Germany

A socialist programme is needed! Several heatwaves swept across Europe and Germany this summer. Whilst forest fires raged in France and Spain, amongst other places, temperatures in Germany were also above 40 degrees. According to […]

Polarization over the AfD … plays into the AfD’s hands Die Linke must finally open a class front! The election result in Saxony-Anhalt is a political earthquake that was long on the cards. It can […]

At the end of April, a trial began in Stuttgart of Palestine solidarity activists who have become known as the ‘Ulm 5’. What is this case about? A year ago, five activists broke into the […]

This September, Germany is facing a political earthquake that has long been on the cards. In the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the right populist AfD is likely to emerge as the strongest […]

Among the state elections due to take place in Germany in September, two in eastern Germany are set to shake the republic to its core. According to opinion polls, the AfD is the leading party […]

The following is a personal statement by Sascha Staničić regarding the allegations made by the right-wing media portal ‘Nius’:  On 22 June, the right-wing media portal ‘Nius’ and Julius Böhm published various articles on their […]

Cologne’s swimming pool operator, Köln-Bäder GmbH, a subsidiary of Cologne’s council’s municipal services provider, Stadtwerke-Köln GmbH, has filed a motion for the extraordinary termination of employment of works council member, Martin Löber. The reason given for this termination is alleged working-hour fraud. Experts from ver.di (the public sector union) who have […]

Below are two articles appearing in the new issue of Solidarität, the newspaper of Sol (Sozialistische Organisation Solidarität) the CWI in Germany. Hard Attacks, Weak Government Class struggle from below is the alternative Tom Hoffmann, […]

An interview with Sascha Staničić, member of the Executive Committee of Sozialistische Organisation Solidarität (Sol – section of the CWI in Germany) about his candidacy for the national committee of Die Linke (the Left Party)  […]

Three days, twenty-seven events, more than forty speakers – 2026 ‘Socialism Days’ After seven long years, a nationwide ‘Socialism Days’ event organised by Sol (Sozialistische Organisation Solidarität – CWI Germany) took place in Berlin once […]

Originally published in Socialism Today, magazine of the Socialist Party (CWI England & Wales). TOM HOFFMAN of Sol (CWI Germany), explains why Die Linke (the Left party) has undergone an unexpected electoral and membership growth […]

Nationwide school strike shows potential for the fight against militarism While the new military conscription law was being voted on in the Bundestag on the morning of December 5, school students across Germany took to […]

A big step forward for the solidarity movement in Germany On 27 September, around 100,000 people took to the streets in Berlin in solidarity with the people of Gaza. This is the largest protest to […]

On 27 September, the largest mass demonstration to date in Germany calling for solidarity with the people of Gaza and the West Bank and against occupation, displacement and war by the Israeli government could take […]

Equal pay for equal work! For several weeks now, non-medical staff, including canteen, garden, security, transport, logistics, cleaning and technical workers at Charité Facility Management (CFM) in Berlin, a subsidiary of Charité university hospital, the […]

In a historically unprecedented development, today the Christian Democratic candidate Friedrich Merz was unexpectedly not elected Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, in the first ballot for the position. This is the first time […]

What position should socialists take? On 1 March, in response to the row between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, the national executive of the Left Party passed a resolution that is, unfortunately, analytically wrong and […]

The Left is the ray of hope against cuts and racism The result of the federal election is a slap in the face of the established, pro-capitalist parties. The only parties that won were those […]

Germany goes to the polls on 23 February for elections to the Bundestag (parliament) after the so-called ‘traffic light coalition’ (comprised of social democrats, Greens and liberals) collapsed in November. Germany is one of the […]

Strain all your forces now to get into the parliament – and plan for the time afterwards In the midst of the shift to the right in the ruling politics – from Trump to Merz […]

New party in Germany is no alternative for working people Since this statement was issued BSW members of the German parliament, on January 31, voted in favour of the “influx limitation law” produced by the […]

