CHAPTER C

18. The regroupment course of the International Communist Movement (ICM), which is in deep crisis and comes under fierce ideological and political attack by forces supporting the capitalist system, is a constant concern of our Party and stems from the international character of class struggle.

Under these conditions, where the bourgeois states implementing more drastic legal and repressive measures against the communists are proliferating, our Party, in coordination with other CPs, took initiatives for the revolutionary regroupment of the ICM, which today lacks ideological cohesion and correspondent organizational structure.

Some aspects of the situation that we are facing are the following:

Many parties retain the title “communist”, but their ideological–political and organizational formation is not consistent with the communist characteristics, the ideology of scientific communism, the revolutionary strategy–Programme that corresponds to a revolutionary workers', Leninist party.

Without downplaying the importance of a number of Parties invoking Marxism–Leninism and thus separating their position from those that openly rejected our ideology, many of these Parties still have a very weak class approach regarding the contemporary phenomena of capitalism and the class struggle based on communist ideology, the dialectical materialist analysis of history and the contemporary social phenomena.

The CPs' approaches are often dominated by bourgeois and opportunist ideological influences, turning any invocation of our world view from a theoretical basis and a scientific methodological tool for understanding and changing society into a “wish list”.

Briefly, the overall negative picture remains, both in the leading capitalist countries (USA, countries of the EU, UK, Japan, China, Russia) as well as in countries and regions that are hotbeds of imperialist military interventions.

The situation is similar in the labour–trade union movement, where trade union leaderships and trade unions compromised with bourgeois governments and employers prevail, while the bonding between most of the CPs and the working class and its movement remains a great issue in order for the CPs to acquire new positions and a leading role in the class struggle.

In this situation, however, it is particularly important that a number of CPs is forming —not without setbacks— which tried to amend their strategy facing many difficulties, declaring the socialist character of the revolution and seeking to overcome the old strategy that dominated the ICM.

19. A fierce ideological–political struggle is being waged among the ranks of the ICM on a number of issues, such as the analysis–interpretation of contemporary phenomena of capitalism and the international imperialist system. Views supporting that capitalism endures, that there are possibilities of its “humanization” and “democratization”, that its technological achievements can be utilized for the benefit of the popular forces with the active political intervention of the CPs even at a governmental level, etc. prevail in the ICM. In this context, positions about “the unity of the left, of democratic or patriotic forces”, “the cooperation with the left-wing social democracy”, “centre–left governments”, “new anti-fascist and anti-neoliberal fronts”, which are based on the rationale of stages, are reproduced by CPs, advocating a governmental goal in the framework of capitalism (anti-dictatorship, anti-occupation–liberating, democratic–anti-imperialist, anti-right-wing, anti-fascist–anti-neoliberal, etc.).

A struggle is also being waged on the economic and political scientific laws of the socialist revolution and the communist society, focusing on the interpretation of the socialist–communist construction in the 20th century and the causes of the counter-revolutionary overthrow.

A key factor that impedes the revolutionary regroupment of the ICM is the fact that a series of CPs do not attempt an in-depth evaluation of the historical experience of the socialist construction and the strategy of the ICM based on fundamental principles of our theory. As a result, they continue to adopt positions of the strategy of stages and reforms for the transition to socialism. Thus, they adopt a policy of cooperation with social democratic forces, a political goal of a transition government in the framework of capitalism, as well as positions perceiving the laws of the market as elements that can be incorporated into socialist construction.

A series of CPs form the opportunist position that “socialism with Chinese characteristics” is being constructed in China, with a certain compromise with the capital and the misconception that Russia is not an imperialist power, but a capitalist country on the “periphery” of the imperialist system, which, together with “socialist China”, plays a positive role in international developments. This approach, which detaches politics from the economy, opposes the Leninist conception of imperialism.

For our Party, the study of socialist construction in the USSR is an important achievement–basis, although we are still faced with the task of continuing the research–study on issues of economy and foreign policy, more generally on issues of the superstructure in the USSR as well as in other countries of socialist construction. Most CPs, which have not conducted any relevant studies, remain very confused about the character of today's China, Russia, and other capitalist states. This can have tragic consequences for their stance on the issue of war in the epoch of imperialism, where the communist movement, maintaining a stable front against the imperialist centres of the US, NATO, the EU, should not be dragged to the side of any capitalist state or imperialist centre. It must achieve the goal of consistently defending the class interests of the working class in conflict with the bourgeoisie of its country, not to choose a “foreign flag” under the pressure of petty bourgeois forces but also nationalist pressures on the working class.

Communists must strengthen the front both against the conception of cosmopolitanism, which takes a non-class approach towards the international alliances of the bourgeois classes (EU, NATO, BRICS, etc.), as well as against nationalism, the “racial purity of the nation and culture” and other racist perceptions, which are developed against refugees and immigrants.

