Click HERE for more on SYRIZA.

Translated by Liam Flenady

Statement released in French on January 5, 2015 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- European Union, European directors, International Monetary Fund, ratings agencies: stop your blackmail, end your interference in the Greek election campaign! Let the people decide!

In a context where harsh blows are multiplying in Greece (corruption of elected representatives, disinformation, restriction of democratic liberties), in order to prevent the possible victory of the left-wing movement SYRIZA in the legislative elections on January 25, we see the IMF announce the suspension of its “aid”, and the European commissioner for the economy Pierre Moscovici address himself directly fo the Greek electorate to tell them which way they should vote.

For his part, Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, declared that he “would not like it if the extreme forces come to power” in Athens. In Germany, the finance minister Wolfgang Schaüble reaffirmed in passing that there is “no alternative” to the reforms underway in Greece.

[English at Scotland: Independence loss contains seeds of future victory.]

Cliquez ICI pour en savoir plus sur l'Ecosse et de l'indépendance.

Cliquez pour plus de français.

Par Murray Smith

Après une campagne qui aura duré deux ans, l’Écosse a voté le 18 septembre pour ou contre l’indépendance – oui ou non. Et c’est le non qui l’a emporté. C’était donc une victoire pour l’establishment politique britannique et une défaite pour les forces de l’indépendance. Et en bons démocrates, les vaincus ont accepté le verdict des urnes.

July 1, 2014 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- The Party of the European Left (EL) is a political party at the European level that unites parties to the left of social democracy. It was formed in 2004. The EL is composed of 26 members parties and seven observer parties.

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We consider as the main factors in the Ukraine crisis the imperial atttitude towards the country, as shown by all major powers involved: the deliberately provocative and bellicose moves by USA, NATO and EU as well as the aggressive steps taken by Russia. This leads to a dangerous situation at our doorsteps, with reminiscence to the Cold War and even to the WWI outbreak in 1914.


We are against undemocratic represssion of communist party, left wing, and other democratic political forces.
We demand the release of all political prisoners and people taken hostage.

[English at http://links.org.au/node/3838.]

Par Boris Kagarlitsky, traduit par Renfrey Clarke, Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal ; retraduit Vers le français par Gabriel Stollsteiner

25 mai 2014 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- Les bureaucrates russes ont été sincèrement surpris de la réaction de l'Occident officiel – ils ne s'attendaient pas à une telle colère ni à une condamnation aussi unanime. Les politiciens européens sont transportés de furie. La presse majoritaire relate à ses lecteurs l'histoire lamentable de l'agression russe contre l'Ukraine. Les émissions télévisées diffusent des interviews avec des ministres et députés de Kiev, qui implorent la larme à l’œil l'Europe de sauver leur pays de l'ours enragé.

[English at http://links.org.au/node/3451.]

Militant trotskyste aux Etats-Unis, historien marxiste renommé, l’auteur avait été invité à intervenir dans le cadre du cycle de conférences publiques, intitulé Marxism, que le SWP de Grande-Bretagne organise chaque année au début de l’été. C’est de cet événement et des échanges qu’il a eus à cette occasion, dans le contexte particulier de la crise que ce parti traverse en 2013, que Paul Le Blanc rend compte ici.

Comme il le rappelle dans son texte, l’auteur est désormais membre de l’ISO (International Socialist Organization, la principale formation de la gauche révolutionnaire aux Etats-Unis, exclue en 2001 de l’IST, le courant international du SWP britannique), alors qu’il provient et continue de se réclamer d’une tradition politique différente, celle de la section états-unienne de la IV° Internationale (l’ancien et défunt SWP de James P. Cannon et Joseph Hansen – à ne pas confondre avec son homonyme insulaire). -- Jean-Philippe Divès

Quebec solidaire: a party of the ballot box or a party of the streets?

The first article below is a translation and slight modification of the original article published in French on Marc Bonhomme’s blog, March 29, 2013. The second article, by Richard Fidler, deals with the New Democratic Party's position on Quebec. Both are posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal with permission.

