Drunk with victory and seething with revenge, the reactionary opposition in Venezuela have started to announce plans to reverse the gains of the Bolivarian revolution. This has provoked ferment amongst the revolutionary rank and file, which at the same time is directing part of their anger at bureaucrats and reformists within its own ranks.

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.