20. The European Communist Initiative. The International Communist Review.

Our Party was at the forefront of the formation of the European Communist Initiative (ECI), which includes 30 CPs from Europe, as well as the International Communist Review (ICR), in which 10 Parties participate. Both of these forms of inter-party cooperation are based on specific founding principles and ideological–political framework.

The ECI highlighted significant problems that the workers face and put forward demands for their needs; for the right to permanent and stable employment against the scourge of unemployment and flexible forms of employment; for exclusively free public health, welfare, and education; for labour rights in the workplace, political and trade union rights and for the right to strike, against state and employer intimidation.

The parties participating in the ECI have developed a significant activity against imperialist wars and interventions, revealed the essence of inter-imperialist competition for market share and control over wealth-producing resources.

The ECI is in conflict with anti-communism, the persecution of Communist Parties, the ban on their activity and symbols, on the communist ideology.

The ECI marked historical anniversaries of the International Communist Movement and highlighted their contemporary messages; it defended the gains and achievements of socialism that was constructed in the 20th century and the fact that it was a process of socialist construction in the Soviet Union and other countries; it decisively confronted the systematic defamation by the EU and other capitalist mechanisms. In this regard, the events that were organized under the auspices of the ECI in Istanbul and Moscow for the 100 years since the foundation of the Communist International were of particular importance.

At the same time, however, we estimate that ideological–political confusions and problems are manifested to varying degrees within the Parties participating in the ECI. There are parties that have waged long-lasting struggles against forces of opportunism, however their specific ideological–political and organizational potential is limited, due to the long-term damage done by eurocommunism and social democracy to the European communist movement. Thus, they face many difficulties in the elaboration of the revolutionary strategy and in its connection with current class struggle, in conditions where the very negative correlation of forces also concerns the trade union labour movement. Under these conditions the opportunistic attack is reproduced.

For a part of CPs, the lack of ideological–political and organizational unity has its roots in the historical course of their dissolution and formation after the counter-revolution, while the process of strengthening the revolutionary communist characteristics is often accompanied by a sharpening of the struggle within them, even by splits. This is especially evident when an attempt is made to align the strategy to the needs of the anti-capitalist struggle, and therefore the revolutionary forces undertake the additional task of studying developments on a class basis, taking into account all the factors influencing their course in a timely manner and insisting on creating strong programmatic bases, on which the ideological–political and organizational unity of their ranks will be based.

The journal International Communist Review, in which parties from all over the world participate, moves in the direction of shaping the conditions for the formation of a Communist Pole. During the period under review, 4 issues of the ICR were published, on timely topics concerning the International Communist Movement (the October Revolution, the women's movement, the labour–trade union movement, and proletarian internationalism). Through the discussion of theoretical and political issues, the meetings of the Editorial Board of the ICR aim to give impetus to the development of revolutionary theory and policy as a single basis for the CP. The publication of the journal in different languages, thanks to the joint efforts of the participating parties and despite a number of difficulties, is addressed to the members and cadres of the Communist Parties, defends Marxism–Leninism and seeks to approach contemporary issues on a Marxist–Leninist basis.

21. International and Regional Meetings. Joint Statements.

The KKE, together with other CPs, contributed to the effort to maintain the communist characteristics in the International Meetings of Communist and Workers’ Parties (IMCWP), which started at the initiative of the KKE and into which more than 120 CPs participate. Our Party fulfilled its commitments to the other Parties participating in the IMCWPs regarding the operation of the joint website SOLIDNET, where the CPs can publish news and documents, of the system of rapid mutual information of the CPs, and the digital edition of the “Information Bulletin”.

Out of the 3 International Meetings that took place during this period, the KKE hosted the 20th, which coincided with the 100th anniversary since its founding in 2018. It also co-organized the 21st IMCWP in Izmir together with the CP of Turkey; a fact that practically demonstrated the internationalist ties between the Greek and Turkish communists and opened a new page in the coordination of the CPs’ activity.

Of course,  as our Party has emphasized in the past,  a fierce ideological–political struggle of strategic character has been waged within the International Meetings on many contemporary issues and especially on the direction of the struggle. The decided Joint Actions are only promoted by a part of the CPs, while other CPs, without hindering their issuing, do not implement them.

During the same period, our Party organized Meetings of European CPs (2018, 2019), a Regional Meeting of the Communist Parties of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Gulf (end of 2017), and participated in a series of thematic events organized by other CPs, such as the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution, the 100 years since the founding of the Communist International, the 200 years since the birth of Marx, etc.