By Marc Bonhomme

April 8, 2013 -- Local and regional bodies of Québec solidaire are in the process of discussing and taking a first vote on the proposals from the party’s national bodies for its convention to take place at the beginning of May 2013. Political strategy, including the issue of alliances with other parties, as well as the choice of the male spokesperson for the party will undoubtedly be the central points of discussion of the convention.

By Roger Annis

June 21, 2012 -- Rabble.ca, posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal with the author's permission -- On June 20, the National Coordination Committee of Québec solidaire issued a statement in response to a "Call for a United Front" in the next election in Quebec, saying it is open to a “limited and timely electoral arrangement” with two other pro-Quebec sovereignty parties. The statement is titled (translation), "Defeat the Liberals, yes. But above all, build a progressive Quebec!"

The call has received close to 11,000 signatures online. It urges the three pro-sovereignty parties – Parti québécois, Québec solidaire and Option nationale – to enter into an electoral agreement such that only one candidate of the parties would contest electoral districts against the ruling Liberal Party and the right-wing Coalition pour l’avenir du Québec (CAQ).

The mandate of the current Liberal government ends in 17 months. Widespread speculation has it calling an election as soon as August.

[In English at http://links.org.au/node/2636.]

Par Barry Sheppard

5 - décembre - 2011 -- A l'encontre -- Personne n’avait prédit le phénomène que l’on connaît aujourd’hui sous le nom de Occupy Wall Street (OWS) et nul n’aurait pu le prédire.

Un petit groupe canadien de gens de la mouvance libertaire ont d’abord proposé qu’on essaie de mettre en place une «occupation» près de la Bourse de New York. Ils étaient inspirés par les tentes et campements installés plus tôt dans l’année sur la Place Tahrir du Caire et par la propagation de tactiques similaires en Espagne et ailleurs.

Leurs objectifs étaient à la fois la Bourse de New York en tant que telle et le 1% des gens les plus riches. Le quartier de Wall Street est connu partout comme le symbole du capitalisme financier américain. Quant au 1%, ce sont les gens que l’on a pointés comme étant ceux qui possèdent et contrôlent l’économie et le gouvernement, les «gros capitalistes». Dans la configuration actuelle, ce serait plutôt le 0,1%, mais c’est un détail.

Statement by the New Anti-Capitalist Party (Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste) France, translated by John Mullen for Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal

[This statement was released before the fall of Ben Ali. See "Tunisia's intifada topples tyrant: 'Yezzi fock!".]

January 11, 2011 -- When Mohamed Bouazizi committed suicide by setting fire to himself after being harassed by the police his act became the spark which is now setting fire to the whole of the “miraculous Tunisia” of General Ben Ali.

April 10, 2010 -- News footage of Thailand's security forces opening fire on Red Shirt pro-democracy protesters.

By Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM), Working People's Association (PRP) of Indonesia, People’s Democratic Party (PRD) of Indonesia, Turn Left Thailand, Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) of the Philippines, Socialist Alliance of Australia, Solidarity (Australia)

April 10, 2010 -- We are deeply concerned over the current situation in Thailand where military-backed Prime Minister Ahbisit Vejjajiva has declared a state of emergency and started a bloody crackdown amidst escalating protests calling for a fresh election.

Official announcement for the II International Conference “Bolivar, Lincoln and Marti in the ‘ALMA’ of our America” to be held in Caracas, Venezuela, November 17 to 20, 2010, within the framework of the bicentennial of the independence of Ibero-America.

The first International Conference ‘Marti, Juarez and Lincoln in the ALMA of Our America’ held in October of 2009 in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico was convened with the objective of defining the bases for the creation of the Marti Alternative for Our America (ALMA) which would strengthen integration mechanisms such as ALBA and turn into reality the dreams of achieving unity and integration of our Great American Homeland. These bases are contained in the Final Declaration approved which is called the “Declaration of Monterrey”.

