All India Strike: Workers and peasants are rising against Modi government

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) salutes the working men and women of India who have risen as one to challenge the Narendra Modi government’s anti worker, anti people and anti national policies through the unprecedented general strike and rural bandh on 8th January 2020.

While the industrial workers across sectors all over the country went on strike, the peasants and agricultural workers massively responded to the call of ‘rural bandh’ and organised road and rail blockades.

THE OBSTACLE IS THE SORCERER: Article by Dimitris Koutsoumbas

The General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Dimitris Koutsoumbas, wrote an article which was published on the weekend edition of "Ta Nea" newspaper (4-5 January) under the title "The obstacle is the... sorcerer". Below you can read the article translated into english:

By Dimitris Koutsoumbas. 

“Modern bourgeois society with its relations of production, of exchange and of property, a society that has conjured up such gigantic means of production and of exchange, is like the sorcerer who is no longer able to control the powers of the nether world whom he has called up by his spells”*.

American and Canadian communists condemn U.S. aggression against Iran

Communist parties from the United States and Canada have condemned the U.S. attack in Baghdad, which led to the death of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani and the escalation of Trump government's imperialist aggression against Iran. At the same time, thousands of people took the streets in many cities across the U.S., joining the anti-war movement and demonstrating against the drone attack in Iraq. 

Below you can read statements issued by the Party of Communists, USA (PCUSA), the Communist Party, USA (CPUSA) and the Communist Party of Canada. 

Australia Fires: "Capitalism and all its political parties have failed the Australian people and have no answer to solve this crisis"

"Capitalism and all its political parties have failed the Australian people and have no answer to solve the crisis" points out the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) in a statement regarding the ongoing wildfires disaster in the country. The CPA calls the Morrison government to carry out its duty or, otherwise, resign. 

The full statement is the following:

USA-IRAN CRISIS: The Tudeh Party of Iran denounces U.S. 'act of terrorism', calls for peace

The Tudeh Party of Iran (حزب تودۀ ایران‎) issued a statement regarding the latest dangerous escalation of the situation in the Middle East, after the U.S. airstrike at Baghdad airport which led to the deaths of 8 people, including Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani.

The whole statement, published in the Party's website, is the following:

* * *

Party of Labour of Austria: On the new coalition government between ÖVP and Greens

“Against any government of capital! For a militant workers front!”

Declaration of the Central Committee of the Party of Labour of Austria, Vienna, 2 January 2020.

Since the National Council elections in September 2019, it has been clear that the conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖsterreichischeVolkspartei, ÖVP), as the main party of Austrian capital, remains in power and will continue to pursue and implement its political line in favour of the banks, corporations and entrepreneurs, at the expense of the working class and poorer social strata. 

Turkey's Communist Party slams Erdogan's warmongering plans in Libya

In a statement issued today, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) condemns the warmongering plans of Tayyip Erdogan's government in Libya. 

More specifically, the TKP statement refers to the recent adoption of a bill by the Turkish Parliament which gives the green light to Erdogan to deploy troops in Libya.

TKP called for the cancellation of this recent bill and those which proceeded it and called on all armed forces in the territory of other countries' lands to return to the country.

The full statement published in soL news portal is as follows:

EastMed pipeline deal only brings new dangers for the people — Statement by the KKE

The EastMed pipeline deal signed between Greece, Cyprus and Israel "only brings new dangers for the people" points out the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) in a statement issued earlier today. 

The KKE highlights the fact that the agreement over the gas pipeline, which was signed in Athens by Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Cyprus' President Nikos Anastasiades, has no relation with the actual interests of the region's peoples but on the contrary it consists part of the imperialist plans in East Mediterranean. 

More specifically, in the statement which was published on 902 portal, the KKE stresses out the following:

Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the KKE, to visit London

Dimitris Koutsoumbas, the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), will visit London on January 10th-12th. 

According to 902 portal, the programme of the visit is the following:

On Friday 10 January, the General Secretary will visit the Karl Marx Memorial Library (37A Clerkenwell Green, Farringdon), the Soviet War Memorial (Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park, Lambeth Road) and the Tate Modern Gallery where the painting of Peter de Francia "The execution of Beloyannis" is on display. In the afternoon he will visit the British Museum.

