Europe is the weak link of world capitalism. From Madrid to Paris to Berlin, young people and workers are on the move. In this special episode of Against the Stream, we talk to comrades of the Revolutionary Communist International on the ground in Spain, France, and Germany about what’s happening, and about the huge potential for building the forces of communism. Today’s youth have grown up with nothing but war and crisis. As Marx explained, it’s the real conditions of society that shape consciousness. So it’s no surprise that many are reaching revolutionary conclusions on their own. Class questions are coming to the fore everywhere. A decade ago, protests were often framed as calls for ‘more democracy’, or for voting in a different government. Those illusions are gone. On the streets of Spain, tens of thousands are chanting ‘Esto es lucha de clases, no podemos hacer las paces’ [this is class struggle, we cannot make peace] and ‘Los invasores son los inversores’ [the invaders are the investors]. Whilst the causes of these youth-led movements vary from country to country, the same host of issues are present everywhere: militarism, racism, police violence, housing, Palestine, and the climate crisis. Together they’re feeding a revolutionary mood across the continent. Europe’s rulers have no way out. With inflation rising and governments buried in debt, they can’t keep the economy stable without provoking social and political upheaval. Years of austerity, decay, and inequality have built up the pressure, and now it’s bursting out. New episodes of Against the Stream every Thursday at 6pm London time on YouTube. 📖 Recommended reading 📖France: 17 October – towards a revolutionary crisis?https://marxist.com/france-17-october...Una semana después, ¿a dónde va la huelga general?https://www.comunistasrevolucionarios...Red October: revolutionary communists are connecting on the groundhttps://marxist.com/red-october-revol... ⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️0:00 Intro3:45 Spain24:25 France56:26 Germany 🫵 Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📚 Marxist literature: https://wellred-books.com/🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68nGNHz... 📱 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

Europe is the weak link of world capitalism. From Madrid to Paris to Berlin, young people and workers are on the move. In this special episode of Against the Stream, we talk to comrades of the Revolutionary Communist International on the ground in Spain, France, and Germany about what’s happening, and about the huge potential for building the forces of communism. Today’s youth have grown up with nothing but war and crisis. As Marx explained, it’s the real conditions of society that shape consciousness. So it’s no surprise that many are reaching revolutionary conclusions on their own. Class questions are coming to the fore everywhere. A decade ago, protests were often framed as calls for ‘more democracy’, or for voting in a different government. Those illusions are gone. On the streets of Spain, tens of thousands are chanting ‘Esto es lucha de clases, no podemos hacer las paces’ [this is class struggle, we cannot make peace] and ‘Los invasores son los inversores’ [the invaders are the investors]. Whilst the causes of these youth-led movements vary from country to country, the same host of issues are present everywhere: militarism, racism, police violence, housing, Palestine, and the climate crisis. Together they’re feeding a revolutionary mood across the continent. Europe’s rulers have no way out. With inflation rising and governments buried in debt, they can’t keep the economy stable without provoking social and political upheaval. Years of austerity, decay, and inequality have built up the pressure, and now it’s bursting out. New episodes of Against the Stream every Thursday at 6pm London time on YouTube. 📖 Recommended reading 📖 France: 17 October – towards a revolutionary crisis? https://marxist.com/france-17-october... Una semana después, ¿a dónde va la huelga general? https://www.comunistasrevolucionarios... Red October: revolutionary communists are connecting on the ground https://marxist.com/red-october-revol... ⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️ 0:00 Intro 3:45 Spain 24:25 France 56:26 Germany 🫵 Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📚 Marxist literature: https://wellred-books.com/ 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68nGNHz... 📱 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/ 💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

