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By André Gonsalis
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Monday, 29 October 2007 |
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The recent internal
leadership elections in the Flemish Socialist Party revealed a very militant
mood in the ranks of the party. The two left candidates Erik De Bruyn and Elke
Heirman received an amazing 33.6% of the votes, preparing the ground for the
re-emergence of s strong left wing in the party.
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By Wim Benda
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Friday, 14 September 2007 |
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The Belgian Socialist
Party has been dominated by a right-wing bureaucracy for some time now, but
something has been brewing in the ranks lately. This has now suddenly erupted
and come to the surface with the Antwerp branch nominating Erik De Bruyn, a
known Marxist and promoter of the left of the Party, “SP.a Rood”. An apparently
small incident has provoked an earthquake within the party.
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By Hands Off Venezuela Belgium
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Friday, 22 December 2006 |
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HOV
Belgium
participated in organising a large meeting of some 350 people in solidarity
with the Venezuelan Revolution. With a packed agenda, important speakers from both Belgium and Venezuela spoke on the revolution
and the need for solidarity. Meetings such as this show concretely that the
ideas and the message of the Venezuelan revolution are spreading well beyond
the borders of the Latin American country.
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By Erik Demeester in Brussels
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Tuesday, 01 November 2005 |
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On October 28 another massive strike shook Belgium. This time all the unions were involved. In spite of all the attempts of the government and the bosses to sabotage it, the workers took part in large numbers and 100,000 marched through the streets of Brussels. Things are moving very fast now. |
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By Erik Demeester
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Wednesday, 19 October 2005 |
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On Friday, October 7, there was a massive general strike in Belgium, the first for 12 years, called by Socialist ABVV-FGTB union. In spite of all attempts to make it fail, the workers came out in great numbers both in Flanders and Wallonia. Since then the pressure has built up. Strikes have broken in different parts of the country. The Christian union has now been forced to back the movement and a new general strike is being prepared for October 28. Class struggle is back on the agenda in Belgium, and with a bang. |
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By Erik Demeester
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Thursday, 06 October 2005 |
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After years
of so-called consensus politics the Belgian workers have had enough of longer
hours, cuts in welfare, speed-ups and they are coming out tomorrow in a massive
general strike. The mood is one of bitter anger and determination to win.
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By Maarten Vanheuverswyn and Wim Benda
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Wednesday, 15 December 2004 |
Last month, the far right Vlaams Blok changed its name to Vlaams
Belang, supposedly to be a “nicer” and “more polished up” version of
its former ultra right image. They want to present themselves as a
strong conservative party, a “respectable” alternative on which the
ruling class can rely to carry out its attacks on the working class.
Even in small and peaceful Belgium, all the contradictions are piling
up, waiting to explode in one way or another. |
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By Behzad Javaheri
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Wednesday, 12 November 2003 |
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The Belgian government, together with other EU countries, has declared
Iran a "safe country", by which they mean that no-one is in danger of
state repression there. This is clearly a manoeuvre. Iran remains one
of the most dangerous countries for anyone struggling for genuine human
rights, and particularly workers' rights. Support the 250 asylum
seekers! |
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By Erik Demeester
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Monday, 19 May 2003 |
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The recent Belgian elections underline one thing, a deepening social and
political polarisation, in line with what is happening in the rest of Europe.
Erik Demeester in Brussels analyses the results. |
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By Filip Staes
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Tuesday, 21 January 2003 |
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Filip Staes reports on last weekend's antiwar demonstration in Brussels
and on the 'shipspotting' activities of the Anti-War Committees set up by the
supporters of Vonk in Antwerp. Antwerp has grown in importance for the war
effort as a large part of the military hardware for the Gulf is transported
through this port. |
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By Erik Demeester
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Thursday, 05 December 2002 |
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Within a few days tens of thousands of workers and young people will come from
whole over Europe to Brussels to protest against the EU, capitalist
globalisation in Europe and the rest of the world and the new war in
Afghanistan. These demonstrations are the next stage in the cycle of
mobilisations started in Seattle and which culminated in the 300.000 strong
demonstration in Genoa. Erik Demeester from the Editorial Board of Vonk/Unité, the Belgian Marxist paper for labour and youth, looks briefly at what's at stake in these
protests. |
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By Vonk
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Wednesday, 04 December 2002 |
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This is the text of a four-language leaflet produced by Vonk/Unité
for the Brussels demonstrations. |
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By Misha Van Herck
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Friday, 22 November 2002 |
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Misha Van Herck from Belgium explains how the main European harbours are set
to play a vital role in the war preparations against Iraq. They can only be ‘replaced’
at a very high cost. Its is clear that without at least the passive
collaboration of Belgium and Europe a war against Iraq would be impossible. The
ports of Northern Europe will be filled with military equipment, supplies and
ammunition. |
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By Erik Demeester
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Wednesday, 08 May 2002 |
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This a report from Belgium about the May Day events and the left posturing of the social-democratic leaders |
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By Erik Demeester
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Friday, 16 November 2001 |
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Only superlatives and historical comparisons can help us to understand the scope of the
sudden collapse of the Sabena airline and the new commotion it has provoked in Belgium.
As one trade union leader put it: "Our society is going from one shock to the other."
In just one day 12,000 workers have lost their jobs and 36,000 jobs in service-providing
companies are now in jeopardy. This amounts to the biggest single bankruptcy since the
second world war. |
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By Erik Demeester
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Tuesday, 24 October 2000 |
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The petrol price
hike in the last few months
has added fuel to the already existing social discontent in Belgium.
Very soon after the
truckers in France and the rest of Europe had paralysed their
respective countries in the
first half of September, the industrial workers in the South of
Belgium took over and
launched their own action, demonstrations and strikes to stop the
further dwindling of the
value of their income. |
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By Pierre Dorremans
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Wednesday, 19 April 2000 |
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The night of January 17th 1961 Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba, was shot
dead in Katanga. Forty years later a new book by Belgian sociologist Ludo De Witte
uncovers proof of what everyone already knew: the complicity of the Belgian government and
the United Nations in this crime. Pierre Dorremans looks at the political background of
this case and explains the politics of Lumumba. |
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By Socialist Appeal Editorial Board
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Wednesday, 23 October 1996 |
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The dismissal of judge Connerotte in October 1996 sparked a mass
movement which shocked the whole society in Belgium. Ordinary people
were no longer afraid of challenging the state institutions: the
police, the judges, the government, even the King. A Marxist analysis
on the causes and effects of such a movement. The dismissal of judge
Connerotte in October 1996 sparked a mass movement which shocked the
whole society in Belgium. Ordinary people were no longer afraid of
challenging the state institutions: the police, the judges, the
government, even the King. A Marxist analysis on the causes and effects
of such a movement. |
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