No matter who will govern – opposition against those at the top is necessary On 23 February, early elections to the Bundestag (parliament) will take place. The fact that the ‘traffic light’ government (a coalition […]

The following article first appeared in ‘Sozialismus Heute’, the theoretical magazine of the ‘Sozialistische Organisation – Solidarität’ (German section of the CWI). We are publishing a translated version here. Slight changes have also been made […]

VW workers’ rude awakening on a closer inspection of what it means The German metal workers’ union IG Metall leadership and the Volkswagen (VW) central works council (the legal non-union body representing the workforce) celebrated […]

Things will be no different in 2025  Not only was 2024 a hotter year than previous years in terms of climate, the political situation in the world was also “hot” and marked by crises, wars […]

Crisis, Conflict and Class Struggle The end of the coalition between the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) on the evening of 6 November did not really come as […]

The management team of Germany’s largest industrial group has proclaimed a turning point in operations. Wage cuts, mass layoffs and factory closures are on the table. What to do now? The Volkswagen Group may be […]

The trade unions and the Left Party must take up an independent and combative class position The end of the coalition between the SPD, the Greens and the liberal FDP on the evening of Wednesday […]

The author is also a DIE LINKE member. How can the Party’s left react to the decline? The crisis of the Left Party (Die Linke) has not come to an end even with the departure […]

Elections in Eastern federal states show massive dissatisfaction with national government  The question was not whether the September 1 state elections Saxony and Thuringia (two of the so-called “new federal states” which formed part of […]

Resist racist propaganda and the restriction of democratic rights The terrorist attack that took place last week in Solingen, Germany, is shocking. Three people were killed at a town festival and eight were injured, some […]

Socialist alternative to right-wing populists, CDU and traffic lights needed! At around 3 pm on Saturday, 31 August, hundreds of people gathered at three different rallies in Leipzig city centre to demonstrate against the AfD […]

Joint struggle of all workers needed to defend LGBTQI+ rights The annual Christopher Street Day (CSD) LGBTQI+ Pride parade took place in Bautzen, Saxony, on 10 August. Although it was well attended with 1,000 demonstrators, […]

On August 8th, members of Sol (CWI Germany) in Berlin gathered in front of the Nigerian embassy to protest for the immediate release of Adaramoye Michael, Babatunde Oluajo and Mosiu Sodiq. During protests against the […]

The workers at the Bundesanzeiger publishing house in Cologne have been on strike for more than 70 days. They are fighting for a collective agreement that has not yet been granted to them, and what’s […]

This is the text of a leaflet by Sol, the CWI in Germany, which has been distributed through the workers’ and trade union movement since May Day.   Hardly a day goes by without representatives […]

Steve Hollasky, Sozialistische Organisation Solidarität (Sol, CWI in Germany) CWI The results were expected, but they are still shocking: in the local elections in Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony-Anhalt (and in Thuringia a few weeks […]

Workers’ party with a socialist programme urgently needed The elections to the European Parliament in Germany were another reckoning with the federal government. The right-wing populist AfD (Alternative for Germany) and the Sahra Wagenknecht  Alliance […]

The elections to the European Parliament will take place between June 6 and 9 in the 27 states in the EU. Right-wing populist and far-right – i.e. nationalist – parties are expected to be successful, […]

On Friday, April 13, the Berlin police broke up the ‘Palestine Congress’, a conference of various pro-Palestinian and left-wing organisations, which had met under the motto of “We denounce” support for the Israeli government’s Gaza […]

In the new world situation of deep capitalist crises and intensification of inter-imperialist conflicts, German imperialism is facing new challenges and divisions within the ruling class on the question of how the position of German […]

The following resolution was adopted by the Federal Conference of Sozialistische Organisation Solidarität (Sol, CWI in Germany) on the 9 December 2023. World & Europe What the CWI formulated at the beginning of this year […]

Economics Minister Robert Habeck, described the economic situation in Germany as “dramatically bad” after the growth forecasts for the economy were reduced from 1.2 to 0.3 per cent this year – after a year of […]

