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By In Defence of Marxism
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Friday, 06 June 2008 |
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Supporters of the Marxist Tendency, then gathered around the
Militant journal in Britain,
intervened in the French events of May 1968. Here we provide the text of a
leaflet that was distributed to the British workers and youth. In it they
warned that with the way the French CP and trade union leaders were behaving
the French bourgeois could regain control of the situation.
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By Alan Woods
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Friday, 23 May 2008 |
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Alan Woods went to Paris
in May 1968 seeking contact with revolutionary workers and youth. He describes
here what he encountered, the mood, and the discussions with workers and students.
He explains how the workers were looking for leadership but never found it,
neither in the ultra-left groups, nor in the Stalinist leadership that betrayed
them.
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By Alan Woods
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Monday, 05 May 2008 |
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By May 27 the balance
of forces had massively shifted in favour of the working class. Power was
within their grasp. De Gaulle was utterly demoralised, but he had one key card
he could play, the leadership of the Communist Party and the trade unions.
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By Alan Woods
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Friday, 02 May 2008 |
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May 1968 was the greatest revolutionary general strike in history.
Then, as now, the bourgeois and their apologists were congratulating themselves
that revolutions and class struggle were things of the past. It took most of the
Left completely by surprise, because, they had all written off the European
working class as a revolutionary force.
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By M.C. in Paris
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Friday, 14 March 2008 |
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Last Sunday's first round in
the French local elections confirmed a widespread shift to the left, with
Sarkozy losing significant support. The Socialist Party did well, as did forces
that stand to its left. Here we wish to highlight the Marxist candidates
standing for the PCF in the area around Toulouse,
who significantly boosted the party's vote.
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By Mick Brooks
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Tuesday, 29 January 2008 |
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How do you lose £3.7 billion? Down the back of the sofa? Meet Jérôme Kerviel. He lost £3.7 billion of
his employer’s money, Société Générale, a French
bank. Is it actually a good argument for
capitalism that the whole world can be screwed up because of a solitary rogue
trader? Is the system really so precarious that one crook can send world
financial markets into freefall?
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By La Riposte
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Tuesday, 13 November 2007 |
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Sarkozy is consciously provoking some of the big battalions of
the French labour movement. His strategy is clear: take on the strong sections
of the class and, counting on the weak trade union leaders, smash them in order
to prepare the ground for an all-out attack on the rest of the class. The
stakes are high. With a bold, militant leadership the workers could win.
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By La Riposte - www.lariposte.com
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Tuesday, 19 June 2007 |
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The legislative elections in France, despite
giving a clear majority to the right, also marked the electoral recovery of the
left. French society is increasingly divided, and the divisions in parliament
will be reflected on the streets one way or another.
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By Greg Oxley in Paris
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Monday, 14 May 2007 |
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The main reason why
Sarkozy won the French elections is to be found in the policy of the Socialist
Party. Ségolène Royal’s party proposed nothing whatsoever which would make a
significant difference to the living standards of working people.
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By La Riposte - www.lariposte.com
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Wednesday, 09 May 2007 |
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For the
third consecutive time, the left has lost the presidential elections in France. Their
programme did not have one single measure to seriously improve the lot of the
victims of capitalism, through which they could have been enthused. This is the
editorial of this month’s Marxist paper La Riposte.
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By Greg Oxley - www.lariposte.com
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Tuesday, 24 April 2007 |
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Greg Oxley analyses the first round of the
presidential elections in France,
and explains the reasons for the generally poorer performance of the left
candidates.
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By La riposte - www.lariposte.com
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Friday, 22 December 2006 |
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The Haute-Garonne
federation of the French Young Communists (MJCF - the youth section
of the French Communist Party - PCF) elected an entirely new leadership
at the end of November. At its federal congress in Toulouse, an overwhelming majority of
delegates elected supporters of the Marxist journal La Riposte to lead
the federation.
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By Ted Grant
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Friday, 25 August 2006 |
Today, 62 years ago, Paris was liberated from the Nazis in a mass movement from below. "It has been this mass movement of the French workers, peasants
and middle class which has forced the retreat of the German army.
The culminating point, which has marked the entry of the French
masses once again onto the arena of history, was the insurrection
of the workers of Paris." We republish Ted Grant's article from 1944, analysing these significant events.
