In the first round of the recent French regional elections, the right-wing nationalist party, the National Front (FN), came out as the largest party. This is a reflection of the contradictions in this period, and the failure of the Left to provide a genuine alternative. We publish here an initial analysis by the French Marxist journal, Révolution.

Late into the night in Venezuela on 6th December, the counter-revolutionary opposition MUD had won 99 seats to the Bolivarian PSUV’s 46, with another 22 remaining to be allocated. This is a serious setback; it is our duty to analyse the reasons and explain the likely consequences.

Venezuelans will go to the polls on Sunday 6th December to elect deputies to the National Assembly. A combination of factors have made this one of the most difficult challenges the Bolivarian Revolution has faced in the 17 years since President Chávez was first elected in 1998. Either the revolution is completed, or it will be defeated.