What do the mass demonstrations against the AfD mean and how can the movement continue? An impressive wave of protests has developed in recent weeks against the strengthening of the AfD (see here). However, in […]

Well over a million people demonstrated against the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in January. Huge demonstrations of hundreds of thousands took place in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne – so large that in […]

After the judgement of the German Federal Constitutional Court plunged the ‘traffic light’ government into another deep crisis, the heads of government have agreed on a draft budget for 2024. The draft is intended to […]

The third national conference of Sol – Socialist Organization Solidarity took place in Berlin from 8 to 10 December. One hundred delegates, members and guests from Germany, as well as international comrades, came together to […]

On October 27, 1998, the first and so far only federal government consisting of the SPD and the Greens was elected. Gerhard Schröder became Chancellor, the former Bürgerschreck – or ‘terroriser of the bourgeoisie’ – […]

The following statement (translated from German) regarding opposition to the Israeli state attack on Gaza has, so far, been signed by over 200 individuals and organisations in Germany, including trade unionists, Left Party members, and […]

And announces foundation of new party October 23 was the day on which Sahra Wagenknecht and nine other members of the Bundestag (German parliament) resigned from DIE LINKE (the Left party). At a press conference, […]

Earlier this month, elections were held in the German federal states of Hesse and Bavaria, and the result represents the next low blow for the ‘traffic light’ national government (Red for Social Democrats, Yellow for […]

According to capitalist mainstream history, 1923 was the year of hyperinflation and the failed Hitler putsch. This narrative equates German history, first and foremost, with fascism. Yet 1923 was also the year that Germany was […]

From 17 to 23 September, about 1,000 delegates at the ver.di national congress will discuss the future direction of the trade union. Ver.di is a public and service sector union and the second biggest in […]

Note: The  article below was written in May 2023,  by Tom Hoffman, a member of the German section of the CWI (Sol -Socialist Organisation Solidarity). From the end of last year, young Sol members, who […]

A year and a half after the “turning point” proclaimed by German Chancellor Scholz, not a day goes by without reports of disputes within the “traffic light” coalition ruling Germany, the right-wing populist AfD (Alternative […]

Jonas Grampp is a member of the youth group of the Berlin region of the German Railway and Transport Union (EVG) and of the youth representative committee of DB Netz AG, the railway infrastructure division […]

From its foundation, DIE LINKE (Left Party) was an amalgamation of political currents, some of which had contradictory ideas of left politics. Roughly speaking, one could for a long time speak of a left camp […]

Sol – Sozialistische Organisation Solidarität (CWI Germany) mourns the death of National Committee member, Jan Horsthemke. We are sorry to announce that our Dortmund comrade and member of the Sol National Committee, Jan Horsthemke, decided […]

A debate in Germany over the Building Energy Act, the so-called “heat transition”, has been boiling up for weeks. The conservative CDU has announced that it will make the fight against this law an issue […]

With sustained strike action more would be possible! 500,000 workers took part in massive warning strikes. The turnout was higher than expected. 70,000 new members joined the ver.di trade union in the first three months […]

‘Traffic light’ government quarrels and quarrels and quarrels…. When the first ever three-party coalition formed a German government in autumn 2021, big words were said. It would be a “progress coalition” that would face the […]

Activists from Sozialistische Organisation Solidarität (Sol – CWI in Germany), the Forum of Trade Union Lefts in Berlin, the International Commission of the IG Metall Berlin (metal workers’ trade union) and RIO (Revolutionary Internationalist Organisation), […]

On Monday, 27th March, tens of thousands railway and public sector workers came together in a “mega strike“. This action brought large parts of Germany’s public transport system to a halt. It was the first […]

At the start of this year, a new socialist youth organisation, Youth for Socialism (JfS), was founded in Germany by members of the Socialist Organisation – Solidarity (Sol, German section of the CWI), together with […]

Jonas Grampp is a member of the youth group of the Berlin region of the German Railway and Transport Union (EVG) and of the youth representative committee of DB Netz AG, the railway infrastructure division […]

