Interviews and articles

Analysis
Hello, ManiFiesta! Wow! Such a crowd! You should see yourselves from up here. Every year, this is a moment that gives me goose pumps. There's more than 15,000 of us at ManiFiesta! Thank you, ManiFiesta!
Interview
"The PVDA-PTB's recent election result is a strong sign of hope for all the future struggles of the working class and young people. The PVDA-PTB has doubled its number of elected representatives in Flanders, made strong gains in Brussels and is the most resilient left-wing party in Wallonia," said Peter Mertens. In this interview, conducted two weeks after the elections, the PVDA-PTB General Secretary takes a detailed look at the election results and the lessons that can be drawn from them.
Analysis
The Belgian government and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo have declared themselves in favour of a permanent ceasefire. This is a good thing, and shows that grassroots pressure is working. But the government can do much more to stop the massacres in Gaza. It must do more than just talk. Concrete actions must follow. Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Interview
The Workers' Party of Belgium stands with Palestinians and supports the emancipation struggle of the Global South. A conversation with Peter Mertens By Nick Brauns, Brussels, junge Welt, 22.11.2023
Analysis
Speech by Peter Mertens, General Secretary, Workers' Party of Belgium PVDA- PTB International Tribunal against the Blockade of Cuba, European Parliament, November 16, 2023
Analysis
On 3 November 2023 Peter Mertens had the privilege of giving the keynote speech at the launch of Jacobin Nederland at the Pakhuis De Zwijger in Amsterdam. Here is the full text of his speech.
Analysis
Dear friends, dear comrades, What a pleasure to meet again at this magnificent edition of ManiFiesta. The weather is superb, as is everyone around us. There are more than 15.000 people here today. I'd like to start by thanking all the volunteers who make this festival possible.
Analysis
Speech by Peter Mertens, Secretary General of the PTB-PVDA, at the Cumbre de los Pueblos (peoples' summit), at the European Parliament, Brussels, July 18, 2023
Analysis
"Good morning, dear comrades, Today is May First. May First, International Workers' Day. May First, the day when the workers' world makes its voice heard. May First is the perfect day to talk about the growing inequalities in our society.
Analysis
After the shock of the corona crisis and the shock of energy prices, the economy is facing a new shock: the interest rate shock. Central banks around the world hope to control inflation by raising their interest rates at lightning speed. Those high interest rates are a new financial policy that breaks with the recent past. How the global economy will respond is not yet clear. But what is certain is that, by doing so, central banks and governments are making ordinary people bear the consequences of inflation. What is going on and how can we avoid being the ones who are losing out again?
Interview
With his media platform WikiLeaks, Julian Assange exposed war crimes committed by US and European armies against Iraq and Afghanistan. Once grounds for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, today his journalistic work is rewarded with a witch-hunt and imprisonment. On the outside, his wife Stella is fighting for his freedom.
Analysis
Preface by Peter Mertens to the 175th anniversary edition of ‘Het Communistisch Manifest’, EPO Publishers, Antwerp, Belgium, February 2023