Debate section

“Daniel was profoundly internationalist. (…) [He] ensured the historical continuity of open, non-dogmatic, revolutionary Marxism and adaptation to the changes of the new era, with the perspective of revolutionary transformation of society always in his sights.”

Emmanuel Macron repeated it in his New Year speech: he wants to push through his pension reform. Against all the arguments of common sense, he decides alone. The balance of forces is the only possible language with this government. Strikes and demonstrations will therefore be essential.

Trump’s assassination of Iranian General Oassim Suleimani on Iraqi soil is an escalation of his desire to destroy the Iranian regime. Since he came to office Trump has plotted to pull the U.S. government out of the nuclear agreement signed by several European countries and Iran. Following that he has imposed sanctions that have made the average Iranian civilian’s life much more difficult. Given that a quarter of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, on Iran’s shore, U.S. military maneuvers there also inflamed tensions between Washington and Tehran.

After French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe’s announcement on Wednesday, 11 December – which only confirmed what we already knew about the attack on pensions, and despite the continuation of strikes and the success of the mobilization day on 17 December – the government is putting on the pressure to put a stop to the strike movement by the end of the week. Adopting belligerent and contemptuous postures – which only goes to show how they are vacillating after this week’s resignation of national pension administrator Jean-Paul Delevoye– President Emmanuel Macron and Philippe do not know what to do. We must figure out how to take advantage of their indecision!

The Alliance for Economic Democracy (AED) is a concerned group of trade unionists, farmers, fishers, students, academics and activists who uphold the value of economic rights and justice in public policymaking. We wish to draw your attention to several key issues regarding the proposed Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact (MCC), which are not adequately represented in public discussion at this time, yet crucial to the wellbeing and security of people in Sri Lanka.