While the ballot for unlimited strike action amongst the German postal workers saw a 85.9 percent yes vote for strike action over their 15 percent wage claim, public sector workers have stepped up their warning […]

A public appeal made in Germany for mass support for a ‘Manifesto for Peace’, calling for “a ceasefire and peace negotiations” to stop the war in Ukraine (published on February 10th), is one of the […]

The cost of living crisis has led to an increase in protests and workers’ strikes in a number of countries, most notably in the UK and France. Now Germany could join the ‘strike countries’. After […]

“Danger recognised – danger averted” was the intended message of last week’s German television and newspaper pictures. In what was probably the largest anti-terrorist operation in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, on […]

From 16 to 18 September, the successful second national conference of the Socialist Organisation Solidarity (Sol, the CWI in Germany) took place in Berlin, reports Jens Jaschik. Over the weekend, almost one hundred delegates and […]

In an opinion poll, 16 per cent of people in Germany said that because of the rising costs of living they have to do without one meal per day, another 13 per cent said they […]

The world has changed since the war in Ukraine began. Like the coronavirus – which not only shut down the world but also accelerated profound changes in economic, political and social relations – the war […]

In Germany the Left party DIE LINKE has been in a mounting crisis since the disastrous collapse in its vote in last September’s general election. The party saw a a fall in support since the […]

Russia’s war against Ukraine is a shock and, at the same time, a turning point, because for the first time, in a long time, the question of a military confrontation between great powers is concrete. […]

“Super motivating” was the comment of Christian, a nurse who joined the Sozialistische Organisation Solidarität (Sol, CWI Germany) during the Berlin hospital strikes, about the Socialism Days organised by the Sol on the weekend of […]

For twenty-six days, nurses at the two largest public Berlin hospital chains, Charité and Vivantes, and the technical staff of the latter, have been on strike. More than 2,000 workers have joined the trade union […]

This has never happened before. On 26th September, ‘Super Election Day’, Berliners voted by 56 percent in a referendum in favour of the expropriation of the large real estate companies. This shows that when people […]

More than thirty organisations and initiatives had called for the demonstration “Together on the street – public instead of private” in Berlin, last Saturday, 18 September. Representatives from almost all movements and campaigns currently taking […]

Opinion polls in the last weeks before the September 26 German general election have shown rapid changes, especially for the two main contenders – the conservative christian democrat CDU/CSU bloc and the Social Democratic Party […]

The extreme weather conditions of the last few days have reached unimaginable proportions in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as in Belgium, the Netherlands and other neighbouring countries. Up […]

In Germany, the Green party is riding a wave of popularity. Following the selection of Annalena Baerbock as its candidate for Chancellor (Prime Minister), it hit 28% in the opinion polls. Since 2019 the Greens […]

The parliamentary elections taking place in Germany at the end of September will mark an end of an era. Having governed in various government constellations since 2005, Angela Merkel is not standing again. Generally, the […]

Capitalism is increasingly reminiscent of what is called a ‘Royal Rumble’ in professional wrestling. In this sport what is happening in the ring becomes more and more confusing due to the arrival of more and […]

More than 1.5 million Berlin households have been dealt a blow by the Federal Constitutional Court. At the request of 284 Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and Free Democratic Party (FDP) members of the […]

Two members of the Socialist Organisation Solidarity (CWI Germany) and two other left activists are on trial in Lemgo, Germany. They are facing accusations by State Security (the police department for “fighting against politically motivated […]

Young people in Germany have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and the unfolding economic crisis. For young socialists, these are key issues around which to organise resistance against the various shortcomings of the […]

Germany’s Chancellor Merkel sounded the alarm. Combatting the Coronavirus is a “task of the century”, but the results of the consultation between the Federal government and the representatives of the regional states on 14 October […]

Public sector workers in Germany’s hospitals, kindergartens, civil service, refuse operations, as well as public transport workers, started ‘warning strikes’ in support of their wage demands. Ver.di, the public sector union, is demanding a 4.8% […]

