Two demonstrations greeted the EU summit in Brussels in December, the last meeting of the European Heads of State before the launch of the Euro.
The first was an 80,000 strong demonstration of the European trade unions on Thursday December 13, and the second a 2,000 strong demonstration of the European left the following day.
The trade union demonstration, called by the European TUC, was protesting at the neo-liberal Europe which is being developed by the EU whilst the demonstration of the radical left called for "global peace and justice" and was in effect an anti-globalisation protest.
The trade union demonstration saw a huge mobilisation in particular from the French CGT, while the Belgian mobilisation was marred by the fact that in a number of sectors time off was negotiated for stewards but other workers were threatened that they would face disciplinary action if they attended.
As usual the official British contingent under the TUC banner illustrated the weakness of British trade unionism in these situations.
Both demonstrations were proof that the war and the war drive have not been successful in heading off the anti-capitalist movement or the capacity of the European unions to mobilise when they decide to do so. The message was loud and clear; the movement has not gone away.
Workers from the Belgian state airline Sabena and Belgian postal workers fighting privatisation not only turned out on Thursday’s trade union march but on Friday as well.
Sabena workers who face 12,000 redundancies after the company went bankrupt in October marched in uniform marched behind a large model aeroplane with placards demanding "Stop economic terrorism".
The main far-left delegations on the demonstration of the radical left were from the International Socialist Tendency, the international grouping to which the SWP belongs, the Fourth International and the Committee for a Workers International contingent including the Socialist Party from Britain. The IST contingent had a big representation from Britain which travelled on the coaches organised by Globalise Resistance.
The FI contingent was led by the French LCR and the POS/SAP of Belgium There was a big delegation from the Belgian Maoists (the PTB) but other European Trotskyist groupings such as the LO and the Lambertists were conspicuous by their absence.
The bulk of the demonstration comprised of a multiplicity of NGOs and campaigns including ATTAC groups from several European countries.
On Thursday evening many attended an anti-capitalist forum organised by the Belgium section of the FI with the support of the French LCR and the SWP. Over 1,000 people packed into the hall to hear speakers from the LCR, Rifondazione Communista, the SWP and the Scottish Socialist Party.
The presence of Rifondazione Communist on the platform was an important development and represents a process in which RC is moving further away from its Stalinist past and closer to the European far left.
Both the demonstration and the meeting were further proof of the increasing co-ordination of the European left, including the far left groupings, in the face of the rightward drift of social democracy.