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On 5 December, the Workers’ Party of Belgium (PTB-PVDA) will elect its new president at its statutory congress. Peter Mertens announces that he will not stand for re-election and will pass the torch. Peter Mertens has presided over the Marxist party for thirteen years, and has been the main architect of the party's renewal. From a small party, the PTB-PVDA has become a major political player in the whole country.

Thanks to the Covid vaccine, pharmaceutical multinationals are making hundreds of millions of euros. But did you know that their thirst for profit is prolonging the pandemic? Marc Botenga, Member of the European Parliament (PTB-PVDA), explains why this is the case, but also how to make sure it changes.

Perhaps the division of Belgium by the nationalists by 2024 can be stopped? In what way is the solidarity movement for the flood victims a huge sign of hope? Why is the PTB flying Belgium’s black-yellow-red flag? We met David Pestieau, vice-president of the Workers’ Party of Belgium (PTB-PVDA), on the occasion of the release of his manifesto for the unity of Belgium. David Pestieau starts his book on the unity of the country with his feet in the mud of Liège: "On July 20, the national day of mourning, I am in Pepinster, one of the places most affected by the tragedy. Many people come from Ath, Ostend, Antwerp... with the SolidariTeams. Many of the people affected by the disaster could not believe the outpour of solidarity. That same evening, Bart De Wever said on a television channel that he would like a union between Flanders and the Netherlands and that he would rather die a "southern Dutchman" than a Belgian. The gap between the people and some of those in the Rue de la Loi (seat of the Belgian government, editor's note) could not be better illustrated."

On 9 October, the national headquarters of Italy's main trade union, CGIL, was the victim of an organised attack by demonstrators who openly claimed to be fascists. Led by members of the fascist group Forza Nuova, among others, dozens of demonstrators wrecked the CGIL headquarters in Rome.

From November 1 to 12, leaders from 196 countries will gather in Glasgow, Scotland for COP 26, the annual climate conference hosted by the United Nations. It is time to remind them that the big polluting multinationals have been destroying our planet for far too long. That's why Comac, the PTB student movement, is organising a trip to Glasgow to get active and make our voices heard. Save the climate, go to Glasgow!

Dear friends, dear comrades, A friend in need is a friend indeed. That's what the popular wisdom says. This summer, there was a lot of need. And there were many friends. After the floods, there was an unprecedented wave of solidarity. From the very first day, thousands and thousands of volunteers went to Wallonia to help the people there. To empty the cellars. To distribute soup. To clean schools and shops.

On Wednesday and Thursday, July 14 and 15, several European countries were hit by heavy rainfall and flooding. In Belgium, the disaster killed 41 people. Tens of thousands of people lost their belongings and became temporarily homeless. The PTB-PVDA launched an appeal for solidarity from day one: "We want to offer help now. Solidarity is a verb." A photo report.

Presentation of part of the programme

It's not every day that you hear such a dissonant voice in parliament. Raoul Hedebouw, leader of the group in the Belgian parliament and spokesperson of the Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB-PVDA), refuses to play along with the United States, which wants to guarantee its supremacy and the profits of multinationals. Watch the video.

Pensions remain a sensitive issue: the government wants to raise the pensionable age even further, while a majority of the population is calling for exactly the opposite. In order not to provoke resistance, the Minister for Pensions, Karine Lalieux (French-speaking Socialist Party), is quietly working on a new reform. Her plan is expected to be on the government's table in September. Kim De Witte, pension specialist of the PTB, explains the stakes of the new battle to come.

Nuclear weapons and the Cold War are back, driven by NATO. But what exactly is NATO, and what does it intend to do?

On Monday 14 June, the first NATO summit under the presidency of the new US President Joe Biden took place in Brussels.