The public campaigning of Socialist Organisation Solidarity (Sol, CWI in Germany) is, like all left organisations, greatly affected by the covid-19 crisis. We were involved in tenants’ protests and campaigns for free public transport. With […]

Below is the first of two articles on Germany and the covid-19 crisis. The second article, which will be published on Wednesday 15 April, will discuss the campaigning work of Sozialistische Organisation Solidarität (CWI Germany) […]

Even during a global pandemic, profit is the top priority for capitalists. On the one hand, our freedom of movement is restricted, and, on the other hand, we are supposed to continue working with numerous […]

After dramatic election defeats last September in two East German federal state elections the leadership of Germany’s left party DIE LINKE opened a strategy debate in the run-up to a ‘Strategy Conference’ at the end […]

The racist murders of Hanau are part of a chain of right-wing terror attacks and racism. They are not caused by the sick brains of the individual perpetrators, but by a capitalist society that produces […]

Hardly a day goes by in Germany without a new announcement of job cuts, dismissals in car plants and components industry and in companies such as Thyssen-Krupp or Siemens. The planned loss of hundreds of […]

Germany has entered an unstable period in which economic, political and international developments can produce rapid changes. Already the first signs of this are visible economically and politically. Just recently fourteen hospital workers have been […]

For millions of people, the 1989 opening of the Berlin Wall was rightly celebrated as a great victory for democratic rights. But the build up to the official celebrations to mark its 30th anniversary have, […]

The September 1 state elections in the eastern German states of Brandenburg and Saxony saw a continuation of the decline of Social Democrats (SPD) and Christian Democrats (CDU) currently Germany’s ruling parties. The losses for […]

The results of the European elections, as well as the Bremen state and various local elections, on 26 May, will continue to stir up the German party system, increase political instability and pose the possibility […]

Much of the German media is understandably discussing the “historical event” that took place last weekend – last Sunday’s regional elections in Bavaria. The decline of both the CSU (Bavarian counterpart of Merkel’s Christian-Democrat CDU) […]

A year ago, on 24 September 2017, a right-wing populist party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), was elected to the German Bundestag (national parliament) for the first time. The AfD’s achievement in becoming the Bundestag’s […]

The pictures were shocking: Over five thousand rightists move through the city centre of Chemnitz, in the eastern German federal state of Saxony, last Monday, 27th August. Some of the crowd beat migrants, threw bottles […]

Germany is seeing its politically most unstable period since unification of East and West in 1990 and also the beginning of the end of the “Merkel era”.

After the federal elections held on 24 September 2017, it took almost exactly half a year for the new government to be sworn in. This is completely unprecedented in German post-war history. On top of […]

With one in four of all full time workers working over 40 hours a week in the UK, the notion of a proper “work life balance” to be able to spend more time with your […]

Around 1000 students took part in a school strike in Kassel, central Germany, on December 11, protesting against the deteriorating conditions in their schools and to fight for a better future. There were plenty of […]

The abrupt end to the series of exploratory talks to negotiate a ‘Jamaica coalition’ (so-named because the respective parties’ colours: CDU/CSU (conservatives), FDP (Liberals) and Greens match those of the Jamaican national flag) came as […]

In the end, a somewhat boring election campaign that ignored many of the issues ended in a political earthquake. For the first time in decades, a racist, right nationalist party, AfD (Alternative for Germany), entered […]

Police intimidation could not deter mass protests of 76,000 taking to the streets of Hamburg last Saturday, July 8, loudly protesting the G20 summit held in the city. A massive and colourful demonstration thronged through […]

Four months before the general election takes place in Germany, Chancellor Merkel appears to have a safe race and might be in a position of having options as to who she chooses to be her […]

Commiserations must not be exploited for racism

Dortmund demonstration against neo-Nazi-violence

War, refugees and global economic disaster knocking on Germany's door

No security under capitalism

Reject the bosses’ EU! For a Europe of working people – a voluntary socialist federation

SAV/CWI member Lucy Redler elected to national committee

For decisive unions’ action to stop bosses’ plans!

