IV543 - April 2020

Having examined the measures taken by the Wilmès government and the National Security Council, Gauche Anticapitaliste calls on the popular classes to prevent an end to lockdown causing a further aggravation of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Although the governments of the region have had different postures and policies in relation to the epidemic, they have the same relationship with the press. Beyond the viral images of social media, information is lacking. It is particularly complicated to apprehend the scale of hunger riots that have already been witnessed in major Pakistani cities.

The Covid-19 crisis has lead to a huge drop in the demand for, and price of, oil globally. In this article, Adam Hanieh looks at what this might mean for the global economy.

Paige Murphy and Tayler Hackett discuss the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown on the lives of sex workers in the UK

As of April 14, 2020, Brazil has had 23,955 cases of COVID-19, including 1,361 deaths and rising daily mortality rates. And that is with only around 11 percent of total cases diagnosed, estimates the Center for Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Diseases of the London School of Tropical Medicine.

Since Bernie Sanders suspended his presidential campaign, there has been a steady stream of articles assessing it. They range from more mainstream progressive political analysis citing his inability to compromise and soften his message, problems within the staff, etc. to some on the socialist left decrying Bernie’s contesting in the Democratic Party as a breach of principle and misleadership of the working class.

Philippe Poutou, spokesperson of the NP, led a broad list of trade-unionist and local activists in the local election campaign in Bordeaux to a striking 11.7% score on 15 March. This means it can stand in the second round which, originally scheduled one week later for 22 March, will now be held in June at a date to be announced.

The Macron government decided to maintain the first round of the local elections on 15 March although school closures had already been announced and full lockdown was to come just a day later. This much-criticized decision led to a number of cases of Covid-19 infection and deaths among those who staffed polling stations, including at least three local mayors. [IVP]

1. This pandemic is a real Event (with a capital E!), a historic event: there will be a before and an after on a global scale, not so much in relation to the number of victims, even though this number is significant. It will, however, undoubtedly be much lower than that of the “Spanish” flu after the First World War, which caused more than 20 million deaths. Fortunately, we are far from that today.

Borrowing the title of James K. Galbraith’s work, The End of Normal, it now seems indisputable that the normal is finally over and that we are at a turning point that is unprecedented in our contemporary history and, above all, in that of a globalized capitalism that has been imposed as the only possible system. Because now it is this latter that has to be questioned more forcefully.

The response of European community institutions has come late, after several weeks of uncontrollable advance of the coronavirus disease, the palpable (and irresponsible) uncoordinated action of governments and the confirmation of the start of an economic recession that, although already likely before Covid19, is now already an obvious fact. And this at a time when we can say that, more than ever, international cooperation is needed to ward off the dangers of a global crisis of a still unknown scope.