But the shortcomings of Syriza’s leadership are obvious and endangering this possible popular victory. They have had nearly half a year to dissolve the widespread paradigm within the popular masses of being able to ending austerity while maintaining the Euro. All Greek attempts to pressurize Berlin into a “compromise with dignity” along the last months clearly taught that this is completely impossible. Instead of helping the people to understand the need of a rupture dissolving the impossible electoral mandate of January, instead of openly and convincingly preparing a plan B, Syriza keeps sticking to the contra factual idea that they can soften austerity within the Euro regime. They presented the referendum as nothing more than the last bargaining chip to threaten the troika into … [read more]

For six months, after its January 2015 election victory, the SYRIZA government began negotiations with the EU. In these negotiations SYRIZA was confronted with the stubborn and increasing intransigence of EU and its companion institutions (the ECB and the IMF). SYRIZA very soon accepted the logic and the structure of the troika program; that is the Economic Adjustment Program for Greece popularly called the Memorandum. It simply tried to modify it by making it less front-loaded (i.e. delaying the implementation of reductions in pensions and hidden wage cuts, reducing fiscal primary surplus targets and thus making fiscal policy less austere). It also asked for facilitating debt servicing (by rolling back debt, leveraging and ‘financial engineering’) and an increase in aid funds … [read more]

The NO vote will be a vote for confrontation with the EU and not for a renegotiation with it. The delegations and the participants of the Athens anti-EU Forum call for a massive popular NO to old and new memoranda, to unemployment, to austerity, to the infringement of social and political rights, to the abolition of national sovereignty, a NO to debt, to euro and the EU! They call for a common front of struggle of all the popular and democratic forces for a victory of the NO vote. The breakdown of the negotiations of Greece and the EU prove beyond doubt the true nature of the EU and its companion institutions (the ECB and the IMF): They represent the interests of capitalists and bankers. They impose neoliberal policies. They undermine democracy. They suppress popular and national … [read more]

1. Seven years since the outburst of the financial crisis, we see the European Union becoming even more reactionary, anti-popular and neoliberal. Austerity is the pan-european recipe, and no-one is allowed to question it. The most anti-popular policies are today inscribed in the EU flag and the euro-constitution. This is not just a coincidental direction. Neoliberalism, austerity, the cancellation of social rights, the degradation of the world of work are deeply inscribed in the nature of EU. European Union was at the center of the global crisis and it proved once again that it cannot change, be reformed or be improved. On the contrary, the member states of EU are imposing increasingly harsher policies for the social majority, and increasingly favorable policies for the banks, the large … [read more]

After the arrest, he was charged with assault on the territorial integrity of Ukraine, becoming another political prisoner. Alexander Bondarchuk had participated in the struggle against NATO, were protesting against the rehabilitation of Ukrainian supporters of Hitler, and that this activity was the main reason for his arrest. Alexander Bondarchuk also headed the All-Ukrainian Union of workers – the trade Union that fought for workers' rights in Ukraine. The arrest of Alexander Bondarchuk is a striking confirmation of the existence of political repression in Ukraine. Pavel Zotov, Leo. Informational bureau and the coordination council of the Union of political emigrants and political prisoners from Ukraine. Committee for Kharkov liberation (K-27) Odessa Committee for … [read more]

Left and EU in Greece and an historic challenge From 2010, when Greece entered the Memorandum and the Troika surveillance, the historical problem of the Greek left has become obvious. The Greek Left had to encounter with a 40 years old option of the Greek bourgeois class. When the then Prime Minister Papandreou, who signed the country’s surrender to Troika ,raised the (real) question- memorandum or bankruptcy and leaving the euro, the Greek left gave misleading answers. The Communist Party declared that the true dilemma was whether the working class would socialize the monopolies. SYRIZA didn’t recognize the debt and supported that the problem was the redistribution of wealth and ANTARSYA called for demonstrations and protests against the unpopular measures. No one chose to … [read more]

1. It is quite clear that Greece moves quickly towards a third Memorandum agreement. It became clear through the joint statement of Juncker and Tsipras and it is constantly confirmed by the flow of the news. It makes no real difference if it will be called “Memorandum of Understanding” or some other name, the same way the rename of “Troika” to “Institutions” proved to be totally unimportant, except of an element of ridiculousness and deception that are being added to the whole process. 2. The main body of the Troika policy up to date is still being implemented by the government of SYRIZA-ANEL, on the basis of the already existing agreements of New Democracy and PASOK: a fiscal policy of strict discipline, surplus budgets, restrictions in social spending, austerity, a … [read more]