An expression of the recent advances and growing support for the SAV

DIE LINKE (Left Party) urgently needs to change course

The situation in Germany

‘Normality’ is the scandal

Polarising situation, but 250,000 march against free trade agreements shows potential for mass resistance against establishment

Berlin industrial dispute of national importance

Strikes in numerous sectors as workers fail to benefit from “recovery”

Big demo and blockade against the reopening of the Central Bank

German racist mobilizations split but danger continues

Unions and Left must organise against racism and for jobs and decent living standards for all

Last week German train drivers and on-board staff went on strike for four days, shaking and polarising the country

Berlin Wall brought down by mass revolutionary movement

More pictures from solidarity protests around the world

Need to build Left Party on clear anti-capitalist basis

Defend the refugees! Defend union members!

But unstable times lie ahead

Main parties, few differences; DIE LINKE must support struggles of working class and fight for a socialist future

“A strong SAV strengthens the left in DIE LINKE”

Police repression in the belly of the beast

After Lafontaine’s proposal to get rid of the Euro – what should the left say?

Union-agreed rates could bring Amazon workers 9000 euros more a year

The rise of the Pirate Party is a transient expression of underlying anti-party sentiment and a protest vote against the policies and actions of the established parties

A few years ago Germany’s Left Party, Die Linke, was seen as a model for the emergence of new, united, left-wing parties in Europe…

Mass demonstration against EU’s austerity policies

Thousands attempt to occupy squares and blockade the ECB in Frankfurt, Germany. Protests are banned.

Days of action planned in Frankfurt/Main against European Central Bank and big finance

Will the Left Party present itself as an anti-capitalist opposition or as a ‘moderate’ party managing capitalism?

Hospital workers achieve minimum wage

Antifascists have to build a mass movement and can not rely on the state.

Solidarity urgently needed

Support the striking workers of the Charité Facility Management company (CFM) in Berlin!

2,500 on strike demo

Mass protest against nuclear energy, Green Party victory in regional elections

Government pushed into defensive by Fukushima disaster and mass unrest

Opposition growing against Stuttgart 21, nuclear power and cuts. Opinion poll shows – Germany is in a state of political crisis

The battle against ‘Stuttgart 21’ reaches new heights

"Your campaign is terrifying the speculators and the big banks – and that is a very good thing" – Joe Higgins speaking at a demonstration in Stuttgart.

“Democracy is sometimes a little bit difficult“, said the mayor of Stuttgart, facing a mass movement against the railway project, ‘Stuttgart21’.

While most of Germany is on summer holiday the southern city of Stuttgart has seen, every few days, thousands of people take to the streets in protest…

Did the organizers stop at nothing for profits? 20 people died in the horrific stampede at the July 24 Love Parade festival in the German city of Duisburg, 500 were injured and, for a time, […]

5 days after the announcement of an austerity package by the conservative-liberal coalition in Germany 45,000 workers, unemployed and young people took to the streets of Berlin and Stuttgart to say: we won’t pay for […]

Debates about the future of the party Die LINKE

On 9 June, 85,000 school, university, and apprenticeship students went on strike against cuts in education, tuition fees and increasing pressure to "perform" in education.

Dismissals with Sixt because of foundation of a works committee

The Berlin area leadership of the German metal workers’ union has begun the procedure to expel left wing, combative members. Please write messages of protest!

300 people discuss relevancy of Marxism today

Messages of protest needed!

Tens of thousands of anti-fascists stop far right "march of grief"

“Crisis confirms Marxism”

Their ideas will never die!

The fall of Stalinism from 1989 to 1991 changed the world. Listen here to the introductions to debates at Socialism 2009 about the collapse of the Soviet Union and the mass movements in the former […]

Struggles brewing – huge potential for Die Linke

But a better deal was possible

Send messages of support!

New right wing government and success for the Left Party

A shift to the left?