Reports from the front line – Spain, France and Germany

Occupations; general strikes; riot police tear-gassing school students. The streets of Madrid and Paris have exploded in revolt. Hundreds of thousands of youth and workers have risen up – against unbearable housing costs in Spain and an education system gutted by austerity in France.In this episode of Against the Stream, Victor Murray is joined by Josh Holroyd of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International to discuss what these movements signify, and how they can win.In Spain, the spark was the eviction of Maria Carmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman in a wheelchair who had lived in the same Madrid flat for 70 years, forced out by a vulture fund that wanted to raise her rent from €400 to €2,600. She died this week. More than a thousand tents now fill the Puerta del Sol. The renters’ union is demanding the expropriation of corporate landlords, and polls show majority support for a general strike – even among Vox voters.In France, the biggest high school student movement in the country's history has been met with tear gas and stun grenades. Students and teachers have had enough of underfunded schools – with classes of 40 pupils, in crumbling buildings, in 40-degree heat. Talk of a new May '68 is everywhere.As we have long forecast, this is not a reactionary period. It is the opening of a revolutionary one. But communists must be armed with the lessons of the past. Victor and Josh look back at what the revolution of May ‘68 achieved, why it was defeated, and what communists need to do now. New episodes of Against the Stream every Thursday at 6pm London time on YouTube.📖 Recommended reading 📖Spain: Sánchez calls early elections – the streets demand a general strikehttps://marxist.com/spain-sanchez-calls-early-elections-the-streets-demand-a-general-strike.htmFrance: a decisive week – with echoes of May ’68https://marxist.com/france-a-decisive-week-with-echoes-of-may-68.htm[Podcast] The world economy faces perfect stormhttps://marxist.com/podcast-the-world-economy-faces-perfect-storm.htmFrench high school protests: The risk of a united front of discontent, Le Mondehttps://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2026/10/05/french-high-school-protests-the-risk-of-a-united-front-of-discontent_6758264_23.html⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️0:00 Introduction4:54 The eviction of Maricarmen14:59 Sánchez's gamble24:21 How the movement cut across the right wing38:01 France: the biggest school student movement in French history49:44 The lessons of May '681:18:21 What should communists do?🫵 Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📚 Marxist literature: https://wellred-books.com/📱 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-stream/id1777793987 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

Occupations; general strikes; riot police tear-gassing school students. The streets of Madrid and Paris have exploded in revolt. Hundreds of thousands of youth and workers have risen up – against unbearable housing costs in Spain and an education system gutted by austerity in France.In this episode of Against the Stream, Victor Murray is joined by Josh Holroyd of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International to discuss what these movements signify, and how they can win.In Spain, the spark was the eviction of Maria Carmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman in a wheelchair who had lived in the same Madrid flat for 70 years, forced out by a vulture fund that wanted to raise her rent from €400 to €2,600. She died this week. More than a thousand tents now fill the Puerta del Sol. The renters’ union is demanding the expropriation of corporate landlords, and polls show majority support for a general strike – even among Vox voters.In France, the biggest high school student movement in the country's history has been met with tear gas and stun grenades. Students and teachers have had enough of underfunded schools – with classes of 40 pupils, in crumbling buildings, in 40-degree heat. Talk of a new May '68 is everywhere.As we have long forecast, this is not a reactionary period. It is the opening of a revolutionary one. But communists must be armed with the lessons of the past. Victor and Josh look back at what the revolution of May ‘68 achieved, why it was defeated, and what communists need to do now. New episodes of Against the Stream every Thursday at 6pm London time on YouTube.📖 Recommended reading 📖Spain: Sánchez calls early elections – the streets demand a general strikehttps://marxist.com/spain-sanchez-calls-early-elections-the-streets-demand-a-general-strike.htmFrance: a decisive week – with echoes of May ’68https://marxist.com/france-a-decisive-week-with-echoes-of-may-68.htm[Podcast] The world economy faces perfect stormhttps://marxist.com/podcast-the-world-economy-faces-perfect-storm.htmFrench high school protests: The risk of a united front of discontent, Le Mondehttps://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2026/10/05/french-high-school-protests-the-risk-of-a-united-front-of-discontent_6758264_23.html⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️0:00 Introduction4:54 The eviction of Maricarmen14:59 Sánchez's gamble24:21 How the movement cut across the right wing38:01 France: the biggest school student movement in French history49:44 The lessons of May '681:18:21 What should communists do?🫵 Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📚 Marxist literature: https://wellred-books.com/📱 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-stream/id1777793987 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

Spain and France: Another May '68?