Dr. Saibaba, who is presently lodged in the notorious Anda Barrack of the Nagpur Prison has been denied bail twice by the Sessions Court, Gadchiroli and once by the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court. In the last order by the Sessions Court dated 4th March, 2015 the Sessions Judge referred to the reports of the Superintendent and the Chief Medical Officer of the Nagpur Central Prison which, while admitting the delicate medical condition of Saibaba, stated that he was being treated at the Government Medical College Hospital as well as the Super Speciality Hospital in Nagpur and that they were providing food supplements as per his medical requirements. It was on the basis of such reports that bail on medical grounds was denied to Saibaba. However, despite such claims by the prison … [read more]

Andrei is a staunch communist, an opponent of the Yeltsin and Putin regimes. In Russia, he spent a total of nine years in prison on political charges. At the same time, like any true leftist, he is an ardent supporter of the popular uprising in Donbass. Andrei writes from jail: "Today was the first court session. It was held in Berdyansk Court (Judge O.G. Pakhomenko), but they did not even bring me there – it was a video conference. From the prison. They want to condemn me remotely! Tomorrow at 10 am is the next ‘session.’ I demanded an interpreter, they postponed the trial until tomorrow when he will arrive. And I will make a motion to receive a paid lawyer and be personally present at the trial. We need to contact the media to make the maximum publicity, as they want to … [read more]

*** Text on a street poster in Odessa: A seperatist is desacrating national symbols waiting for the arrival of “Russian peace” If you hear or see something – call us Hotline of the Ukrainian Intelligence *** This is the tug of war over implementation of the Minsk-2 agreements. Yesterday the leadership of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) demanded that their representatives finally be included in the discussion of constitutional reform. “All matters relating to elections and constitutional reform, according to the terms of the agreement, should be agreed with us. As prescribed by the terms of the agreement, representatives of the DPR and LPR will necessarily participate in the decision-making in the tripartite contact group," DRP envoy Dennis Pushilin told … [read more]

Berlin: nothing short than full-fletched capitulation The German minister of finance, Wolfgang Schäuble, has made it candid-clear: no credit extension without complete surrender to the conditions dictated by the creditors’ financial oligarchy. This despite the fact that everybody knows that Greece will under no conditions be able to serve its debt. The German message therefore serves first of all to make clear to the entire southern periphery as to who is to command and who to obey. This will turn out to be a hubris of the type of Bush’s military “export of democracy” to Iraq. Syriza not to accept complete surrender For the last two months the Greek government has been trying to play cat and mouse. On one hand they signaled their readiness to agree to the troika’s … [read more]

Saudi Arabia is trying to present the operation “Decisive Storm” as a regional coalition to support the “legitimate government” of Yemen against the advancing “pro-Iranian” Houthi militia. In the Western world, instead, the conflict is being inaccurately described as an attempt of a Sunni coalition to prevent Shia from coming into power. The situation in Yemen is much more complex and entering into all its aspects would exceed the scope of this statement. However, we would like to state the following: 1. The conflict in Yemen is not a confessional war yet. It is a power struggle among rivaling groups, which is unluckily taking place against the background of a regional conflict between the West and Saudi Arabia on the one side and Iran on the other. Neither is this a … [read more]

A break with the Euro-German creditor’s oligarchy will most likely run through Syriza. An anti-EU liberation front will become necessary comprising all forces determined to defend the popular classes rallying the majority. They will need massive international solidarity especially from the anti-systemic forces within the Euro core countries. The International Anti-EU Forum scheduled for the end of June in Athens will be the place to forge this European alliance. The Left Platform of Syriza together with all the Greek forces preparing for the Euro exit are preparing this meeting. Following excerpts of an interview with the Greek minister of reconstruction of production, environment & energy whose original has been published on the website of the ministry. It was originally … [read more]