Only the beginning of a powerful movement against government attacks

SAV consolidates roots in the community and defends seat

Speculation that Rosa Luxemburg’s corpse lies in Berlin hospital

But political arguments of the right-wing defeated

Workers on the streets – but union leaders face the wrong way!

On Saturday March 28, 30,000 people marched through Berlin, the capital of Germany, and another 25,000 people protested in Frankfurt, Germany’s financial centre.

Berlin demonstration demands action

The campaign to keep marxist activists outside the Left Party (DIE LINKE) in Germany (see previous reports on socialistworld.net) is being continued by people in the party leadership despite growing support for marxist ideas amongst […]

Participation greater than expected despite authorities’ repression

One battle won, next battle to come

SAV members are denied membership in Left Party

Capitalist crisis shows need for bold socialist policies and campaigning

Secondary education crisis politicises a new generation

Hessen federal state forced to promise to abolish student financial burden

"Measure DIE LINKE by its actions"

8,000 school students strike and march in Berlin

1,500 demonstrators thwart 400 Nazis

Strikes, strikes and more strikes!

“We’ve given enough!” – Public sector industrial action likely

Germany is the economic powerhouse of Europe, accounting for just over 20% of total European Union Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The train drivers’ dispute about wages and working hours in Germany is going into the next round.

German train drivers follow French model

Train drivers’ strike over wages and hours

Hundreds attend ’Socialism Days’ weekend

The merger between the two left-wing parties, Left Party.PDS and WASG (Electoral Alternative for Work and Social Justice), in Germany has taken place.

Historic defeat for all working people

WASG and Left Party/PDS vote for merger

CWI member, Lucy Redler, elected to National Committee

A campaigner’s report

WASG Berlin wins 2.9% in Berlin parliamentary elections

But warning in jump of neo-fascist vote

Fifth CWI member elected as councillor in Germany

Berlin WASG possibility of getting elected to regional parliament

The World Cup parties could not hide the growing unpopularity of the German government or popular fears of what the future holds.

Important headway made – poll indicates increased support

Right-wing suffer setback

On the policies and practice of Linksruck (the German equivalent of the British Socialist Workers’ Party)

"Struggle against unemployment and not against the unemployed"

First successful national meeting of the WASG Left

‘Junge Welt’ debate between Lucy Redler (SAV) and Christine Buchholz (Linksruck)

But anti-cuts Berlin WASG re-affirm standing independently

Trade union bureaucracy holds workers’struggles back

A reply to Linksruck, sister organisation of the British SWP

A dangerous move to the right

Future not capitalism

Anti-cuts alternative confirmed for September poll

What kind of a new left do we need?

Membership ballot confirms decision of party conference

There is a feeling of widespread anger amongst German workers.

Stuttgart’s public sector warning strike

Rostock city council passes most severe cuts in city’s history

Rostock city council passes most severe cuts in city’s history

Successful conference of Party for Work and Justice – The Electoral Alternative (WASG) condemns cuts policy of the Left Party.PDS

The left was the only true winner of last September’s general election.

Delegates oppose social cuts of local Berlin government

The result speaks in very clear language: there is no majority for the neo-liberal attacks of the previous red/green government of Gerhard Schröder and Joschka Fischer, or the even harsher ones proposed by Angela Merkel […]

Seven years in coalition government showed Greens were an establishment party

Left must build on election success with socialist policies

Now is the time to organise resistance!

A massive defeat for the right and a big victory for the left, was the result of the early German election

New party has potential to become third biggest party in Bundestag

National congress of new left-wing party WASG in Germany prepares for general elections

Left winger leader, Oskar Lafontaine, leaves ruling social democrats and calls for new left alliance

Socialist Alternative members stood with others as WASG candidates

New elections called for the autumn

Four hundred meet to discuss resistance against social cuts and capitalism

Successful Socialist Alternative campaign against cuts

Against the background of increased attacks on living standards and working conditions, important sections of the working class in Germany have drawn the conclusion that an organisational and political alternative to the neo-liberal policies of […]

Germany is currently in the middle of a political, social and economic earthquake. Ordinary Germans are facing a neo-liberal offensive of huge and stark proportions by the German ruling class.

