200,000 through Rome on February 28 in protest at austerity and the shocking corruption scandals which have rocked the whole Page 12 March 13, 1993 No. 39 even implicated some members of the former Communist PDS. Key organisers of the demonstration included leaders of the Party of Communist Refoundation, the left split of the veren, wir nic he old PCI, and left wing trade unionists.
The Rome demo was one more sign of the potential for being put in place by the ope of 30 million unem ployed, the Europe of growing racism and fascism, the Europe of economic crisis and austerity.
This potential has now been revealed in series of struggles across Europe last autumn, starting with a wave of protest in Italy, going on to the miners' demonstrations in Britain and culminating in the huge mobilisations of over one million people against racism in Germany.
However, in the next few days we are likely to see the ight sweep back to power il rance. If they do, a huge pro gramme of privatisation and Thatcherisation' faces that racist mobilisations, the threat of racism and fascism still hangs across the continent.
Despite conanuie struggles, the left and the worpean countries finds itself on the defensive; and whole sec tions of the left have been disorientated and even demoralised by the collapse of the ex-Soviet Union.
In the face of this, moves are afoot to organise a European conference of the anti-capitalist lett, to debate the way forvard in the struggle for an al capitalist Europe.
The conference is planned
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