightback Editorial Board who is in Madrid and has been able to participate in the demonstrations.

It leaps across frontiers, defying all barriers, it laughs at the threats and curses of the ruling class and it sweeps aside the forces of the state. It cannot be halted. The mass protests that are spreading from one country to another have caught all the forces of the old society by surprise. They do not know how to react. If they do nothing, the movement grows, but if they attempt to crush it, it will grow much more rapidly.