This week the interest rate on 10-year US government bonds hit 5.3 per cent, and borrowing costs in Britain, France, Germany and Japan are at levels not seen in decades. For ordinary people, that means higher costs at the petrol station, on their energy bills, in their rent and mortgage payments, and public services being cut to balance the books.In this episode of Against the Stream, Victor Murray is joined by Niklas Albin Svensson of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International to explain what is happening to the world economy, and what it means for the class struggle.Starting off with the Iran war and the biggest oil supply shock in history they explain how emergency reserves are now running dry. With diesel prices in the US up almost 90 per cent since January, Trump is toying with a diesel export ban that would hit Latin America and Europe the hardest. Central banks are reacting by raising interest rates, but rate hikes won't end the instability in the Middle East. All it will do is squeeze workers.Then there's the debt. US federal debt has passed $40 trillion. Nearly half of all OECD government debt has to be refinanced next year at much higher rates, just as cheap money from Japan dries up. On top of it all sits an AI boom built on borrowed money, now competing with governments for credit.The ruling class has no painless way out. This is a finished recipe for class struggle, as workers and youth in France and Spain have shown this week.New episodes of Against the Stream every Thursday at 6pm London time on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. ⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️0:00 Three forces squeezing the world economy4:36 The Iran war and the biggest oil shock in history14:09 Diesel, food and an America First export ban21:34 Interest rates and the K-shaped economy27:27 $40 trillion of debt and the end of cheap money42:44 The AI bubble55:45 A recipe for class struggle📖 Recommended reading 📖Bond market troubles reveal impending crisishttps://marxist.com/bond-market-troubles-reveal-impending-crisis.htmThe AI Build-Out Is Becoming the Biggest Economic Bet in U.S. Historyhttps://www.wsj.com/economy/the-ai-build-out-is-becoming-the-biggest-economic-bet-in-u-s-history-c60716ddThe west does not have a leadership problemhttps://www.ft.com/content/67f10dca-63f3-4cf8-951b-22d0c87f6be2?syn-25a6b1a6=1AI hyperscalers are transforming debthttps://www.ft.com/content/00f94018-e658-4545-b16e-1bc00e19b754🫵 Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📚 Marxist literature: https://wellred-books.com/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

This week the interest rate on 10-year US government bonds hit 5.3 per cent, and borrowing costs in Britain, France, Germany and Japan are at levels not seen in decades. For ordinary people, that means higher costs at the petrol station, on their energy bills, in their rent and mortgage payments, and public services being cut to balance the books.In this episode of Against the Stream, Victor Murray is joined by Niklas Albin Svensson of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International to explain what is happening to the world economy, and what it means for the class struggle.Starting off with the Iran war and the biggest oil supply shock in history they explain how emergency reserves are now running dry. With diesel prices in the US up almost 90 per cent since January, Trump is toying with a diesel export ban that would hit Latin America and Europe the hardest. Central banks are reacting by raising interest rates, but rate hikes won't end the instability in the Middle East. All it will do is squeeze workers.Then there's the debt. US federal debt has passed $40 trillion. Nearly half of all OECD government debt has to be refinanced next year at much higher rates, just as cheap money from Japan dries up. On top of it all sits an AI boom built on borrowed money, now competing with governments for credit.The ruling class has no painless way out. This is a finished recipe for class struggle, as workers and youth in France and Spain have shown this week.New episodes of Against the Stream every Thursday at 6pm London time on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. ⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️0:00 Three forces squeezing the world economy4:36 The Iran war and the biggest oil shock in history14:09 Diesel, food and an America First export ban21:34 Interest rates and the K-shaped economy27:27 $40 trillion of debt and the end of cheap money42:44 The AI bubble55:45 A recipe for class struggle📖 Recommended reading 📖Bond market troubles reveal impending crisishttps://marxist.com/bond-market-troubles-reveal-impending-crisis.htmThe AI Build-Out Is Becoming the Biggest Economic Bet in U.S. Historyhttps://www.wsj.com/economy/the-ai-build-out-is-becoming-the-biggest-economic-bet-in-u-s-history-c60716ddThe west does not have a leadership problemhttps://www.ft.com/content/67f10dca-63f3-4cf8-951b-22d0c87f6be2?syn-25a6b1a6=1 AI hyperscalers are transforming debt https://www.ft.com/content/00f94018-e658-4545-b16e-1bc00e19b754🫵 Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📚 Marxist literature: https://wellred-books.com/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

