hospitals. streets in protest against the government.
The present turmoil in demonstrations. OI 1973. But there is a difference.
The student demunstrations much smaller. They are led by right wing Guallist Giscardian students, backed up by the fascist commandos' The overwhelming majority ot students. who are either apolitical or who sympathise with the left are not on the streets.
The other groups mainly middle class, 21110 they are protesting against Why have left wing government.
events reached this stage? Why does the right wing have the initiative? The answer lies in the growing unpopularity of Mitterrand's austerity measures, the response to these of the major left wing parties and unions.
The problems of Mitthe problems terrand are faced by all left wing retormist governments who take their plans senous v.
There is no doubt that the Mitterrand has achieved solne sucThere are strikes Shas day for workers has been increased to TIve weeks. The SMIC, the minimum wage, has been raised in real value.
But the strategy of the government has been to try beat the capitalist recession by coverticul spending. Without effective control UVC. the major monopolies, and without effective price control, this has lea to a massive loss of business confidence and a flight of capital.
It has meant destabilisation of the franc on the money markets. The result has been the need to introduce deflationary austerity measures like higher taxes and a tough attitude to strikers along with wage restraint. Unemployment still keeps going up.
Support Mitterand ported, albeit grudgingly the Communist Party and the main trade union federations. Now the right wing has launched a big mobilisation of the enraged small business people ty of the left plays into Among the students, the initiatives of the right The reform of the university admission system proposed education minister Savary stems directly from the economic CrISIS. He proposes more selective admission, an emphasis. . on science aburses, because French ability French capitalism to employ LICi number of graduates being turned out.
Protest Both right wing left wing student unións opposed the measures. But the right wing took the initiative to mobilise protest The Socialist Communist students organised only a small token protest. The situation has echoes of the 1930s when the fascists in the Latin Quarter demonstrated against the Popular Front government.
has nasty parallels with Chile under Arene. students at the Catholic when the Universitv were able to link up with the copper seige miners, in reactionary mobilisation against Allende, inspired by • the fascists.
May Hot lull into a May '68 in reverse The huge majority of the French not about to be mobilised by the chic middle trom the faculties. But the situation a dire warning for the left.
Important To seize the initiative from the right it is not enough to 'defend the existing government.
It is only that the interests of the working clas are cham. pioned by the left, necessary against the SPCP government, offensive of the right wing and the bosses be checked. telephone 01-226 0571 Open Thur, Fri, 11-7 telephone (021) 643-5904 London 328 Upper St. London N1 — Mon, Tues, Sat, 10-6 Wed 12-7 Birmingham 137 Digbeth Birmingham BS Open → Mon-Sat 10-6 Closed Wed.
Mail Order Service - Add 20% for P&P Thatcherism Edited by Stuart Hall and Martin Jacques Lawrence & Wishart (in association with £4.95 Britain: A Guide to the Ruins Pluto Press & New Socials £1.50 Labour's Plan: The New Hope for Britain The Labour Party
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