of the West German aminst the left, activities of the Red Army Fraction. The Social Democratic Government 1s now at the height of its confidence, with the almost total backing of a quiescent working class so much so that it feels quite confident about murdering oppositionists in jail and orchestrating a witch-hunt against some of Germany's most prominent intellectuais, The West German strong state is regarded with envy by capitalist politicians from Eondon to an increase of inter-govermmental coOn a more positive note, the past year has been one of consolidation and extension of the women's BIN CICHE- In southern Europe in particular it is winning increasing support from working class women h freedom wich-hunt and is an important influence on the independent women's movement las KUWE CANE AN ARDE ME HOST important industrial struggles been led by women workers. In Italy a number of aspects of oppression, such abortion, political organisations national political crisis.
1977 has also seen a growth of co-ordination movement, conferences in Paris Amsterdam in the summer provided a basis for continuing international cocampaigns, women's unemployment, are taking increasingly s still priority CHARTER 77.
last year intended to ne Launched Irencctuals, Socialist- Stimulated and with tepression and handed out to murter and slightly arrogant countries which 197% the increasing intellectual the Czechoslovak human rights manifesto, was a good symbol for events in Eastern Europe and was probably by a group of the manifesto quickly interise debate OIL human Behis among the workion class itself. Inevitably chis was met trom the burenu cracy, with exemplary sentences being 77's most representatives. and leaven-knows-what being dealt to the Jundreds of known activists who have circulated the document. The rising struggle in the workers states was the most important new element in the political sirsation in The 1976. It began to challenge the glib of Western revolutionaries that it would spread to the That mood of militant challenge the burcaucracie regines has spread in Jiu valley, the One of the main features has boen convergence and class opposition. In Crechoslovakia the initiarive came from the intellectuals, in Poland quite the reverse. The intellectuals of the Workers Defence Comitice won an innariant victor! in 1977, securing the release of most of those jailed for their part in the June 1976 strikes against food price rises. The regime continued its assault on democratic rights on a more surreptitious level, as shown by the marders of a couple of supporters of the Workers Defence Committee. The opposition, MOst politically sophisticated in Eastern Europe. began a process of political differentiation in 1977, with a more ASSE BROS SIR BRIE committed to workers" democracy, dramatic events in Czechoslovakia and Poland stimulated the growth of an opposition in the most quicicest of the workers states. Rumania Paul Goma launched an open dissident movement modelled on Charter 77, but was forced into exile by the end of the year. In the summer and autumn the miners of the vanguard of the Kuman A working Cass. Stuck IT defence of living standards. When with the strikers he was denounced as a representative of the "proletarian bourgeoisie"
In East Germany too there has heen a more open working class opposition since the expulsion of the poet Woll Bieriann at the cod of 1976. For example, a human rights protest in Berlin as poignantly timed to colncide with the opening of the European security conference at Belgrade. That European bureaucrats, no doubt, hue coually so to catter nod the Weslern champions of "human rights".
From East Germany 1oo came the most important theoretical contri bution to oome from the workers" states, not just in 1977 hur for many ycars past: Rudolf Bahro's The Alternative. The East German regime, with its usual concern for stimulating a critical spirit, has jailed the author But the outlook for the opposition was darkest in the Soviet Union. The Kreilin bureaucracy seemed deterinined to underline its desire to stamp out all forms of opposition inciuding, ironically, those wha were doing nothing when cans on tae Soviet Union to hmplement the Helsinki human rights agreement to which it has been a signatory.