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By Greg Oxley - www.lariposte.com
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Thursday, 13 April 2006 |
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The withdrawal of the CPE is
a humiliating defeat for Chirac and the de Villepin government. They
came out of this ordeal completely discredited.
After the struggle
against pension reforms in 2003, against the referendum on the
European Constitution, and the revolt of the estates in November last year, the
massive mobilisation of youth and workers against the CPE constitutes
new evidence that France has entered an era of great social and
political instability.
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By Sindicato de Estudiantes
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Monday, 10 April 2006 |
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Representatives of the
Sindicato de Estudiantes (Students' Union) and the Marxist tendency
El Militante, together with several trade unionists, gathered in
front of the French embassy in Madrid last week to express their
rejection of the serious attack of the Chirac-Villepin-Sarkozy
government, which is attempting to impose the CPE on the French youth
and workers. See also the Spanish version.
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By Hubert Prévaud (CGT Airbus trade unionist) in Toulouse
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Friday, 07 April 2006 |
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We publish this report on
the week of anti-CPE activities in Toulouse. The report explains the
methods of the students and workers in their struggle and highlights
the need for decisive action on the part of the trade unions to
guarantee victory.
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By In Defence of Marxism
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Thursday, 06 April 2006 |
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The In Defence of Marxism
website interviewed Stephen Bouquin, professor of sociology at Amiens
university and member of the SNES-Sup union (Syndicat National des
Enseignements de Second degré) about the recent events in
France.
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By our correspondent in Paris
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Wednesday, 05 April 2006 |
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The movement in France has been
building up momentum. There have now been five very successful days
of action, each being bigger than the preceding one. The danger now
is that the union leaders fall into the trap being prepared by the
right-wing government, opening up pointless negotiations aimed at
tiring out the workers and youth. There should be no dithering.
Organise a 24-hour general strike now!
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By our correspondent in Paris
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Tuesday, 04 April 2006 |
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A massive demonstration
marched through the streets of Paris today, April 4, on the national
day of action against the hated First Employment Contract introduced
by the right-wing government of de Villepin. According to the CGT,
more than 700,000 people participated in the demonstration, making it
bigger than the one on March 28.
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By Coordination of high school and university students
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Monday, 03 April 2006 |
We publish the appeal adopted by the
Coordination of high school and university students which met in
Lille on April 1 and 2. Also available in French.
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By La Riposte - www.lariposte.com
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Monday, 03 April 2006 |
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We publish this statement by La Riposte
on the latest developments in France. The intervention of President
Chirac had the opposite effect of what was intended. The mobilisation
of students is reaching historic levels. Now is the time for a
massive mobilisation of the working class in a 24-hour general
strike. Also available in French.
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By our correspondent in Paris
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Monday, 03 April 2006 |
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After President Chirac’s intervention
and the refusal of the government to back down, the only way to
defeat the CPE is for an all out mobilisation of the working class
for a 24-hour general strike to bring down the government.
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By Mikael Duthu
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Thursday, 30 March 2006 |
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As we reported, French workers and students took to the
streets on Tuesday, March 28, in a massive way. The only way the
workers and youth can move forward to victory and avoid falling into
tiredness and disappointment, is by declaring a proper and effective
general strike aimed not only at the withdrawal of the Contrat
Première Embauche but also at the unseating of the current
government, which has by far overrun its mandate.
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By Greg Oxley in Paris
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Tuesday, 28 March 2006 |
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Today’s
strikes and demonstrations brought over three million workers onto
the streets of France, with 700,000 marchers in Paris and 250,000 in
Marseille. In the last 60 years, this movement has only been equalled
by those of the revolutionary events of May and June 1968. It is
provoking serious divisions right at the top of the ruling class, a
clear symptom of revolutionary developments.
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By Jérôme Métellus (PCF Paris) - www.lariposte.com
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Tuesday, 28 March 2006 |
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Today millions of French workers and youth demonstrated against the hated CPE. Here we are publishing the text of a leaflet produced for the occasion by the French Marxists of La Riposte.
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By Greg Oxley - www.lariposte.com
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Tuesday, 21 March 2006 |
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A new and particularly
vicious attack on the basic rights of young workers has led to a
spectacular upsurge of protest and struggle in France. Once again,
millions of students and workers have taken to the streets to defend
their interests against the most reactionary government ever seen in
France since the Vichy regime at the time of the Second World War.
