After the defeat of the Spanish Social Democrats - almost every country in western Europe is now ruled by a conservative government, writes Dave Stockton. In a time of capitalist crisis, why are the mainstream ‘centre left’ parties doing so badly? Read more...

Before the parliamentary elections in Denmark in 2011 The Unity List (Enhedslisten), a radical left-wing party, had made a promise on policy to voters: "No more deterioration, no more cuts!.” The promise attracted voters and the party received eight additional parliamentary seats, while the Socialist People's Party – which where by many workers seen as too willing to implement the rightwing policies – lost seven seats. It reflected that a stance favouring welfare for the working class could be a winner in the election. Read more...

Democracy in Hungary is under attack as the government implements extraordinary new constitutional changes, writes Tobi Hanse
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The Arab Spring has developed into a Russian Winter. Despite icy temperatures and snow, 50,000 people packed into Bolotnaya Square, Moscow on 7 December in the largest protest yet seen in the city against the “once and future President” Vladimir Putin and his "managed democracy". It was a fitting conclusion to a year that began with the protests and uprising in Tunisia that have since spread around the world. Read more...

The fiscal union in Europe is potentially a turning point which would see years of austerity and poverty across Europe – it must be resisted and stopped. A statement by the League for the Fifth International Read more...

The government’s policies are making things much worse, writes John Bowman, particularly for the most vulnerable Read more...

If anyone thought that the election of a new Fine Gael/Labour coalition government might somehow soften austerity in Ireland they had better think again. Read more...

• All out on 30 November
• Joint strike committees in every town
• Workers and students unite – forward to a general strike Read more...