KKE: The joint action and coordination of the Communist Parties under pandemic conditions

The following article was published in "Rizospastis", the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), on 23 May 2020.

By Elisaios Vagenas*.

The recent successful tele-conference held by the Communist and Workers’ Parties that cooperate within the framework of the European Communist Initiative, in which 24 parties from many European countries participate, constituted a new form of exchanging opinions and coordination of their efforts.

Turkey and Covid-19: Interview of TKP General Secretary Kemal Okuyan in "Rizospastis"

In an interview with the daily newspaper of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) "Rizospastis", the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) Kemal Okuyan commented on the Covid-19 pandemic, its effects on working-class and TKP's initiatives to protect the health and rights of the workers. Okuyan noted that they have built solidarity networks organized by the district organizations of TKP:

— What is the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic in Turkey? How does the TKP judge the measures of the Erdogan government and the positions of other bourgeois parties?

Myths and reality about HBO's Chernobyl series

The series refer to the explosion that took place on April 26, 1986 in nuclear reactor no 4 of the Chernobyl power plant close to the city of Priyat in northern Ukraine. Although this highly-acclaimed US-British production manages to kindle the viewer's interest by gaining an unexpected impact, it is neither unique nor original. It consists a more "clever" and better elaborated effort to combat the communist ideology through anti-sovietism. 

Interview with Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu - Turkey's communist mayor talks to "Rizospastis"

In its weekend edition (6-7 April), the KKE daily "Rizospastis" published a short interview with Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu, the - supported by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP)- newly elected mayor of Dersim (Tunceli Province) in the recent local elections. 

Below you can read a translated version of the interview:

-The CP of Turkey participated in the recent local elections with an alliance and achieved important experiences fighting against bourgeois mechanisms. What do you think about this experience?

Mexican Communist leader Pavel Blanco Cabrera's interview in Rizospastis

On the occasion of the 20^th IMCWP which took place in Athens in November, the First Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Mexico (Partido Comunista de Mexico) Pavel Blanco Cabrera talked to “Rizospastis”, the official newspaper of the KKE. 

In the following interesting interview, the Mexican communist leader talks about the situation in his country, the new illusions created by the “left-wing” AMLO government, the tasts of Mexican communists in a large country, a member of G20 and the 2^nd most developed economy of Latin America, with nearly 130 million people and tens of millions of immigrants in the United States:

“Comrades, hold the flag high! Hope lies in the people's struggle!”

It was December 26, 1991 when the red flag with the sickle and hammer was lowered from the Kremlin. 

During these cold days of the Russian winter, the first socialist state in the world - the fatherland of every working man and woman- was bending under the weight of the counterrevolution. The imperialists and their allies- opportunists, social democrats, eurocommunists, etc- were talking about the ultimate end of Socialism, the "end of history", the "defeat of marxism" and the triumph of the capitalist system. 

Chinese ambassador in Greece meets with members of Golden Dawn's Neo-Nazis!

Nazis invited at the Chinese Embassy in Athens on December
2017 (left) and December 2018 (right).

It seems that the Embassy of China in Greece has developed some kind of relations with the Neo-Nazi party - actually a criminal organization - of Golden Dawn. 

Since when a country like China is interested in opening dialogue with fascists, fans of Hitler and Mussolini, who are under court investigation for murders, attacks on migrants and workers, as well as other crimes? 

100 YEARS OF KKE - We wrote History. We continue. We shall win!

"We wrote History. 

We continue. We shall win!"

Source: "Rizospastis", 

17-18 November 2018.

"At Hotel 'Piraeus', in the conference room of the union of steamboats engineers, the first socialist congress of Greece commenced yesterday at its first meeting, with the main purpose being the unification of all the existing in Greece socialist groups into a single party, uniformly governed and represented at the International...".

50 years since May 1968: The crucial role of the working class

On the occasion of the 50 years since the events of May 1968 in France, the Organ of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) "Rizospastis" (26-27 May 2018) republished abstracts of an interview with Mitsos Katsianakos (1942-2003), member of the CC of the KKE, who as a young worker had participated actively in the events of 1968. The interview had been published on 17 May 1998. 

Chronicling the facts, Mitsos Katsianakos said to "Rizospastis": "The May of 1968 wasn't just a student uprising and nothing else. We certainly had a student uprising, which began before May, towards the end of April and early May of 1968. Until then we had chases and skirmishes between students and the police in Quarter Latin, at the large university outside of Sorbonne. We had night street fights, until the 10th of May. By that time-and it should be clear to all of us-no one was worried. No one could see that this May would be red, that this May would give a new dimension to the social and political life of France itself.

Declaration of the CC of the KKE on the 100 years of the October Revolution published in 'Rizospastis'

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) presented its declaration on the centennial of the October Socialist Revolution. The declaration was published in the Party's official newspaper 'Rizospastis' on Sunday 21st May. 

According to 902.gr, the publication of the declaration consist the beginning of a multiform political activity of the Party's organisations, as well as those of the Party's Youth (KNE). This activity will include publications by "Synchroni Epochi" publishing house as well as related articles about the 1917 Revolution in 'Rizospastis'. 

The publication of the Central Committee's declaration is part of a long-time Party's effort for the study of the socialist construction and the reasons which led to the counterrevolution. A crucial role in this effort had the Party's 18th Congress (2009) which resulted in conclusions and decisions regarding the 20th century's socialist construction, focusing on the Soviet Union.

The nature of SYRIZA and why it is supported by the bourgeoisie

Photo credit: IDC.