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By Greg Oxley
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Monday, 20 March 2006 |
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The situation in France highlights all the contradictions of European
capitalism and clearly indicates where the rest of Europe is going. Here
Greg Oxley comments on the situation. Listen to the interview here (mp3 file).
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By Mikael Duthu
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Thursday, 16 March 2006 |
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France is in the
middle of its second youth revolt in the span of just a few months
time. Students and workers all across France are mobilising against
the proposed First Employment Contract. A national demonstration will
be held this weekend against the proposed legislation, and some 1 to
1.5 million people are expected to turn out. The stage is being set
for a decisive battle between the working class and the Villepin
government.
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By In Defence of Marxism
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Wednesday, 01 February 2006 |
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On January 28 and 29 a memorial meeting was held at the Institute of Political Studies at Grenoble University to pay homage to the life and works of Pierre Broué, that outstanding Marxist historian and revolutionary. Among the speakers were Alan Woods, Celia Hart and Trotsky’s grandson, Esteban Volkov. |
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By Greg Oxley
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Tuesday, 08 November 2005 |
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The revolt of the youth on the estates of cities right across France reflects a deep malaise within French society, especially among the most downtrodden layers. You cannot coop up unemployed immigrant youth in the dreary estates on the outskirts of France’s cities, leave them without hope, oppressed and discriminated against, and expect life to continue as normal. This eruption of violent protest is an indication of a wider movement that will affect every layer of French society in the coming period, particularly the working class and its organisations. |
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By Greg Oxley
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Friday, 07 October 2005 |
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Over one
million workers and youth participated in the mass demonstrations during the
national day of action in France on October 4, in which some 100 000 marched in
Paris. This new high point in the recent history of the workers’ movement is a
further indication of the explosive social and political situation that exists
in France. The day of action, which included public sector strikes, was
supported by all the main trade union organisations. |
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By Francesco Giliani and Paolo Brini*
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Monday, 29 August 2005 |
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As we announced a few
weeks ago, on July 25, Pierre Broué passed away. We have published several
articles remembering the role this remarkable man played in the development of the
ideas of Marxism. Here we publish a piece by two Italian Marxists that gives an
interesting insight into the life of Pierre Broué, based on several long
conversations with him in the final years of his life, and on a thorough
reading of his works. |
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By Jean-Pierre Juy (translation from ZNet)
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Wednesday, 10 August 2005 |
English translation of
Pierre.
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By Greg Oxley
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Wednesday, 03 August 2005 |
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Greg Oxley of the French Marxist journal, La Riposte, pays tribute to the outstanding revolutionary, Pierre Brou�. |
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By Alan Woods
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Monday, 01 August 2005 |
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Pierre Broué, French historian, Trotskyist militant, and editor of the Cahiers Leon Trotsky,
passed away in the early hours of Wednesday morning. His loss will be
mourned by working class militants and revolutionaries everywhere.
In Spanish: En memoria de Pierre Broué (1926-2005) |
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By Jean-Pierre Juy
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Monday, 01 August 2005 |
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J'ai connu Pierre il y aura 4O ans dans quelques semaines. J'arrivais à Sciences Politiques Grenoble. Déjà étudiant en économie, venant ici pour tenter de comprendre ma propre histoire, ce professeur m'offrait, de mon point de vue, la meilleure introduction à ce que je venais chercher. Un professeur étonnant. Il n'arrivait pas pour nous lire ce qu'il avait écrit auparavant. Il prenait place devant nous pour un moment de création imtellectuelle. Pour moi, les cours de Broué c'était la pensée vivante en action. |
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By Greg Oxley
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Monday, 30 May 2005 |
 The referendum in France on the European Constitution has resulted in a decisive defeat for the ruling class. In spite of a particularly intense campaign by the media, the UMP government and the right-wing of the Socialist Party, 55% of voters have rejected the treaty.
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By Greg Oxley
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Wednesday, 30 March 2005 |
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 |
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By MC
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Tuesday, 15 February 2005 |
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More than half a million public and private sector workers demonstrated
on February 5 against proposals to scrap the 35-hour week, while
100,000 school students came on the streets to protest against
education reform on February 10. The class struggle in France has
suddenly spluttered back into life after more than eighteen months of
relative slumber.
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By Alan Woods
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Thursday, 09 October 2003 |
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Pierre Broue is internationally renowned for his tireless work as a historian of
the international revolutionary movement. His histories of the Bolshevik Party,
the Communist International, the Spanish Revolution, and above all his recent
Life of Trotsky have been widely admired. His latest book on the Left Opposition
is yet another major contribution by this outstanding Trotskyist writer, who has
dedicated his life to the fight for international socialism.