KKE: The Cuban Revolution affirmed the vitality of Marxism-Leninism

In a message addressed to the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), the International Relations Section of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) salutes the 61st anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. 

In the message, which was published yesterday in 'Rizospastis', the KKE points out that "the Cuban Revolution, the first socialist revolution in the american continent, was one of the greatest events that marked the 20th century, inspired the struggle of the suppressed and exploited ones in the whole world and proved that the people, with their struggle, have the power to overthrow capitalist barbarity".

Netanyahu is unwelcome in Greece — PAME

In a statement issued today, the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) denounces the policy of  New Democracy (ND) government which strengthens Greece's ties with Israel, refering to the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Athens on January 2nd. Netanyahu visit's main purpose is for the signing of the agreement on the East Med pipeline. 

More specifically the PAME statement points out:

“For the profits of the big energy monopolies that have bloodshed the whole of the Middle East, the ND government continues its “friendship” policy with the state of Israel that is killing the Palestinian people daily, stealing Palestinian land with settlements, killing and imprisoning even small children.

The Greek people have nothing positive to gain from monopoly competitions. The “stability” of the Eastern Mediterranean, the government proclaims, are watered with the blood of Palestinian children.

Austria: Tibor Zenker elected new chairman of the Party of Labour (PdA)

Tibor Zenker, new chairman of the PdA,
 addressing the 4th Party Congress.

On December 21, under the slogan “Strengthen the PdA- Strengthen the working class”, the Party of Labour of Austria (Partei der Arbeit- PdA) held its 4th Party Congress in Hietzing, the 13th disctrict of Vienna. 

The Congress examined the activities and developments that took place the previous period since the 3rd Congress and proceeded to the planning for the next two years. 

Regarding the Party's leadership, Tibor Zenker from Wolkersforf was elected as the new chairman, succeeding Otto Bruckner who had been PdA's chairman since the founding party conference in October 2013. 

Giorgos Marinos - The vanguard action of the communists will change the current negative correlation of forces

Giorgos Marinos, member of the Political Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece, concluded the European Communist Meeting which was held in Brussels on December 9th, noting among others that the discussion helped the participants to re-examine the key events of the struggle of the International Communist Movement, its contribution, but also its weaknesses and its mistakes, and to intensify their efforts for the Communist Movement to become more effective, taking into account the needs that arise every day in the class struggle in order to intervene in an organized way.

Thanos Mikroutsikos, acclaimed Greek music composer, dies at 72

One of Greece's most prominent music composers of the last decades, Thanos Mikroutsikos, has died on Saturday at the age of 72 after a brave battle with cancer. 

He was born on the 13 April 1947 in Patra. He studied piano at the Philharmonic Society of Patras and in the Hellenic Conservatory. He also studied Mathematics at the University of Athens.

He began his music career in 1975, with the release of the album Politika Tragoudia (‘Political Songs’). He continued on this compositional path, setting to music the poems of Yiannis Ritsos, Nazim Hikmet, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Manos Eleftheriou, Bertolt Brecht and others. 

KKE calls the people to condemn the “criminal” Greek-US agreement on military bases

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) on Friday issued a statement in which it sharply criticizes the  conservative government of New Democracy (ND) for "tabling in Parliament, on Christmas Eve, the Greece-US Agreement for expansion of military bases that was signed in October 2018 following the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Athens, in the framework of the 'Strategic Dialogue' began by the SYRIZA government."

I'll be back: Large billboard in Russia depicts Joseph Stalin as the "Terminator"

Even a... billboard depicting Joseph Stalin is enough to make anti-communists trembling in shock and fear. 

This time, a Terminator-style image of Stalin with a note announcing the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany appeared in the small Russian town of Balakhna, northwest of Nizhny Novgorod.

The billboard was spotted a few days ago on a photo published by the local website of Balakhna. 

30 years since the execution of Ceausescu — Who has benefited?

