Lessons of the European elections

The June 13 European elections delivered an unmistakable message: the overwhelming majority of the European population sharply rejects the course being followed by the European Union and European governments. The election result was a plebiscite against the free-market economic policies, welfare cuts and militarism that constitute the political agenda of official Europe. more...

European governments rocked by EU election results

European parliamentary elections held in the 25 member countries of the European Union (EU) June 10-13 were marked by record levels of voter abstention and dramatic losses for governing parties across the continent. more...

European elections: Socialist Equality Party of Germany receives nearly 26,000 votes

The German Socialist Equality Party (Partei für Soziale Gleichheit – PSG) recorded its best ever result in European elections held on June 13th. Its joint list of candidates for all 16 German states received a total of 25,824 votes. more...

Silence on the Iraq war and defence of the headscarf ban

Lutte Ouvrière (LO) held its annual festival on May 28-30 on the outskirts of Paris. The organisation, which claims to be Trotskyist, is one of the main radical left tendencies in France. In 2002, its presidential candidate Arlette Laguiller received 6 percent of the vote. LO is standing a joint slate in the European Union (EU) elections on June 13 with the Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire (LCR). more...

Britain: Royal Mail plans worker buyout

The Royal Mail, according to an article in the Times of May 28, is currently discussing the idea of selling a substantial part of its postal business to its employees. The move is seen as a partial privatisation from inside the business in order to head off a full privatisation being pushed by the government appointed postal regulator, Postcomm. more...

Berlin: Successful rally concludes PSG European election campaign

On Saturday June 5 the German Social Equality Party (PSG) held the main meeting in its European election campaign in the German capital of Berlin. Over 100 participants attended, with many traveling from some of the main cities in both the former west and east of the country. The contributions and discussion centered on the implications of the war in Iraq, the crisis of American imperialism and its consequences for European political developments. Three speakers addressed the meeting. more...

German chancellor Schröder declares his support for Bush

At the beginning of this week, the tug of war over the formulation of a United Nations resolution designed to give the Bush government international backing for further US action in Iraq entered a new round. more...

Germany: Former SPD chairman Lafontaine defends police torture

Oskar Lafontaine – former minister president of the Saarland, former SPD (Social Democratic Party) chairman and finance minister of the Schröder government, columnist for the Bild tabloid, and supporter of Attac – has publicly advocated the torture of suspects by the police. more...

Blair government’s strategy to police Britain’s Muslims leaked

The May 30 Sunday Times newspaper has leaked confidential papers discussing a government project code-named “Contest,” which is meant to tackle mass social and political disaffection amongst the UK’s 1.6 million Muslims. Its aim is more narrowly conceived, however, with its primary purpose seen as curbing the influence of Islamic fundamentalism. more...

German foreign minister in Washington – cowardice personified

For millions of people in the Middle East, Europe and the US the torture photos from Abu Ghraib have delivered the final proof and confirmed something they knew, or at least suspected, for a long time – the war against Iraq is nothing other than a brutal imperialist war of conquest. more...

Siemens of Germany shifts jobs and cuts wages

At the start of May, Siemens management announced the relocation of 2,000 jobs from its factories at Bocholt and Kamp-Lintfort am Niederrhein to Hungary, where, due to significantly lower wages, production costs are considerably lower than in Germany. Siemens currently still employs 4,500 workers in the production of mobile phones at the plants. more...

No to the European Union – Yes to the United Socialist States of Europe

The U-turn by Prime Minister Tony Blair in accepting the need for a referendum on the proposed constitution for the European Union (EU) has provoked a political crisis in Britain and Europe. more...

France: Amiens meeting discusses SEP campaigns in Europe and US

Peter Schwarz, WSWS editorial board member and leading member of the Partei für Soziale Gleichheit (the German Socialist Equality Party) addressed a meeting organised by the WSWS readers group in Amiens on May 3. The gathering marked the launch in France of an international campaign in support of the US and European SEP candidates in this year’s elections. more...

The consequences of eastward expansion of the European Union

European heads of government will celebrate the eastward expansion of the European Union (EU) on May 1 with a pompous ceremony held at a castle in the Irish capital of Dublin. Their speeches will emphasise this “historic moment” that will make Europe “bigger, more united and peaceful” (Die Zeit). more...

German SEP gains official ballot status for European elections

On Friday, April 16, the German national electoral commission met in Berlin to decide which parties can participate in the European elections due to be held June 13. With all the votes of members of the election commission, the German Social Equality Party was granted official ballot status. more...