Europe

On Saturday 26 November, a national demonstration was called in Rome as part of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. There were possibly around 10,000 on the demonstration, at most: far fewer than the 100,000 or so of previous years.

The UK’s highest court has blocked Scottish hopes for a second independence referendum. SNP leaders are now looking to the next general election. But only mass struggle by workers and youth can break the deadlock, one way or another.

We were delighted to announce recently the republication by Wellred Books of Alan Woods’ Ireland: Republicanism and Revolution, the first edition of which came out in 2005 and has long been out of print. The brand new introduction to the book, which we publish below, draws out the processes that have been developing in Ireland in the years that have passed since: from the burgeoning crisis of capitalism, to the rise of Sinn Féin in the North and South, and the reemergence of the border question under Brexit.

Marxism 2022, this year's revolutionary school of the IMT in Sweden, was special. As the working class is reawakening in one European country after another, the relevance of the ideas of Marxism has never been more evident. Sweden is no exception, as proven by the fact that thousands of miners in Kiruna and Malmberget – defying the union bureaucracy – have just raised a radical demand for a 20 percent wage increase.

Revolutionære Socialister, the Danish section of the IMT, recently held its annual ‘Revolution Festival’. With more than 110 attendees from across Denmark, the festival was an unequivocal success. Comrades and guests left the festival with a higher level of understanding of Marxism and revolutionary theory, as well as a renewed will and energy to fight for the overthrow of the capitalist system.

Late on Tuesday, the world was shocked to hear the Polish president’s statement that his country had been hit by a Russian missile (or missiles).

In April 2022, Viktor Orbán secured a fourth consecutive electoral victory in Hungary. His party, Fidesz, won over 54 percent of the vote, the highest vote share by any party since the restoration of capitalism in Hungary. But a lot can change in seven months. Now, public discontent with the economic crisis is rising, and the working class and youth are beginning to take action, despite the government’s divisive demagogy.

12-13 November saw a whole weekend of discussions on Marxist theory and revolutionary strategy, involving more than 120 school and university students, apprentices, and workers from all over Germany, as well as Austria, Switzerland and Great Britain. This was a great success for the German Marxists!

On Sunday 13 November, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Madrid against the criminal health policy of Isabel Díaz Ayuso's right-wing Community of Madrid Government, and in defence of public health. Ayuso, whose colossal arrogance is equivalent to her ignorance and idiocy, is beginning to see her popular support undermined, even among the middle-class elements that formerly supported her. What is needed is a final push to bring her down.

When Russia's defence minister appeared on state media to report that he had ordered a withdrawal from the west bank of the Dnipro River, including from the city of Kherson situated on the east bank, the news was immediately hailed by the western media as a great victory for the Ukrainian army.

What a huge success! Last weekend, 216 workers, high school and university students took part in the ‘Marxist Autumn School’ in Bern, to educate themselves about Marxist theory, and prepare for the Swiss and world revolution. This was the biggest event ever organised by the Swiss section of the International Marxist Tendency. The forces of Marxism are on the march!