"This was a sell out!"

Strike needs to spread not end

The swift angry and determined answer of the workers at Opel’s Ruhr area factory in Bochum to General Motor’s announcement of 12,000 redundancies throughout Europe has seized the headlines in Germany. They immediately went on […]

Solidarity with striking Opel workers in Germany

Protest against action by Cinram bosses

Socialist Alternative, the German section of the cwi, scored a great victory in Sunday’s local elections in North Rhine Westphalia, winning two more councillors after initiating and heading two left electoral lists against social cuts […]

Protests continue

Today 79% of east Germans and 51% of west Germans think that Socialism is a "good idea" that was "only badly implemented" in the former Soviet Union and eastern Europe. That is the judgement after […]

Eye witness accounts from Rostock and Leipzig

“Hot autumn” for German government starts early as tens of thousands take to the streets in yet another wave of protest against impoverishment programme Agenda 2010

1,500 school students and apprentices take part in a city wide youth strike in Kassel, Hessen, to demonstrate against social cuts.

Does radical rhetoric of some of the trade union leaders against the government’s cuts policy mark a turning point for the struggle against Agenda 2010?

June 13 saw many elections in Germany: European elections (which are the only nationwide elections between two Federal general elections); state parliament elections in Thuringia and local elections in 6 of the 16 German federal […]

400 people attended the “Socialism Days 2004” organised by Socialist Alternative (SAV). It was an opportunity to discuss, debate, exchange ideas and put forward a programme for the struggle against a system that provides nothing […]

Huge anger against Schröder’s ‘Agenda 2010’ onslaught

New opposition to SPD government offer big opportunities.

As socialistworld.net has previously reported, Germany has witnessed a wave of protests and strikes both on the industrial and social fields, as well as series of student strikes, towards the end of last year.

70,000 university students took to the streets in Frankfurt, Berlin and Leipzig on Saturday, 13 December, defending the right to decent education.

On 9 December, in Kassel, in Hessen state, the first cross sector local work stoppage against social cuts, and in defence of free wage bargaining, took place. This action is part of the current wave […]

On 9 December, strike action against the bosses’ federation attacks on wages and conditions and national bargaining will take place in Kassel and the Northhessen region. The strikes will also be directed against the social […]

“We are witnesses and protagonists of a newly- now unstoppable- broad social protest movement in Germany. The mood…amongst the population, and even more in the workplaces and councils, has turned in the past weeks”. (From […]

Today’s much bigger than expected 100,000 strong Berlin protest against social cuts has demonstrated the enormous discontent and rage that is building up in Germany.

October 25 saw the congress of biggest trade union in the world, ver.di, unanimously back the anti-cuts demo called for November 1 in Berlin.

It is a tradition for the German chancellor and the leaders of the political parties to give a speech to the national congresses of the big trade unions.

Schröder’s policy statement amounts to a declaration of war on the workers, the unemployed and the pensioners. He has presented a catalogue of cruelty which severely cuts back the standard of living, the social security […]

The recently launched campaign Youth Against War has organised a successful day of action on February 25th. The campaign was recently launched by different school students’, students’ and appretices’ anti war committees – many of […]

Federal (regional) state elections took place in Hessen and Lower Saxony, last Sunday. In Hessen the right wing Christian Democrats (CDU) went up by 5.4% to 48.8%, the best result for the Christian Democrats in […]

Only two months after the swearing in of the Red-Green government, that had been re-elected to office only by the narrowest of margins, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) threatened his resignation. Speaking to the Executive of […]

From 1-3 November, the national conference of the German section of the CWI took place. It was the biggest conference of the German section ever.

"Time for a change in Germany", was the title of last week’s right wing magazine, The Economist (London). This reflected the wish of the international and German capitalists for a new coalition government of the […]

THOUSANDS OF building workers downed tools and walked off sites throughout Germany to demand a 4.5% pay rise. The strikers are also demanding a rise in the minimum pay rate for workers in the former […]