In many cases it was possible to adopt Joint Statements or Declarations, such as those on the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution and the founding of the Communist International. Through the formulation of Joint Statements, an attempt is made to clarify the assessments of each CP on one or the other issue, as well as to set common goals of struggle. This is a complex, arduous form of cooperation and coordination of the CPs, which retains its importance, despite the fact that many Communist and Workers’ Parties are currently weak or operating in semi-clandestine conditions, under harsh persecution, or do not have at their disposal all the means that the KKE and some other parties now possess in order to struggle for the common goals that are set. The process of exchanging views and the corresponding struggle on serious issues, in the context of the preparation of Joint Statements, contributes, to a certain extent, to the direction of the revolutionary ideological regroupment of the International Communist Movement.

Especially in the pandemic conditions, where a number of International Meetings were postponed, joint statements as well as teleconferences were particularly important forms of work.

22. Supporting and developing internationalist activity

Our Party stood by the side of CPs and communists that are being persecuted. It issued statements, complaints, made démarches, organized pickets at embassies, submitted Questions to the European Parliament, sent delegations of MPs and MEPs to trials against CPs held in other countries.

It was at the forefront of the expression of solidarity with peoples facing foreign occupation and the consequences of imperialist interventions and blackmails, such as the Cuban, the Palestinian and the Cypriot people.

Our Party has further strengthened its bilateral relations with dozens of CPs around the world, conveying the KKE's experience from the struggles and the conclusions drawn from the study of its 100-year heroic history. It sought the cooperation and coordination of  action even with parties with which it has serious ideological–political differences.

Of particular importance is the close and comradely relationship that has been developed with the CP of Turkey (TKP), the fact that the KKE and the TKP were able to issue Joint Statements on the developments in Greek–Turkish relations and in our region in critical moments of the previous period, setting up a front against both the nationalism and the cosmopolitanism of capital, showing the peoples of the two countries the way of struggle against the imperialist plans and interests of the bourgeois classes, the way of peace and friendship of the peoples, which is the way of socialism.

The KKE supported the effort of the KNE, which increased its prestige and took on serious responsibilities for the development and coordination of struggle of the Communist Youth Organizations, giving impetus to the Meetings of European Communist Youth Organizations (MECYOs), promoting rich bilateral relations, and utilizing the experience gained from the struggle of Communist Youth Organizations against the bourgeois and opportunistic intervention among the youth.

Our Party continued to support the activity of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), the World Peace Council (WPC), the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY), and the Women's International Democratic Federation (WIDF), while it also participates in the International Federation of Resistance Fighters (FIR). The ideological and organizational weaknesses of the CPs and the intervention of opportunist and bourgeois forces are having a negative effect in these international organizations, whose formation was influenced by the USSR and the Anti-fascist Victory, following the end of the imperialist World War II. Opportunist and social democratic conceptions —that often have the final say and dominate the ideological–political struggle— are strengthened in these organizations, which, thanks to the active intervention of the communists, withstood the tide of the counter-revolution. Even bourgeois forces seek to exploit the historical course and legacy of these organizations, to benefit from the loss of anti-capitalist reflexes and the ideological confusion prevailing among communist forces, for example, about the economic–political content of imperialism, in order to promote their own plans, their support for one or another imperialist alliance. Further discussion is needed on the correlation of forces in each of these organizations, their outlook, their framework of struggle, and the communists’ intervention.

23. Our basic goal remains the ideological–political–organizational regroupment of the ICM in conditions of a great retreat of the labour movement and despite the sharpening of the contradictions of capitalism. The roots of the retreat are very deep, on the one hand due to the complete victory of the counter-revolution in the first cycle of socialist construction in the 20th century, and on the other hand due to the long-term integration of CPs into the bourgeois political system.

The impasses of capitalism and all forms of its capitalist management objectively prepare the ground for the development of the labour and communist movement. In the current conditions, our Party, expressing solidarity with every Communist and Workers' Party that is being persecuted, raises the issue of the ideological–political regroupment of the ICM, through the strengthening of joint activity with the Communist and Workers’ Parties which:

- Defend Marxism–Leninism and proletarian internationalism, the need to form a corresponding pole.

- Defend the revolutionary prospect, clash with the forces of opportunism and reformism,  have rejected the centre–left management of capitalism and any other variant of the “strategy of stages”.

- Defend the scientific laws of socialist revolution and construction, recognize the course of socialist construction in the 20th century and at the same time seek to research, realize the problems and mistakes, and draw lessons.

- Have a clear ideological front against erroneous views about imperialism, especially those that detach military aggression from the economic content of imperialism, resulting in a lack of front against any imperialist alliance.

- Establish ties with the working class, are active in the trade union movement, seeking to integrate the struggle for the rights of the working class and the popular middle strata into a contemporary revolutionary strategy for workers’ power.