The backlash against the racist and draconian ban of the “burkini” has resulted, today, in France’s highest court declaring the burkini ban to be illegal. Such bans and attacks on democratic rights are an attempt by the ruling class to distract from the current government’s programme of austerity and cut across the rising class struggle in France. Fight racism! Fight all oppression! Fight capitalism!

Central to the current crisis in Greece is the question of debt – particularly the national debt. Reducing public debt has became the main aim of (and reason for) the seemingly permanent austerity forced on the Greek working class. Fred Weston continues his series on the deep crisis of Greek capitalism by exploring the origins of the high debt levels in Greece.

Fred Weston continues his series on the crisis in Greece by looking at the question of productivity. Having joined the euro in 2001, the Greek economy cannot compete on the basis of its level of productivity against the stronger European capitalist economies, such as Germany. Instead, it must seek an “internal devaluation”. This is the meaning of austerity.