By Pablo Solón Romero

March 19, 2010 -- http://pwccc.wordpress.com/ -- In the aftermath of the Copenhagen climate conference, those who defended the widely condemned outcome tended to talk about it as a “step in the right direction”. This was always a tendentious argument, given that tackling climate change cannot be addressed by half measures. We can’t make compromises with nature.

Bolivia, however, believed that Copenhagen marked a backwards step, undoing the work built on since the climate talks in Kyoto. That is why, against strong pressure from industrialised countries, we and other developing nations refused to sign the Copenhagen Accord and why we are hosting an international meeting on climate change in Cochabamba, Bolivia, from April 19 to 22, 2010. In the words of the Tuvalu negotiator, we were not prepared to “betray our people for 30 pieces of silver”.

mardi 2 mars 2010, par Par Federico Fuentes

Texte publié le 20 février 2010 sur le site de Green Left Weekly.
Traduction de David Mandel

Press-toi à gauche -- Des batailles décisives entre les forces de la révolution et de la contre-révolution se dessinent à l’horizon au Venezuela. La campagne menant aux élections à l’Assemblée nationale le 26 septembre sera une bataille critique entre les partisans du président socialiste Hugo Chavez et l’opposition de droite, appuyée par les E-U. Mais ces batailles, qui font partie de la lutte de classe entre la majorité pauvre et l’élite capitaliste, vont se dérouler plus dans les rues que dans les urnes.

par Federico Fuentes

2 décembre 2009 -- CADTM/Green Left Weekly -- S’adressant aux délégués de la Rencontre Internationale des Partis de Gauche qui s’est tenue à Caracas du 19 au 21 novembre (2009), le président vénézuélien Hugo Chavez a déclaré : « il est temps de constituer la 5ème Internationale. » Face à la crise capitaliste et la menace d’une guerre qui représente un danger pour l’avenir de l’humanité, « les peuples réclament » une unité plus forte des partis de gauche et révolutionnaires qui sont prêts à lutter pour le socialisme, a-t-il dit.

A l’instar de son appel de 2005 pour la construction « d’un socialisme du 21ème siècle » et son appel de 2006 pour la création au Venezuela d’un nouveau parti de masse révolutionnaire – le Parti Socialiste Unifié du Venezuela – l’appel de Chavez à l’unité de la gauche et pour une nouvelle internationale est un événement historique.

This interview with Gérard Jodar, president of the pro-independence trade union federation USTKE (Union of Kanak and Exploited Workers), was published in Libération, issue #14790, on August 17 2009. He was interviewed by Matthieu Ecoiffier. Translated into English for Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal by Annolies Truman.

Sentenced at the end of June 2009 to a year in prison for ``hindering the circulation of an aircraft'' [click HERE for background information to the struggle], Gérard Jodar is one of very few trade unionists to be imprisoned in France –- and his lawyers’ application for a lesser sentence has just been rejected by the appeals judge of the Noumea Supreme Court.

Gérard Jodar explains the conditions of his detention as well as the situation on the ``Pebble’’ [the nickname for New Caledonia, the colonial name for the South Pacific territory of Kanaky, which remains a colonial possession of France -- translator].

By Collectif Solidarité Kanaky, translation and introduction for Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal by Annolies Truman

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August 12, 2009 -- On August 6, a general strike in Kanaky (or the French overseas territory of New Caledonia) was called off after an accord between the trade union confederation USTKE (Federation of Unions of Kanak Workers and the Exploited) and Air Caledonia was finally signed by the airline.

The signing of the accord, which had been negotiated on June 11, put an end to 10 days of demonstrations, roadblocks and violent confrontations with police, motivated as much by a desire for independence and decolonisation, as by the issue of industrial justice.

The conflict originated with the unfair dismissal of an Air Caledonia employee in March for “betraying commercial confidentiality” for telling her mother that her father had taken a flight with his mistress.