The left has been strong in the criticism of the system while it has been weak on presenting alternative blueprints. Coherent and radical programmes are missing from contemporary politics. This article outlines some proposals for a possible alternative.

Recent changes in the world economy seem to underline that politics in general not to speak of anti-Semitic movements hardly have the capacity of influencing and changing economic structures and processes. Comparing post 1968 developments with the restauration period after 1948-49 the author in a sense argues for the contrary: the so-called structural changes in the world economy and the international political regime after 1968 are to a considerable extent tp be interpreted as a new reactionary offensive of the capital after the defeat of teh movement of 1968.

An edited version of the lecture presented for the international left conference in November 1997 on the tendencies of the European left and their relations since World War I. The author argues that perhaps the most important task of the left is to build international co-operation and particularly to promote the dialogue of the East and West European left on alternatives to neoliberalism.

Critique of the book Tamas Krausz: Soviet Thermidor (Szovjet thermidor) Napvilág Kiadó, Budapest, 1996. The 1917 experiment in Russia has not ended in a way as it was expected. Krausz in his book investigates those views that as early as in the 1920s intrepreted the changes as a "Thermidor" or burgeois restauration.