Source: Rizospastis / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

The identification of SYRIZA's political positioning requires first of all the clarification of the relationship between bourgeois politics and the opportunist (political) stream. In respect to its class substance, the opportunist political line is a bourgeois political line, but as it is manifested within the lines of the labour movement. While it is a policy which supports the strategic objectives of the capital in economy and politics, it appears with a socialist cloak and slogans. The fact that the opportunist perceptions objectively have a common "core" with the bourgeois ideology and politics is expressed both in the occasional convergences between opportunist and bourgeois parties as well as in the convertion of opportunist parties into parties of bourgeois governance, especially in times when this is necessary of capitalism.

When an opportunist party is called to manage the general interests of the bourgeois class from governmental posts, then it de facto becomes subject to a series of political, ideological and organisational adjustments that are characterized by the retreat of its opportunist elements and references without, of course, meaning that these do not continue to be utilized for the entrapment of popular forces in the bourgeois pursuits.

The downward spiral of European opportunism has no end

The downward spiral of European opportunism has no end.

Comment published on 'Rizospastis' (24/9/2016), 
Source: inter.kke.gr.

It is well-known that European capital and its union, the EU, have acquired for many years now its "leftwing chorus". Various parties are playing this role, parties that call themselves "progressive" and "leftwing" even some parties that keep a "communist" title, having for many decades now been assimilated into the opportunist, social-democratic current of "Eurocommunism". 

The latter, such as, for example the French Communist Party (PCF) have for many years been divorced from Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism, have even abandoned the historic symbols of the communist movement and in the name of the "left' have become the "tail" of social-democracy and also whitewash the capitalist system and the imperialist unions of the EU and NATO. However, they keep the "communist" name and in this way, apart from their misleading activity in their own countries, even participate in the International Meetings of the CPs, seeking to play a similar role. If we can judge from the events of the recent festival of "L'Humanite", the newspaper of the PCF, the downward spiral has no end.

On the developments in Brazil - The dilemmas of bourgeois management and the necessity of the anti-capitalist struggle

The people must disentangle themselves from the dilemmas of bourgeois management.

Source: Rizospastis, 22/5/2016 / Reproduced from inter.kke.gr.

The developments in Brazil, the escalation of the political crisis have been at the centre of attention internationally.

This is not strange, as we are talking about the 7th largest economy in the world, the 5th largest country in terms of area and population, and the largest country in the planet's southern hemisphere. A country that in previous years witnessed high levels of capitalist growth, indeed in 2011 it replaced Britain as being the world's 6th largest economy.

It plays a significant role in the framework of the BRICS alliance (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) as well as in important inter-state capitalist unions (.e.g.Celac, Mercosur/Unasur) that are being promoted in the American continent. We should also bear in mind that since 2004, i.e. in the period of the "progressive" governments, it has been the head of the military intervention in Haiti, which is being carried out under the mantle of the UN.

Interview with Kemal Okuyan, First Secretary of Communist Party of Turkey (Rizospastis, 15 May 2016)

COMMUNIST PARTY OF TURKEY

Discussion with Kemal Okuyan, First Secretary of the Central Committee.

Source: Rizospastis / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

For the developments in Turkey, the activity of the communists, the difficulties but also the existing potential, we had the opportunity to discuss with comrade Kemal Okuyan, First Secretary of the CC of Communist Party, Turkey, and representative of 'Gelenek' magazine in the International Communist Review. 

- What is the political, socio-economic reality in Turkey? We know about the persecutions of party's members and yours personally. How does the Party react?

Turkey passes through a long and deep political crisis which, for the time being, doesn't include the financial crisis, despite the fact that Turkish economy is very fragile, with dissolution of state property and a continuous attack on the working class' rights, while there is a huge leak of wealth and high level of foreigh investors. The government evolves a generalized social attack, which includes the Kurds, the secular forces against religious fundamentalism. And, of course, we the communists are permanently the target. Attacks on our offices occur, (attacks) against our members with the accusation of insulting President Erdogan. I personally face prosecution in three different cases (one began on May 5th, but was re-scheduled for the coming September). The Party has agreed to intensify the offensive political struggle.

- What are the priorities of the Party this period?

RIZOSPASTIS Headlines (17/4/2016)

"Rizospastis" Sunday Edition.

Organ of the CC of KKE.

17/4/2016.

- WITHOUT LIMITS THE GOVERNMENTAL SUPPORT ON CAPITAL... WHILE IT PREPARES NEW SLAUGHTERING OF THE PEOPLE.

- Coalition government-Quartet-USA: Fierce anti-people escalation in the background of geopolitical plans.

- The 48-hour Strike: An important class confrontation.

- Invitation-Call from KNE on the occasion of university students' elections.

RIZOSPASTIS Headlines (3/4/2016)

Sunday edition of "Rizospastis".

Organ of the CC of KKE.

3/4/2016.

- Escalation of people's activity in front of unpopular developments.

- Coalition government-Quartet: Anti-people escalation in the background of memorandums' update.

- D.Koutsoumbas: The working-peoples' movement to demand immediate measures for the refugees, against the EU decisions.

- Patras Municipality- March against unemployment: Today at 9 am the beginning from Patras.

RIZOSPASTIS headlines (26/3/2016)

Sunday edition of "Rizospastis".

Organ of the CC of KKE (Communist Party of Greece)

26/3/2016.

- Antipeople and dangerous developments: Popular mobilization and action (is) the only solution.

- Everybody at PAME's rallies: Tuesday 29/3 in Thessaloniki, 31/3 in Athens and Piraeus.

- The KKE Central Committee honours Yannis Markopoulos (composer): A great concert on Monday 28th of March.

- Municipality of Patras: The large mobilization against unemployment begins on Saturday 2nd of April.