Germany

See also our section in German and the Web page of the German Marxist magazine Der Funke

• Early elections in Germany – a reflection of a deep crisis
  The political situation in Germany is changing rapidly as one political earthquake has been followed by another over the last few days. In last Sunday’s regional elections, Chancellor Schröder’s Social Democratic Party lost its traditional stronghold in North Rhine Westphalia . The SPD saw their share of the vote fall to a level not seen since the mid-1950s. By Hans Gerd Öfinger (May 26, 2005)

• The struggle to defend the 35-hour week in Germany
  In 1984 there was a militant mood at the May Day rallies as the print workers and engineering workers in Germany prepared for an offensive struggle to achieve a reduction of the workweek without loss of pay. On May Day 2005, 21 years later, a new round of defensive battles to defend the 35-hour week started in the German printing industry. By Hans Gerd Öfinger (May 6, 2005)

• Wildcat strike at the Bochum Opel plant (Germany)
  Six days that shook General Motors
  The wildcat strike at the Opel plant in Bochum, Germany lasted for six days. It reflected the growing militant mood of the German workers. The situation at Opel also highlights the serious difficulties German capitalism is facing. And yet suddenly after six days the workers voted to go back to work. What was behind this decision? Hans-Gerd Öfinger explains how the trade union officialdom did everything in their power to bring the strike to an end. (November 1, 2004)

• Opel has a future – in the hands of the workers
  The German comrades of Der Funke issued a leaflet that was given out at the Opel factory in Bochum explaining the need for common ownership of the factories. Read the leaflet in English.

• To the Vauxhall workers (and GM workers elsewhere)
  This is an appeal for the Opel workers in the Bochum plant in Germany. Download the leaflet as a PDF file.

• Germany: “Class struggle on Monday...” and more and more during the rest of the week as well
  This summer Germany was hit by a wave of “Monday” demonstrations against the severe austerity measures of the Schröder government. This reflects the growing polarisation within German society. There are moves to the left of the SPD, while on the extreme right the NPD is picking up votes. These are the first rumblings of the class struggle that is to come. By Hans Gerd Öfinger and Erik Demeester (September 24, 2004)

• European Elections in Germany: SPD stumbling from defeat to defeat
  The vote for the German SPD in the recent European elections revealed a disastrous collapse. It is the price the party pays for pushing a Blairite agenda of cuts and attacks on the welfare state. The German workers do not want this. Large numbers abstained, rather than vote for the Christian Democrats, who also lost votes. On the left, the PDS recovered from its bad showing in 1999. By Hans-Gerd Öfinger (June 22, 2004)

• Perspectives for the German economy in 2004
  The German economy is the largest in Europe. Since the recession of 2001, the German government has been claiming an economic upswing is imminent. But are these predictions realistic? Christoph Mürdter analyses the real direction of the German economy.(May, 2004)

• Social unrest in Germany - only the tip of the iceberg
  Germany has entered a new period of unrest and instability as the Schröder government is pursuing attack after attack - on the welfare state, the working class, the unemployed, the poor, the sick, old age pensioners. This is against the interests of the working class, the majority of the population and especially those who secured a narrow re-election of chancellor Gerhard Schröder's coalition just 14 months ago. By Hans-Gerd Öfinger (November 28, 2003)

• Crisis opens up in IG Metall after the defeat in the East German strike for the 35 hour week
  Unprecedented attacks on so-called "old fashioned" unions and "stubborn" and "hardline" union officials who allegedly are out to sabotage the "modernisation" and "flexibilisation" of the economy, have been stirred up by Germany's mass media in recent months. IG Metall, the world's biggest industrial union with a membership of 2.5 million, has been passing through a major crisis this summer. By Hans-Gerd Öfinger (September 4, 2003)

• Germany: Schröder declares war on welfare state
  Now that the war in Iraq is over attention in Germany is being concentrated on Schroder's 'Agenda 2010'. This is an outright attack on the rights of German workers and it is already producing its effects both in the trade unions and in the SPD. The demand for a general strike has already been raised in the movement. By Hans-Gerd Öfinger (May 27, 2003).

• Germany after the antiwar movement - Conflict between unions and government inevitable (May 12, 2003).

• Germany: widespread opposition to war leads to massive student mobilisation and strike action. (March 27, 2003)

• Berlin: 100,000 commemorate the murder of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht
  On Sunday, January 12, 2003, 100,000 people came to the Berlin socialist memorial cemetery in the Eastern suburb of Friedrichsfelde to commemorate the murder of Rosa and Karl. On the day prior to the big demonstration, the German left wing daily, Junge Welt held their traditional Rosa Luxemburg conference which this time attracted well over 1100 people - considerably more than in previous years. This year, the speeches and debates centred around the question of imperialism and war. As we reported last week, one of the main speakers in the first session was Alan Woods from In Defence of Marxism who spoke on Europe, America and imperialism. We are also providing some photos of the event. By Hans-Gerd Öfinger.

• German elections: Right wing defeated - but only a short honeymoon for Schröder
  Edmund Stoiber, a leading reactionary Christian Democratic leader was defeated in the German elections last Sunday, though by a narrow margin. There was a sigh of relief on the part of many SPD activists, trade unionists and youth up and down the country. The threat of a Stoiber victory mobilised the SPD and green vote, but against the background of a severe economic crisis, all sorts of conflicts will open up, and major disappointment and anger on the part of workers and youth will be on the order of the day. By Hans-Gerd Öfinger. (September 23, 2002)

• Is Germany faced with a right wing election victory?
  Hans-Gerd Öfinger, from the editorial board of the German Marxist magazine Der Funke looks to the prospects for the upcoming elections in September. With Schröder's uninspiring Blairite policies, voter absention could well open the door to the Christian Democrats who were so sounded defeated four years ago. (July 25, 2002)

• Corruption scandal shakes Germany´s Christian Democrats
  In Germany, the new millenium has been ushered in by a party financing and corruption scandal which was more exciting than many thrillers and caused a political earthquake of unprecedented dimensions. March 14th, 2000, Hans-Gerd Öfinger, German Marxist magazine 'Der Funke'

• Germany: SPD's Third Way, a recipe for disaster
  Things are changing fast in Germany. In September 1998, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) scored a big victory in the Bundestag elections, ousting the bourgeois coalition under Kohl which had held power for 16 years. The new "red-green" coalition government under chancellor Schröder was greeted with great hope by millions of workers, unemployed, old age pensioners and youth. Now the SPD as well as the Greens are stumbling from defeat to catastrophe to disaster. Hans- Gerd ÷finger, Editor of the German Marxist magazine Der Funke, October 20th, 1999.

• Elections in Germany Landslide Defeat for Kohl - Victory for the Left
  A historic defeat for chancellor Kohl and a clear victory for the left are the most outstanding features of the German election on September 27. After exactly 16 years of Kohl in office, German workers and youth said: enough is enough. German is now likely to be governed by a coalition of Social Democrats and Greens. Hans Gerd Ofinger analyses the implications from Germany. September 28, 1998 Visit also the new web site of the German Marxist magazine Funke