Eastern Europe

Belarus revolt faces new repression, but threatens general strike

The revolt in Belarus is at a crossroads after more than two months of mass protests and strikes against president Aleksander Lukashenko

Defiant workers protest and stage ‘go slows’ in Belarus

Belarusian ruler Aleksander Lukashenko is trying to wear down the opposition movement through arrests, sackings and intimidation.

Strikes and protests spread as Belarusian regime clings to power

The Belarusian president Aleksander Lukashenko was fighting for the survival of his regime on Monday.

Workers’ strikes and protests increase pressure on regime in Belarus

Resistance to Belarusian president Aleksander Lukashenko’s regime is growing in the streets and workplaces.

When the wall came tumbling down

So-called socialist regimes in eastern Europe were nothing of the kind

Warsaw 44 – An uprising betrayed

Tens of thousands of people in Warsaw rose up against Nazi rule 75 years ago this month. The heroic action was abandoned by the Allies writes Tomáš Tengely-Evans

Polish school workers’ leaders retreat

30 April 2019
A historic strike of teachers and other school and nursery workers has been unnecessarily ended by the leaders of the Polish Teachers’ Union (ZNP), the biggest union involved.

Schools out in Poland as 600,000 join strikes

21 April 2019
Poland has been struck by the biggest all-out walkout in over 25 years, reports Andy Zebrowski

Biggest strike for decades rocks Poland’s government

12 April 2019
Unions estimate that over 600,000 workers are taking part in an indefinite education strike - not just teachers, butcooks, cleaners, caretakers and office staff as well.

International round-up - protests in Togo while right makes gains in Czech election

31 October 2017
Brutal repression by Togolese dictator Faure Gnassingbe’s regime has forced more than 500 people to flee the West African country for Ghana.

Protests in Romania call for the government to go

07 February 2017
A government decree watering down punishments for corruption has sparked large scale protests with thousands taking to the streets.

Mass protests demand Romanian prime minister steps down over 'corruption law'

07 February 2017
Over 200,000 people took to the streets of Bucharest in Romaniaon Sunday night.A further 300,000 marched in towns and cities across the country, including 40,000 in Timisoara and 45,000 in Cluj-Napoca.

World leaders look on as refugees drown

20 September 2016
Dave Sewell looks at a United Nations Refugee Agency report which details the scale of the crisis as world leaders plan a new clampdown on refugees

Populist right wins in Italian elections

07 June 2016
Italy’s populist 5-Star Movement moved one step closer to governing the capital Rome on Monday.

Lexit campaign to put workers and migrants at heart of Europen Union debate

28 April 2016

Protests grow across Europe as governments clamp down

20 October 2015
More refugees died trying to enter Europe last week.

Ukraine crisis deepens on anniversary of Maidan protests

24 February 2015
A blast ripped through a demonstration in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv last Sunday, killing two and injuring ten people.

‘We're not to blame’ - migrant workers speak out against racist lies

09 December 2014
In the freezing, dark winter mornings groups of migrants huddle together on Honeypot Lane in Stanmore, north west London.

Revolutions of 1989: 'there was lots of shock and not much therapy'

04 November 2014
Socialist Worker spoke to Jane Hardy, a socialist activist and writer specialising in global political economy. Her book, Poland’s New Capitalism (2009) was translated into Polish and has been read by the new left there.

Racism is not just about colour

04 November 2014
Some argue that discrimination against eastern Europeans is not racist because they are white. But, as Ken Olende explains, racism goes beyond colour prejudices