The 'anomalous wave' must sweep across Europe

Solidarity from British youth and workers to Italian youth and workers
The movement by student and workers in Italy over the last few months is an inspiration to all those in Europe facing similar battles as the recession takes hold.

Governments of both the Right and “Left” in Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Britain are spending billions bailing out the banks whilst continuing to sell off our education system, our public services to the same parasitic corporations that caused this crisis in the first place. The Italian movement has raised the slogan “We won’t pay for their crisis”. We need to raise this slogan in demonstrations of students and workers right across the continent.

The fight back has already erupted in Germany and France. Last month saw 100,000 German school students in more than 40 cities and towns demonstrating against neo-liberal attacks with the beginnings of school and university occupations.

France has seen huge demonstrations of 250,000 people against education cuts and teachers strikes. Rail and other workers have struck or are threatening strike action. On October 22, November 13 and November 20 large demonstrations protested the privatisation plans for education laid down by the EU’s so-called Declaration of Bologna’

Britain too, is suffering education attacks. Much of the market “reforms” being imposed in London have become established under Conservative and Labour governments alike. Students are burdened with enormous debts. But our official student union in a puppet of the government and will not fight for the abolition of fees, free accommodation, living grants etc. We believe we have to follow the example of our Italian, Spanish and French comrades. That is why we are here.

International solidarity, networks and organisations can help the ‘abnormal wave’ to grow into a Europe wide phenomenon and link up with the struggles of workers faced with a massive rise unemployment country. To this end we are proposing an all-Europe conference with the aim of coordinating internationally - obviously if the Italian movement took this initiative it would evoke an immediate response from student movement across Europe.

The movement in Italy shows what can happen when university, school and college students and other youth unite with the organised working class. It was this fusion of forces and coordinated efforts that led to the victory of the French ‘Non CPE’ movement two years ago.

The economic crisis currently hitting the world is also a deep political crisis. In every country, the leaders of the traditional parties of the left and the working class have sold out their memberships to neo-liberalism. This has discredited even parties which appeared much more to the left such as Rifondazione Communista. It opened the road to Berlusconi.

If we are to really stop the attacks on education once and for all, create an education for everyone based on our social needs, on the struggle against exploitation, racism, sexism, not for the profit of a few we will need a completely different type of political party to do it. Not a repetition of the liberal, social democratic and Stalinist formations. We need an international party that takes the overthrow of capitalism and socialist revolution as its starting point and organises workers, youth and students to work together to do exactly this.