Europe

Socialistisk Standpunkt,the Marxist tendency in Denmark is being threatened with expulsion from the SUF (the Socialistisk UngdomsFront). The reason is very clear: the influence of the genuine ideas of Marxism has been growing for some time within the SUF. Not able to answer the political arguments of the Marxists, the leadership of the SUF is now trying to remove them bureaucratically. Please add your name to the protest against the threatened expulsions.

Ukraine has yet again been plunged into a political crisis as the President attempts to dissolve Parliament. The two camps of capitalist cronies that squared off in the so-called Orange Revolution are back at it for round two. The working class has no interest in supporting either camp, and must build an independent position.

Sacked Amicus Press Officer and deposed former editor of the Amicus Unity Gazette, Des Heemskerk, has won his tribunal case for unfair dismissal from his job in the union.

The UK's Finance Minister (and hopeful for the Labour leadership after Blair) Gordon Brown presented his last budget yesterday. The announced income tax cuts in reality are being taken back by increased tax rates for some of the poorest households while the richest income earners would benefit the most.

Friday, March 2, witnessed a huge mobilisation of the Portuguese working class with 150,000 workers on the streets of Lisbon protesting against the “centre-left” Socialist government's economic policies. Not since the glorious days of the revolution of the 1970s have we seen such a mobilisation.

Greek capitalism is beginning to give at the seams. The days of relative calm are over. Now there is little room for manoeuvre and the system has no choice but to go on the offensive against the workers and youth. This became evident last week when the police attacked a 30,000-strong student demonstration with a brutality not seen since the days of the hated military junta in the 1970s.

The power-sharing executive involving Sinn Fein, the DUP and others, that should emerge from last week’s elections to Stormont, will be called on to apply the anti-working class policies dictated from London. Socialist Republicans now face the task of offering a class alternative.

Airbus workers throughout Europe have reacted with anger to the announcement on 28 February of the axing of 10,000 jobs at its plants in Europe as part of its "Power 8" plan. Following the announcement, Airbus workers responded with walk-outs and stoppages in France and Germany.

Copenhagen erupted over the weekend as a series of demonstrations against the tearing down of the Youth House turned violent. Similar to events in France in 2005, however, what the riots reflect is the accumulated anger of thousands of people, caused by a capitalist system completely incapable of providing a future for workers and youth.

As Blair prepares to hand over leadership of the Labour Party to Brown, opinion polls reveal how low support for Labour has fallen. We face the real prospect of a return of the Tories at the next general election. Blairism has failed abysmally and it is time to change course and adopt genuine socialist policies.

Behind the term “private equity” hides good old “asset stripping” or “corporate raiders with junk bonds”. It is not about making profits from making things and selling them. It’s about making money from money, buying up companies, stripping them and putting them back on the market with a mountain of debt. Or to use a simpler term, it’s capitalism.

The new Conservative government in Sweden immediately launched a programme of cuts and attacks on the working class upon coming to power. With a massive round of contract negotiations coming up this spring, however, the stage is being set for a major explosion of the class struggle.