The British establishment have ramped up their witch hunt against Kneecap. Band member Mo Chara was charged with a terror offence for arousing “reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation, namely Hezbollah.”

The Finnish organisation of the Revolutionary Communist International (RCI) held its first conference amidst an enthusiastic, militant atmosphere on the weekend of 17-18 May. Around 30 comrades gathered in Helsinki from all corners of the country to discuss the explosive world situation and the perspectives for the future Finnish revolution.

The students leading the ongoing protests across Serbia recently announced that they are demanding early parliamentary elections, in which the students will propose their own list of candidates. All opposition media outlets loudly reported this statement, and the masses expressed their support out of trust in the students. Some activists have gone as far as to say that anyone who is in favour of bringing down the regime of Aleksandar Vučić will support this demand.

Chega was the big winner on election night in Portugal. Although the results are inconclusive and there is no prospect of a stable government, some conclusions can already be drawn.

On 1-2 May, Red Front – the Polish section of the Revolutionary Communist International – held its annual May School. This year, it was named the ‘Anti-Imperialist School’ as all of its talks were devoted to the struggle against imperialism and militarism. This school was a response to the accelerating decay of the world capitalist system, which only brings us more conflicts, crises and wars.

Over the last ten years in France, repression against young people and workers has continued to intensify: police violence, ‘preventive’ arrests of activists, the criminalisation of trade union activity, bans on demonstrations, gatherings and meetings, etc. The repression of the Yellow Vests and the solidarity movement with Palestine are two glaring examples, but this is a serious and ongoing trend.

In an article published on 2 March, Révolution Permanente announced the launch of a campaign entitled: ‘Against Macron and the Fifth Republic, we need a radical democratic response from below’.

The first congress of the Revolutionary Communist Collective (CCR) took place from 10 to 11 May in Lisbon. Over the weekend, around twenty communists from different regions of Portugal, half a dozen sympathisers, and three international guests participated in the various sessions. After two years of growth and development, the congress elevated the CCR to a higher level, tightening its organisation and raising its level of political understanding.

On 3 and 4 May, members of the Revolucionarni Komunistički Savez (Revolutionary Communist League, RCL) met in Zagreb for this year’s congress. Delegates from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia were present as members of the Yugoslav section of the Revolutionary Communist International (RCI). They were joined by guests from Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Italy, Britain, and Kosovo.

What an embarrassment for Fritze Merz! For the first time in the history of the Federal Republic, an incoming German Chancellor has failed to be elected by the Bundestag, despite having signed a coalition agreement to gain a majority. This is embarrassing for Merz and an omen for his crisis-ridden government.

The second congress of the RCP was an electric event, like none other – rich in political understanding, revolutionary enthusiasm, and infectious confidence. There has never been a better time to get organised and join the communists!

On Saturday 26 April, a large demonstration led by the far right marched through Dublin’s North Inner City. The turnout was significant: estimates range from 5,000 to as many as 10,000. In fact, this was four or five times larger than the previous biggest far-right led mobilisation.

Electoral success for Nigel Farage’s Reform in yesterday’s local and regional contests across Britain has provoked panic in Labour and Tory HQs alike. Britain’s political landscape is fracturing, as the centre ground collapses. Revolutionary upheavals impend.

On 28 April at midday, Red Eléctrica de España [Spanish Electrical Network] (REE) suffered an unprecedented failure that left the entire Spanish state, its neighbours Portugal and Andorra, and parts of southern France without electricity. In some areas, the blackout lasted until well into the night. After an unusual Monday, today [Tuesday 29 April] seems to be starting ‘normally’, with 99 percent of the electricity supply restored and the working day back on track.

This year’s 25 April celebration, marking eighty years since Italy’s liberation from fascism, was one of the most well-attended in recent times, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets across Italy. In town squares across the country, we saw Palestinian flags, overwhelming enthusiasm, and young people and workers eager to discuss how to change the situation.