Spanish state: what does the Sánchez cabinet portend?
By Dick Nichols
June 20, 2018 — Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal — At the June 8 ceremonial hand-over of portfolio briefcases from outgoing People’s Party (PP) ministers to their incoming Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) substitutes, the contrasts were pretty dramatic. A bunch of reactionary lifetime political operators and religious obscurantists were giving way to what new PSOE prime minister Pedro Sánchez boasted was a “progressive”, “feminist” and “Europeanist” alternative.
The PSOE leader replaced deposed prime minister Mariano Rajoy’s 15-member ministry of ten men and five women with an 18-member team of 11 women and seven men, easily the most “feminist” in Europe and pushing Sweden (12 women and 11 men) into a distant second place. It also featured two gay ministers, former National High Court senior judge Fernando Grande-Marlaska as interior minister and Máxim Huerta, TV presenter, journalist and novelist, as culture minister.
| „Wenn wir streiken, steht die Welt still“ – wie der spanische Frauenstreik zum Erfolg wurde
[Original in English here.]
Von Julian Coppens und Dick Nichols
Juni 2
Struggle and defiance at Colombia’s Feast of Pestilence
By James Jordan June 9, 2018 — Links International Journal of Socialist Renew
1968 in Asia: Malaysia’s “Second Emergency” (1968–89) and the Malayan Communist Party
By Gregor Benton
June 4, 2018 —
Lo que viene después del 20 de mayo: ¿algo nuevo en la política venezolana?
[Read in English here.]
Por Steve E
Venezuela's May 20 elections: Where do things stand?
By Steve EllnerMay 27, 2018 — 
‘Racist’ Catalan president vows to build republic as Spain vetos ministers
By Dick Nichols
May 24,
The conservative Catalan nationalism of Quim Torra
By Dick Nichols
May 24, 2018 — Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal — Is new Catalan pres