On August 19, 2024, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul delivered a spirited speech in support of the presidential hopeful Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Quite surprisingly, Governor Hochul raised the specter of runaway child care costs as a common issue facing middle class Americans, which, in turn, raised questions about what the governor of New York will do to lower these costs here in the Empire State.

In his latest analysis of the European political and economic scene, Fernando Luengo argues that the ascent of the far right in the run-up to the 2024 European parliamentary elections cannot be separated from the ongoing problem of rising inequality and the fundamental influence of private capital in the public sector.

From June 6-9, elections for the European Parliament, the only genuinely democratic institution in the community’s institutional framework - its members are directly chosen by the citizenry, whereas the rest are intergovernmental in nature - will be held. It is a good moment to think about the challenges facing the European Union (EU) and, I would say, the entire planet.

I headline this article with a question that, given the economic, political, and also military divisions that are shaking the international scene, might appear to have an obvious answer: in effect, globalization is behind us. But there is another, earlier question that turns out to be quite revealing and, in my opinion, is necessary to pose: which globalization are we talking about?

In the capitalist system, writes Fernando Luengo, “Workers offer their labor power to the owners of the means of production, who buy it in exchange for a wage. This is the essence of capitalism; far from being a peripheral or irrelevant issue, I would say that it constitutes one of the keys that explain the operation and reproduction of the system.”

In my first article from Spain, I set the stage for the country’s upcoming national elections on July 23, focusing on the threat posed by resurgent fascist movements. Now it’s time to dig deeper into the complex political dynamics animating the campaign as well as some of the social forces shaping how the campaign is being waged and covered in the media.

In just over two weeks, Spanish voters will go to the polls for national elections, and the implications - both within and beyond the country - couldn’t be more far-reaching. I just arrived in Madrid and will be spending the next 12 months here, and I hope to provide Weave News readers with a critical, justice-oriented perspective that might be missing from much of the mainstream media coverage of Spanish politics. So, why are these elections so important?