The Workers’ Party of Belgium secured strong results in European and national elections, mounting resistance to the far-right’s growth, reports Ana Vračar.
Belgium
Kurdish political leaders celebrated a “historic” verdict after a Belgian court ruled the Kurdistan Workers’ Party is not a terrorist organisation, reports Steve Sweeney.
Peter Boyle reports from Brussels that European left and green parliamentarians condemned Turkey's invasion of Rojava, the democratic autonomous liberated zone in North and East Syria, at an international conference on February 5–6.
The far-left Workers’ Party of Belgium (PTB/PVDA) won big across regional, federal and European elections in May and has firmly established itself as the left alternative to both the socialist and green parties across the country.
Speaking to Denis Rogatyuk for Novara Media, newly elected MEP Marc Botenga explained some of the key factors behind the success of the Workers’ party campaign and its vision for working within the EU.
At the October 14 local elections, the Workers’ Party of Belgium (PTB) made some breakthroughs.
PTB chair Peter Mertens said: “For the first time we have moved from an urban phenomenon mostly concentrated in Antwerp and Liège to a breakthrough in most large and medium-sized cities of Wallonia, the Brussels region and Flanders. The number of our local elected officials increases from 50 to 157.”
Trade unions across the globe mobilised on April 23 to demand the immediate release from prison of former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Thousands of protesters marched through Brussels on September 20 to demand the European Union abandon planned trans-Atlantic free trade deals they say will worsen labour conditions and allow big business to challenge governments.
It came just days after tens of thousands rallied against such deals on September 17 in other European cities, mainly in Germany.
A fight broke out on a beach on the French island of Corsica on August 13 after a tourist began taking photos of women wearing burqinis. Following the altercation, the local mayor decided to ban the full-body swimwear.
That's right: someone took photos of women without their permission, people got upset and, in response, the state is now dictating what women can and cannot wear.
Parts of Belgium came to a halt as transport strikes by public sectors workers intensified on May 31. Workers are protesting against the government's social and economic policies, which includes budget cuts.
By May 31, train drivers had been on strike for six consecutive days, causing serious disruptions in the capital of Brussels, where only limited services of buses, metros and trams were running.
Vice-Chair of the socialist Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB-PVDA) David Pestieau, spoke to French paper L'Humanite Dimanche on March 31 about the March 22 terrorist attacks in Brussels and the latest anti-terrorist bill. An abridged version, translated from French, is below.
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What state is Belgium in after the terrorist attacks?
A series of suicide bombings in Brussels on March 22 killed 35 people, including 3 suicide bombers. Less than a week later, on March 27, a similar attack in Lahore, Pakistan, killed more than twice as many people — at least 75.
Grassroots groups across Europe are warning against succumbing to misguided and bigoted speech in the wake of the latest terrorist atrocity in Belgium.
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