The World Economy Faces Perfect Storm

The times we are living in are anything but ordinary. In the last twelve months alone, more than 57 countries have seen significant anti-government protests. Right now, France is at the centre of the storm. On Saturday 17 October, hundreds of thousands took to the streets in the biggest day yet of the movement against education cuts. The state answered with more than 19,000 stun grenades in a single day. Peaceful marches were ambushed, minors were rounded up, and one young student lost an eye. Sunday evening Macron went on television and refused to resign, making the movement’s goal crystal clear: he and his government have to go. In this episode of Against the Stream, Victor Murray is joined by Jorge Martín of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International to discuss where the movement goes from here. They look at the curfews, protest bans and attacks on La France Insoumise that show the real face of bourgeois democracy, why the government has nothing to offer with borrowing costs at their highest since 2002, and why the CGT has been forced to call for a general strike on 5 November. With general strikes also called in Spain and Italy, and mass movements from Brazil and Colombia to Indonesia and India, the stage is set for a much wider wave of struggle. But one thing is still missing: a revolutionary leadership capable of taking the movement to victory. Building it is the task of the hour. New episodes of Against the Stream every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube. 📖 Recommended reading 📖France: 17 October mobilisations put revolution on the agendahttps://marxist.com/france-17-october-mobilisations-put-revolution-on-the-agenda.htmThe Civil War in Francehttps://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/iwma/documents/1871/commune-may30.htm ⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️0:00 France on the brink2:44 October 17: who provoked the violence?12:15 The road to a general strike21:52 Hypocrisy of the ruling class28:28 The deep crisis of French capitalism33:20 A global wave of revolt47:17 The missing factor: revolutionary leadership 🫵 Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📚 Marxist literature: https://wellred-books.com/🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68nGNHz5lB8UZXICGIDMva?si=682ef70551644443 📱 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-stream/id1777793987 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

The times we are living in are anything but ordinary. In the last twelve months alone, more than 57 countries have seen significant anti-government protests. Right now, France is at the centre of the storm. On Saturday 17 October, hundreds of thousands took to the streets in the biggest day yet of the movement against education cuts. The state answered with more than 19,000 stun grenades in a single day. Peaceful marches were ambushed, minors were rounded up, and one young student lost an eye. Sunday evening Macron went on television and refused to resign, making the movement’s goal crystal clear: he and his government have to go. In this episode of Against the Stream, Victor Murray is joined by Jorge Martín of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International to discuss where the movement goes from here. They look at the curfews, protest bans and attacks on La France Insoumise that show the real face of bourgeois democracy, why the government has nothing to offer with borrowing costs at their highest since 2002, and why the CGT has been forced to call for a general strike on 5 November. With general strikes also called in Spain and Italy, and mass movements from Brazil and Colombia to Indonesia and India, the stage is set for a much wider wave of struggle. But one thing is still missing: a revolutionary leadership capable of taking the movement to victory. Building it is the task of the hour. New episodes of Against the Stream every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube. 📖 Recommended reading 📖 France: 17 October mobilisations put revolution on the agenda https://marxist.com/france-17-october-mobilisations-put-revolution-on-the-agenda.htm The Civil War in France https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/iwma/documents/1871/commune-may30.htm ⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️ 0:00 France on the brink 2:44 October 17: who provoked the violence? 12:15 The road to a general strike 21:52 Hypocrisy of the ruling class 28:28 The deep crisis of French capitalism 33:20 A global wave of revolt 47:17 The missing factor: revolutionary leadership 🫵 Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📚 Marxist literature: https://wellred-books.com/ 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68nGNHz5lB8UZXICGIDMva?si=682ef70551644443 📱 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-stream/id1777793987 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/ 💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

France: What's REALLY happening

On the 11 October, comrades Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International recorded a special podcast episode on Gaza, Ukraine and world relations. Instead of our regular format, this one addresses the burning questions of the day in a slightly different format. 
 
 
 
Click here to listen now on Twitter Spaces. 
 
