European Union

European left: Some new alliances and some bad old ways

How did the European left fare in the June elections? Martin Thomas reports The results Two point six per cent in France, 5.8% in Italy, 8.1% in Denmark, 7% in the Netherlands, 5.2% in Scotland, 4.9% in Portugal... I do not know of any significant radical-left electoral efforts in the new EU member states of Eastern Europe, but in some west European states, at least, there were some scores for the radical left in June's Euro-elections better than those which parties to the left of the Communist and Socialist parties got in the 1970s. Then, although far-left groups generally had more, and more...

European constitution: Fight for a workers' Europe

By Cathy Nugent On Friday 18 June Tony Blair signed up to the new EU constitution on behalf of the UK government. Short of great political upheavals this constitution will settle the relationships between the capitalist powers in an expanded European Union for a long time to come - it codifies and pushes forward a very great degree of integration. The constitution includes a permanent EU president and foreign minister, greater powers for the European Assembly over a greater range of issues (but not tax or social security), strengthening the common defence force, a two tier European Commission...

The Danish left and the EU

By Bjarke Friborg With victory for the social democrats and setback for the "eurosceptics" an established tradition in Denmark seems to have been broken. For the left wing it places the question of an anticapitalist answer to the European integration high on the agenda. Since the first elections for the European Parliament in 1979 the Danish results seems to have been characterised by two constants. First of all - and in common with almost all the other countries - the relatively low participation compared with national elections (varying between 46,2% and 52,9% versus normally around 70-80%)...

Pour une Europe unie des travailleurs

Contre les europhobes et contre les capitalistes européens ! Par Sean Matgamna. Il y a deux lignes fondamentales qui s’offrent au mouvement ouvrier face à l’Union européenne. La première est de partir de ce que la bourgeoisie a créé et d’unifier la classe ouvrière à travers l’Europe pour combattre la bourgeoisie sur un programme de réformes sociales et démocratiques, pour aller vers la transformation socialiste par une révolution prolétarienne à l’échelle européenne. Une telle approche n’implique pas de soutenir ce que les capitalistes et leurs serviteurs font, ou la façon dont ils le font...

CWU to back Labour Representation Committee?

By a CWU member At the General Conference of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) (14 June) the European Working Time Directive will be discussed. At present, different sections of the union have different policies on whether individual opt-outs should continue. The Telecoms Executive negotiates with telecoms companies to get rid of opt-outs, and its policy is for an end to them. The Postal Executive, however, believes that because of the low pay in Royal Mail and other companies, long working hours are necessary for now. The union's answer should be to fight for a shorter working week, and...

Against the far right: for a united Europe

By Rhodri Evans The threat from the far right in the 10 June Euro-elections may come as much from the UK Independence Party as from the British National Party. The BNP hopes to win a Euro-seat in the north-west. But the UKIP has edged ahead of the Lib-Dems in one opinion poll. It is spending more on the Euro-elections than Labour and the Tories put together. It has the backing of multi-millionaire Paul Sykes, actress Joan Collins, freelance racist Robert Kilroy-Silk, and former Clinton campaign manager Dick Morris. The BNP is worried about the UKIP "splitting the patriotic, anti-European Union...

June 2004 Elections: Vote socialist or Labour, build LRC!

By Colin Foster Thursday 10 June will be a big election day, but, unfortunately, one with a small socialist presence. Seventy-eight Euro-MPs will be elected, by proportional representation in each of 12 giant regions. The regions vary in size from three Euro-MPs to 10. In London, the mayor and 25 members of the Greater London Assembly (GLA) will be elected. For mayor, voters can cast first- and second-choice votes, and the second-choice transfers will count if no candidate gets an outright majority of first choices. For the Assembly, electors have both a constituency vote (for Assembly members...

Europe: Blair does a deal with Murdoch

By promising a referendum on the proposed European Union constitution, Tony Blair has put himself at risk of a political defeat. Current opinion polls show 86% against the constitution. However, a defeat for Blair in the referendum cannot be made into a victory for the left. And in any case, Blair has designed things to limit his risks. Referendums are at best a very clumsy instrument of democracy, at worst a tool for demagogues. They offer only a crude yes-no vote, with no chance for amendment or nuance. Often more depends on who phrases the referendum question, and how, than on any real...

EU plans new constitution. We say: For a democratic united states of Europe!

"Let us for a moment grant that German militarism succeeds in carrying out the half-union of Europe... what then would be the central slogan of the European proletariat? Would it be the dissolution of the forced European coalition and the return of all people under the roof of isolated national states?... The programme of the European revolutionary movement would then be: the destruction of the compulsory, anti-democratic form of the coalition with the preservation and furtherance of its foundations, in the form of complete annihilation of tariff barriers, the unification of legislation, above...

Swedish no will not boost Euro-left

By Rhodri Evans On 14 September Sweden voted 56% to 42% against joining the euro. The Social Democratic government, the main opposition parties, and the major newspapers all favoured the euro. But the voters rebelled. Blue collar workers, 18 to 30 year olds, and the people of small towns in the north of the country all voted strongly to keep Sweden's separate currency, the krona. The Swedish result makes it much more unlikely that Tony Blair will go for a referendum on euro entry in Britain any time soon. It also signals trouble for the European Union. The EU is drafting a new constitution...

This website uses cookies, you can find out more and set your preferences here.
By continuing to use this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.