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By Greg Oxley
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Friday, 04 July 2003 |
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France has made the headlines in the recent period thanks to a wave of
strikes mainly aimed at stopping the government's attacks on pensions. The
militancy of the French workers however was not matched by their own trade union
leaders, who played a key role in fragmenting and confusing the movement. The
workers will draw their own conclusions over the coming period. |
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By Greg Oxley
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Monday, 19 May 2003 |
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On Tuesday, May 13, two million workers in more than 120 different towns demonstrated against the right-wing government in France. The public sector workers were massively represented, but tens of thousands of private sector workers were also on the demonstrations. The demonstrations on May 13 were a magnificent show of the strength and determination of workers and youth throughout France. |
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By MC
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Thursday, 28 November 2002 |
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Tuesday November 26 saw the biggest mobilisation of workers since the victory of the right-wing in presidential and parliamentary elections six months ago. The main demonstration that took place in Paris saw 70-80,000 public sector workers on the streets following a call by the 3 main federations, CGT, CFDT and FO. This march took place in parallel to a number of similar strikes and rallies up and down the country. The movement was principally called in response to the government's plans to privatise and downsize large swathes of the public sector.
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By Greg Oxley
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Friday, 04 October 2002 |
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On October 3, anything up to 100,000 workers demonstrated through the streets of Paris against the Raffarin government. The main focus of the demands put forward on the demonstration was opposition to the privatisation of EDF-GDF planned by the Raffarin government, the defence of the 35 hour week, defence of pensions, together with demands for higher wages and job security. |
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By Alan Woods
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Monday, 20 May 2002 |
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After the elections last week in the Netherlands, the attention of the world's media concentrated on the spectacular advance of the so-called Fortuyn's List - the ad hoc right-wing, anti-immigrant formation formed around the recently assassinated Pim Fortuyn. Coming hard on the heels of the electoral advance of Le Pen in France, many people are asking whether politics in Europe is headed for the right, and whether there is the threat of fascism once again in Europe. |
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By Fred Weston
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Wednesday, 08 May 2002 |
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Chirac has won the French presidential elections by 82.2% to Le Pen's 17.8%. This is more or less what the opinion polls were predicting. There was never any doubt that Chirac would win. As we said, many workers would vote for Chirac reluctantly. But the victory of Chirac has solved absolutely nothing. The task in the coming period is to defeat the right wing as a whole - Chirac and Le Pen. This can only done by mobilising all the forces of the labour movement around genuine socialist policies. |
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By MC
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Friday, 03 May 2002 |
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This is an eyewitness report of the May Day demonstrations in Paris, which witnessed some of the biggest demonstrations since the revolutionary movement of 1968 and the liberation from Nazi occupation in 1944. |
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By Alan Woods
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Tuesday, 23 April 2002 |
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The result of the first round of the French presidential elections was a political earthquake, which has shaken the country to its foundations. Within hours, in the best tradition of the French movement, there was a spontaneous explosion of popular protest. Anti-Le Pen demonstrators immediately poured onto the streets of Paris and other cities. The growth of votes for the radical right and left is more than a protest, it is a reflection of a growing polarisation between the classes. If the right wins in France because of the failure of reformism, a new and stormy chapter will open up in the the revolutionary process taking place all over Europe. |
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By Greg Oxley
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Monday, 22 April 2002 |
On the evening of April 21, spontaneous demonstrations took place in almost all major towns and cities in France. For the first time since 1969, all the left candidates, including the socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, were eliminated in the first round, leaving Chirac and the extreme right-wing candidate Le Pen left in the race. This devastating defeat is the direct consequence of the policies carried out by Jospin, and also by the leadership of the Communist Party.
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By MC
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Monday, 22 April 2002 |
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This is a short eye-witness report of the spontaneous demonstration that took place in Paris on Sunday night. |
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By Greg Oxley
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Wednesday, 21 March 2001 |
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The results of the municipal elections in France, whilst marking a setback for the right-wing parties in Paris and Lyon, are nonetheless a very serious warning for socialist, communist and trade union activists. Greg Oxley, of the French Marxist paper La Riposte explains how the pro-capitalist policies of the Jospin government have failed to arouse any enthusiasm amongst the workers and youth. |
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