France
France: Port of Marseille hit by economic crisis
By Anthony Torres, May 27, 2009
Since the beginning of 2009, activity in French ports has undergone a substantial slowdown linked to the world economic crisis.
French university strikes end in union betrayal
By Pierre Mabut, May 27, 2009
The 16-week movement against the government’s “autonomy” law for universities has broken up. It did so under the pressure of government threats over upcoming exams and the sabotage of the unions...
French “anti-capitalist” Olivier Besancenot justifies collaboration with reformists and Polish nationalists
By Antoine Lerougetel and Stefan Steinberg, May 27, 2009
The appearance by Olivier Besancenot of the French New Anticapitalist Party (NPA) in Katowice and his defence of collaboration with Polish nationalists at a Belgian press conference represent a warnin...
The European election: Trade unions and the necessity for socialism
By Ulrich Rippert, May 26, 2009
From the standpoint of workers’ interests it is no longer possible to designate unions as workers’ organisations. They are bureaucratic apparatuses that seek to suppress any independent movement o...
Olivier Besancenot in Poland
By Ulrich Rippert, May 23, 2009
Olivier Besancenot’s participation in the European election congress of the Polish Party of Labour (PPP) last weekend makes clear the real aims of his newly founded Anti-Capitalist Party (Parti Anti...
France: Caterpillar withdraws offer to reduce redundancies
By Antoine Lerougetel, May 15, 2009
Caterpillar has withdrawn its offer to reduce planned redundancies from 733 to 600 and refused to withdraw charges against 19 workers for workplace actions they took in defence of their jobs.
Protesting Continental workers occupy Sarreguemines factory
By Antoine Lerougetel, May 8, 2009
Workers from German tyre maker Continental’s plant in Clairoix, France, which is slated for closure, occupied the Continental factory in Sarreguemines on May 6.
French “left” parties trail in European election campaign
By Kumaran Ira and Alex Lantier, May 7, 2009
In the first European parliamentary elections since the outbreak of the global economic crisis, polls show conservative parties ahead in France, despite the unpopularity of President Nicholas Sarkozy.
May Day in France: Protests hit unemployment, government austerity
By WSWS correspondents, May 4, 2009
The May Day protests in France, organised by the main trade unions and supported by all the “left” parties, witnessed a turnout of between 500,000 and a million workers and youth demonstrating aga...
France: Up to a million people on May Day protests
By Antoine Lerougetel, May 2, 2009
As many as a million people took part yesterday in May Day demonstrations in towns and cities throughout France. This was the third mass mobilisation this year called by France’s eight main trade un...
France: Reports of police beatings at March 19 demonstrations
By Frank Dubois, May 2, 2009
Internet reports describe massive repressive action by French CRS riot police at the end of the March 19 mass demonstration in Paris. It resembles the British police’s “kettling” techniques at t...
Why did France resort to violence off the coast of Somalia?
By Olivier Laurent, May 1, 2009
The use of force in April to recover five French hostages held off the Somali coastline, on the yacht, the Tanit, demonstrates the contempt of the Nicolas Sarkozy government for the lives of the Frenc...