Friday 17.00 – 19.15 workshops 1. From economic to political crisis. The examples of Italy and Spain * Enea Boria, Movement ORA, Italy * Giannis Kibouropoulos, journalist, Greece * Manolo Moreneo, Frente Civico “Somos Mayoria”, Spain, 2. The conflict in Ukraine and the geopolitics of the European Union and NATO * Kostas Gousis, Solidarity campaign with the Antifascist Resistance in Ukraine, Greece * Mariia Muratova, Borotba, Ukraine * Petros Papakonstantinou, writer-journalist, Greece * Dimitris Patelis, MARS (Frontal Left Alignment) , Greece * Rainer Rupp, journalist, Germany 3. The workers' and popular resistance against neoliberal policies in the EU * Giorgio Cremaschi, ex president of FIOM (Federazione Impiegati Operai Metallurgici), Italy * Benoit … [read more]

They just take as valid the narration of pro-euro mass media which in their turn repeat and amplify the German version, that is intended to prove that the Greek government signed the terms of unilateral surrender. But it is not just that! It’s evident that they are so much blind with their conceit to point the finger at the victims and not at the torturers. The moral of the story is that, in their opinion, Euro-Germany scored a massive victory and, furthermore, the Greek matter would be closed, deleted. Probably things are not like that. It is a fact that the SYRIZA government, in return for some money that was urgently needed, undertook to effectuate most of the oppressive clauses of the old Memorandum enjoined by troika. But this is not all. SYRIZA also initiated emergency … [read more]

The signing of Eurogroup’s 20/2/2015 declaration by the SYRIZA-ANELL government signifies a point of no return. During the previous period SYRIZA has been retreating continuously from its programme and his electoral declarations. He has already abandoned debt’s write off and is begging for its extension. He has abandoned the nationalization of the banking system. He has forgotten his declarations about ‘tearing apart the Memorandum’ and already declared that it accepts 70% of it. He has abandoned any notion of confrontation with the EU and its policies and instead, by hiding behind the unrealistic and hypocritical position of ‘no confrontation, no submission’, he accepts a disgraceful compromise with EU’s dominant countries. SYRIZA in the post-electoral negotiations with … [read more]

Up to now the bold posture of the Greek prime minister Aléxis Tsípras against the European oligarchy and especially the German rulers has won him the hearts of the popular masses – this is true not only for Greece. Across Europe Tsípras has become the rising star of the victims of neo-liberalism and the capitalist crisis directly challenging Angela Merkel’s leadership. His message was crystal clear: an end to the lies of the elites, who say salvation can be brought only by driving down peoples’ living and social standards – while the oligarchy continues to shamelessly enrich itself. The new Greek government defies the appalling logic of the financial markets, the alleged reason of the economy, which has continuously been widening the gap between poor and rich. Democracy is … [read more]

1. The victory of a party of the left and the defeat of the hateful coalition forces of ND-PASOK and those managed the Memoranda of the last four years (GAP, LAOS, DIMAR) are very important developments and the positive outcomes of the elections. The forces that pushed the people into economic devastation, that humiliated, fooled and belched the people, they received a powerful blow. The rates, however, of ND did not precipitate, we did not have a collapse of the same type as PASOK, and the ND will be the main political pole of the bourgeois interests, along with the Nazi party, which remains strong despite its downturn, and constitutes a significant force to the right-extreme right of the political system. 2. We had a pre- electoral period, in which the winner was already known and … [read more]

The elites and their media are however continuing with their campaign, and cry “populism”: they say it is necessary to make cuts, because Greece supposedly had lived beyond its means. And they try to frighten the public: without austerity, there will inevitably be insolvency. What they keep to themselves is, that at the heart of the matter this is a question of distribution. Obviously it is a global matter, but if we restrict the view to the national level. Even if we take as granted the current level of capacity of the Greek economy set by the global frame, there is absolutely no reason that a tiny elite is unflinchingly enriching itself, while the vast majority – and especially the poorest strata – are impoverished. (In fact Greece could be much more productive, and of course … [read more]

The groups already involved at that time coming from France, Spain and Austria were again present. Only the Greek participants could not come for obvious reasons but pledged to continue their participation. (See the Assisi call with the detailed names of the groups involved. ) The Finnish Independence Party joined in. The biggest part of the participants came from Italy. A new development was the strong involvement of activists and personalities from the Five Stars Movement among them also several members of parliament. Members of Rifundazione Comunista as well as several leftist groups were also present. The former voice minister of economy, Stefano Fassina, conveyed greetings. It emerged as a consensus that the next step would be to enlarge the “Leftist Co-ordination against the … [read more]