"We want to die together" were the last words of Elena
Ceausescu. Bucharest, 25 December 1989.

Thirty years have passed since the counterrevolutionary events in Romania and the execution of Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena. It was on December 25, 1989 when, after a hasty, parody trial before a Kangaroo court, the Ceausescu couple were executed in Targoviste, north of Bucharest. 

According to the head of the firing squad, Nicolae Ceausescu sang "The Internationale" while being led up against the wall. The execution of Ceausescu marked the end of the counter-revolutionary overthrow of Socialism in Romania and the beginning of a “new order” in the country.

"We will change this city, this country": Mass gathering of TKP in Istanbul

The second of the events organized by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), calling for "hope, organizing, and celebrating to win 2020" was held yesterday in Istanbul Bostancı.  

It was the second of the events organized in three major cities with the title of the Istanbul Bostanci Showland. The first gathering was held in Izmir on Saturday.

Before the start of the event, resisting workers from many sectors, including Bimeks workers, textile workers, teachers of Doğa schools, construction workers, metal workers, and cafe workers, came to Bostancı Showland by shouting slogans and holding banners.

British Communist Parties reflect on the result of the 2019 General Elections

In the 12^th December 2019 general elections in Britain,  with Brexit being the dominant political issue, the Conservative Party (Tories), under the leadership of Boris Johnson, won a landslide victory securing 365 seats out of 650, acquiring an overall majority of 80 in the House of Commons. 

On the other hand, Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party gained 32.1% of the votes, gaining 202 seats.

In this site we have firmly expressed our negative political stance towards the social democratic Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn. Over the years the Labour Party has proved its role as a party of the bourgeoisie, devoted to the support of the British capitalist system and fully aligned with imperalist policies. For more, please read articles here and here.

Kyrgyzstan's Parliament attempts to restore the Nazi collaborationist "Turkestan Legion"

Turkestan Legion's fighters under the Nazi Wehrmacht flag.

In a statement issued by the International Relations Section of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), the Party strongly denounces the attempt by Kyrgyzstan's Parliament to restore a Nazi collaborationist legion. 

The so-called "Turkestan SS Legion" was the name for military units which fought in the Wehrmacht during World War II. 

The statement of the KKE is the following:

"The KKE condemns the attempt to restore a legion of the SS which fought against ELAS with the bill that was tabled in the Kyrgyzstan Parliament. 

KKE on Lisbon Treaty's 10th anniversary: "The people of Europe have no reason to celebrate"

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Lisbon Treaty and the "EU Charter of Fundamental Rights", the Press Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued a statement in which it points out that the people of Europe have no reason to celebrate, adding that "the euro-treaties are nothing but shackes with which the EU and the governments chain the working people to the chariot of the capital's interests". 

More specifically, the statement which was published on "Rizospastis", points out the following:

"To win 2020": Communist Party of Turkey to hold gatherings in Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has recently announced that it will hold three major meetings in Turkey's three biggest cities, Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir. Turkey's communists have called on the working people of Turkey to attend the gatherings "calling for hope, organizing, celebrating to win 2020."

The major event in Izmir will be held December 21, in Istanbul on December 22 and in Ankara on January 4.

Greece: Thousands demonstrated against the governmental budget-"guillotine"

Under the slogan "No to the budget-guillotine! Struggle for the people's contemporary needs" thousands of workers, students and pensioners demonstrated in Athens and other Greek cities, expressing their opposition with the anti-people state budget submitted by the conservative New Democracy government. 

After a call by the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME), the protesters gathered at Propylea and marched towards the Parliament where the debate on state budget will conclude tonight with a roll-call vote. 

Vive la lutte des ouvriers de France! WFTU and PAME protest at the French Embassy in Athens

With a militant demonstration outside the French Embassy in Athens earlier today, members of the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) and the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) expressed their solidarity with the General Strike of December 17th and their support towards the working class of France. 

The General Secretary of WFTU George Mavrikos, alongside PAME International Relations Section's member Nikolas Theodorakis, had an one-hour meeting with the Ambassador of France and presented a motion of solidarity with French workers, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the anti-people reform project.