The revolt of women continues its walk without pause, now the legalisation of elective abortion has been voted through by the chamber of deputies and will be voted on by the Senate. (After this article was written, legalisation was voted down in the Senate by 38 votes to 31.) For dogmatic morals the eruption of the younger generations marks a before and after.
On 25 June a feminist strike everywhere
9 August 2018, byThe outcome of the Senate vote is now known : 31 votes for decriminalization, 38 against. However the breadth and depth of the mobilization as indicated by this call show that victory will be achieved in the short term.
Ni Una Menos (“Not One Less”) is the common name of unitary feminist mobilizations against violence against women, first in Argentina (June 3, 2015 and 2016) then in other countries, such as Uruguay (2015), the Spanish State (2015), Chile and Peru (2016). Unitary collectives with this name have been created in several countries. This is the call of the Argentine collective to the general strike organized by the Union centres against the policy of the government Macri, published by the daily newspaper Pagina 12.
The coup d’état of 2016, the current stage and the tasks of the Left
9 August 2018, byThesis one. The Dilma government was overthrown by an institutional coup d’état, in the midst of an offensive by the reactionary and ultra-neoliberal right, thus creating a difficult situation for the left and for all popular struggles.
It was never about the Istanbul Convention
8 August 2018, byThe debate over the ratification of the so called “Istanbul Convention” in Bulgaria, as in some other countries in the region, became a huge public scandal and probably the most important political matter of 2018. Originally intended to provide states with a framework for prevention and reduction of domestic violence against women, the document has become a byword for a conspiracy against the Bulgarian people and their supposed “traditional values” violated by foreign liberal powers through the use of “gender ideology”. On the 27th of July the Constitutional Court, referred to the matter by 75 deputies to the National Assembly, ruled that the Convention is incompatible with the constitution. The ruling revealed what the actual struggle was about.
The troika leaves, its misdeeds remain
7 August 2018, byIn a few days (August 20, 2018), after more than eight years of direct European management of the country, Greece will celebrate the official end of the troika. And the enthusiastic statements of the European elites (European Commission, Tsipras, Merkel and others) resonate, despite the terrible damage caused by the Troika, as applause! Recall that the invention of the troika in Europe was made in early 2010, supposedly to fight against Greece’s huge public debt.
Nicaragua’s Popular Rebellion Stopped—For Now
6 August 2018, byWhat is the state of the popular rebellion in Nicaragua? What brought about the rebellion? Who is involved in the rebellion? Who are the most important national and international actors? And what is the nature of the Left’s debate over Nicaragua?
Construct an internationalist anti-capitalist project
5 August 2018, byItalians, initially favourable to the project of European unity, have gradually changed position in the face of austerity policies carried out by centre right and centre left governments (justified every time by European directives and endorsed by the big trade union organisations), which have greatly worsened the living and working conditions of working people.
Imran Khan’s Pyrrhic Victory
5 August 2018, byAs the PTI (Pakistan Justice Movement) emerged with the largest number of seats in the national assembly there were widespread jubilations, mainly amongst the petit bourgeois youth. However, the enthusiasm seems to have been somewhat muted and its echoes in society limited. It was tainted by accusations of blatant pre-poll rigging by the establishment that had come into conflict with Nawaz Sharif, on issues ranging from Sharif’s quest for improving business relations with India, the granting of contracts in the CPEC and other major projects and civilian supremacy, trying to take control on security issues, the dealings by the military with the so-called “good Taliban”, and the independence of the civilian government. In a controversial verdict, few legal experts agree upon, the Supreme Court ultimately ousted Sharif from the prime ministership last July.
Fires in Greece: the politics of natural disasters
4 August 2018, byThe government has persistently allowed private interests in construction, industry and tourism to be prioritised over serious ecological and safety concerns. It’s difficult to discuss natural disasters, even more so in the case where dozens of human lives have been lost in the most horrific way.
Migration policies are the key question
3 August 2018, byIn Germany the role of the “European?question” has changed considerably since the introduction of the single currency and – even more so – since the “Greek crisis”. Until the early 2000s, there was very little resistance to the European Union and to European integration generally. Everybody was pleased by the progressive disappearance of border controls. The introduction of the single currency also facilitated foreign holidays (representing around 40% of German holidaymakers), so why worry?