European Union

Workers' Europe starts here!

By Joan Trevor Since the end of the Second World War capitalists have been groping-sometimes blindly-towards a united Europe, with institutions and activities to meet their needs. Their concessions to making this Europe in the interests of its non-capitalist majority have been tiny and token: the European Parliament is next to powerless; the European Social Charter aims at leveling social provision, not out of the goodness of the capitalists' hearts but so that no one member state has an advantage over the others; the extension of worker participation in running businesses comes out of a co...

What do you think about... the Euro?

What should socialists do when faced with a choice between two options, neither of which are going to be beneficial to the working class? How should socialists vote in a Euro referendum? Some socialists believe voting 'no' to the Euro is the only answer. They feel that if Britain joined the single currency, it would subject the working class here to the power of reactionary bureaucrats in Brussels. They also believe that the euro will bring cuts, and if it is brought in, it will mean a victory for the Blairites and their capitalist partners in crime. Because socialists are anti-capitalists...

Euro? Yes, but not at our expense: For a Workers' United Europe!

By Colin Foster Capitalism in Europe is becoming euro-capitalism, like it or not. In general and in principle, we - the socialists, the labour movement, the working-class left - should "like" it. A broader, wider arena for capitalist development is also a broader, wider arena for working-class struggle against capital, and a better starting point for future socialist development. To support European unity in general and in principle does not oblige us to support the particular methods, policies and institutions by which the ruling classes of Europe edge towards unity in their own interests and...

Unite with Euro-strikers!

Will Blair swap the pound for the euro? By Colin Foster Will Tony Blair use his boost from the relatively quick US/UK military victory in Iraq to make a dash for the euro? Or will Gordon Brown's caution hold him back? Is it really true that euro entry would undercut the Health Service? Or is that scaremongering given that in the core of the eurozone welfare provision is generally better than in Britain? The huge strikes in France on Tuesday 13th, the rallies in Austria the same day, and the strikes in Austria the previous week, cut right across these speculations. European capitalism is...

Is Iraq war about dollar vs euro?

In recent AWL meetings about the war, a number of comrades have suggested that maybe the underlying issue, what it's really about, is dollar versus euro. I'm not convinced, but I'm posting this (by Duncan Du Bois, from The Natal Witness ), because it's the most spelled-out version of the argument I've come across so far. Writing in the Sunday Times on March 30, Judge Richard Goldstone stated that there were only two lawful ways in which the U.S. could use military force against Iraq. One was if the UN Security Council sanctioned it; the other was in the case of "dire self-defence". The U.S...

Wonderful Copenhagen!

Alan Turvey reports To coincide with the European Union summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, in mid-December, at which ten eastern and central European states were admitted to membership, thousands of mainly young people demonstrated in the bitter Scandinavian cold - in the main not against "the EU" or "Europe" as such, but against "the capitalist EU". At the main demonstration, on Saturday 15 December I was pleasantly surprised by the internationalist tone of the speeches and many placards at the opening rally with speakers from various trade unions and social movements (such as the anti-war...

Neither pound nor euro, but workers' unity

Kat Fletcher's speech moving the "active boycott" composite at the Socialist Alliance special conference on the euro, 12 October 2002. What is the Euro? It is about the integration of capital. It is one face of capitalism's drive to break down national frontiers, to create wider markets, to build larger units of production. The capitalist class of Europe want it in order to maximise their profits. They want to lower the national barriers in Europe in their own way and in their own interest. That is the euro. Plainly we can't support it. But does it follow that we should say no to the euro...

The euro: who said...?

By Bruce Robinson Who said? (1) 'The Growth and Stability Pact is in its death throes'. (2) ' The Growth and Stability Pact is stupid'. (3) 'Chris Jones obviously hasn't been reading the financial press lately.' Answers (1) Larry Elliott, Guardian journalist and left-Keynesian anti-euro campaigner much quoted by those in the SA supporting a 'No to the Euro' campaign, on yesterday's 'The World This Weekend' programme on Radio 4. (2) Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission. (3) Alex Callinicos of the SWP at the Socialist Alliance Euro Conference, replying to Chris Jones' speech in...

Euro: which union lefts should we ally with?

From Solidarity 3/14, 11 October 2002 "We support in principle the single European currency. We are Europeans and internationalists", says Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS civil service union and the most prominent trade-unionist in the Socialist Alliance. "However, our support for the Euro is entirely dependent on clear and unambiguous assurances on public spending and public services. "We will not stand with the little Englanders. We stand with the workers of Europe. Yes to the single currency but only after assurances on public services. "In the 12 countries where 301 million...

Socialist Alliance votes "no to euro"

The "no to the euro" motion won at the Socialist Alliance euro-conference, on 12 October, by 202 votes to 108 with one abstention. Our "active boycott" composite lost by 107 votes to 199 with two abstentions. A "no" motion from Hyman Frankel on explicitly nationalist grounds was defeated with only one vote in favour. Dave Landau's motion which recommended continuing the debate was lost by 75 to 213 with 4 abstentions. In the opinion of all the comrades I spoke to, we won the debate on the merits of the argument. Speeches for our case which were especially appreciated came from Kat Fletcher and...

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