 
 
The comrades have taken a selection of articles from mainstream newspapers, in order to pick apart the real interests and processes at play in an increasingly stormy world situation. 
 
 
 
These include: a piece exposing the barbarism that imperialism has created in Gaza from the New York Times, a rarity on account of the self-censorship of the western press; an insane inversion of reality in the Middle East from the Daily Telegraph, in which Iran is made out to be the aggressors in the region and an existential threat to mankind, whilst Israel and the West are painted as doves; and figures from the Ukrainian outlet Strana that reveal, despite all the propaganda from the Zelensky regime and the West, that the Ukrainian forces are on the brink of collapse. 
 
 
 
This podcast was streamed via Twitter Spaces, and at this stage is something of an experiment. Since the launch of the Spectre of Communism podcast and the readers’ survey in the summer, we’ve had a lot of enthusiastic feedback about our audio-visual content. Further feedback on this type of more conversational podcast by our readers and listeners would be most welcome.

On the 11 October, comrades Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International recorded a special podcast episode on Gaza, Ukraine and world relations. Instead of our regular format, this one addresses the burning questions of the day in a slightly different format. Click here to listen now on Twitter Spaces. The comrades have taken a selection of articles from mainstream newspapers, in order to pick apart the real interests and processes at play in an increasingly stormy world situation. These include: a piece exposing the barbarism that imperialism has created in Gaza from the New York Times, a rarity on account of the self-censorship of the western press; an insane inversion of reality in the Middle East from the Daily Telegraph, in which Iran is made out to be the aggressors in the region and an existential threat to mankind, whilst Israel and the West are painted as doves; and figures from the Ukrainian outlet Strana that reveal, despite all the propaganda from the Zelensky regime and the West, that the Ukrainian forces are on the brink of collapse. This podcast was streamed via Twitter Spaces, and at this stage is something of an experiment. Since the launch of the Spectre of Communism podcast and the readers’ survey in the summer, we’ve had a lot of enthusiastic feedback about our audio-visual content. Further feedback on this type of more conversational podcast by our readers and listeners would be most welcome.

On the 11 October, comrades Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International recorded a special podcast episode on Gaza, Ukraine and world relations. Instead of our regular format, this one addresses the burning questions of the day in a slightly different format. 
 
 
 
Click here to listen now on&nbsp;Twitter Spaces. 
 
 
 
The comrades have taken a selection of articles from mainstream newspapers, in order to pick apart the real interests and processes at play in an increasingly stormy world situation. 
 
 
 
These include: a piece exposing the barbarism that imperialism has created in Gaza from the&nbsp;New York Times, a rarity on account of the self-censorship of the western press; an insane inversion of reality in the Middle East from the&nbsp;Daily Telegraph, in which Iran is made out to be the aggressors in the region and an existential threat to mankind, whilst Israel and the West are painted as doves; and figures from the Ukrainian outlet&nbsp;Strana&nbsp;that reveal, despite all the propaganda from the Zelensky regime and the West, that the Ukrainian forces are on the brink of collapse. 
 
 
 
This podcast was streamed via&nbsp;Twitter Spaces, and at this stage is something of an experiment. Since the launch of the&nbsp;Spectre of Communism&nbsp;podcast and the readers’ survey in the summer, we’ve had a lot of enthusiastic feedback about our audio-visual content. Further feedback on this type of more conversational podcast by our readers and listeners would be most welcome.

Gaza, Ukraine and world relations

In Against the Stream, our weekly current affairs podcast, members of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International sit down to discuss the main events shaping global affairs. In an increasingly turbulent world situation, these discussions look behind the headlines of the mainstream press and the statements of politicians, to bring out the real processes and interests at play.

News

Politics

In Against the Stream, our weekly current affairs podcast, members of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International sit down to discuss the main events shaping global affairs. In an increasingly turbulent world situation, these discussions look behind the headlines of the mainstream press and the statements of politicians, to bring out the real processes and interests at play.

In Against the Stream, our weekly current affairs podcast, members of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International sit down to discuss the main events shaping global affairs. In an increasingly turbulent world situation, these discussions look behind the headlines of the mainstream press and the statements of politicians, to bring out the real processes and interests&nbsp;at&nbsp;play.

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