European Communist Action Conference in Istanbul: Two Years Since the Imperialist War in Ukraine

The European Communist Action (ECA) convened in Istanbul in a conference that is hosted by the Communist Party of Turkey, on the second anniversary of the imperialist war in Ukraine. 

Delegates from the Party of Labour of Austria, the Communist Workers’ Party – for Peace and Socialism (Finland), Communist Revolutionary Party of France, Communist Party of Greece, the Workers Party of Ireland, Communist Front (Italy), New Communist Party of the Netherlands, Communist Party of the Workers of Spain, Communist Party of Sweden, Swiss Communist Party, Union of Communists of Ukraine, and Communist Party of Turkey participated in the conference entitled “Two Years Since the Imperialist War in Ukraine: The Experience and Conclusions of the Communists”.

Democracy in Latvia? Court orders the termination of the activity of the Latvian Workers' Front

Since the dissolution of the  Soviet Union, the newly “independent” Baltic countries, namely Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, have adopted anti-communism as an official state ideology. 

 

Communist Parties have been banned, communists are persecuted for their activity, while Nazi collaborators (e.g. Estonian Waffen-SS) and fascist groups are being rehabilitated with honours. The governments of the Baltic states, under the auspices of the European Union, have championed in the distortion of history, especially the one of the Second World War. 

 

China’s Stock Market: A Lesson on What Socialism Is Not

By Charles Andrews*

Late in January, the Chinese government arranged for its state-owned companies to put as much as $282 billion into the falling stock market. The companies were told to buy via Hong Kong accounts.

The government is desperate to halt a big slide in the Shanghai Composite Index, which had fallen nearly to its March 2020 low point at the start of the COVID pandemic.

Why does a “socialist” economy have a stock market?

Is the KKE a homophobic party? Behind the curtain of “individual rights”

By Nikos Mottas

The much-debated same-sex civil marriage bill has already been submitted to the plenary of the Greek Parliament and its voting has been scheduled for Thursday 15 February.

Apart from the liberal-conservative New Democracy government, the bill is expected to be supported by the social democratic opposition parties of Syriza and Pasok. From its side, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) has firmly stated that it will vote down the proposed bill, underlying that the major aim of the law is to legalize the commercialization of surrogacy and the subsequent degradation of woman's role. 

Cypriot communists protested against foreign military bases and NATO in Nicosia

Photo: 902.gr

With slogans like "No to the bases of death and all foreign armies", members and friends of the Cyprus Communist Initiative (CCI) organized on Saturday a demonstration at the United Kingdom High Commission in Nicosia.

The protesters denounced Israel's genocidal crimes against the Palestinian people and the bloodshed in Yemen, also highlighting the involvement of Cyprus through the British bases thus condemning the complicity of yet another Cypriot government. The Communist Initiative also denounced Cyprus' participation in the EU's imperialist military operation in the Red Sea.

 

Nikola Tesla on the USSR: “The Russians are lucky — they have socialism and Stalin”

By Nikos Mottas

Nikola Tesla, the famous Serbian mechanical and electrical engineer, who became a naturalized U.S citizen, is rightfully considered one of the greatest inventors and scientists of the 20th century.  

There is very limited knowledge of his political ideas, except from his idealistic - pretty much ingenuous - envision of a world of peace and understanding. 

The European Communist Action stands by the side of the struggling farmers in Europe

In a statement the European Communist Action expresses solidarity to the struggle of farmers across Europe:

"The mass farmers’ protests that are taking place in many European countries, such as Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Greece, prove that the policies followed by the EU and the anti-popular governments, such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the “green” transition, have caused acute problems of economic survival for farmers and stockbreeders.

Greek farmers on the streets: General Secretary of the KKE Koutsoumbas expresses support and solidarity

KKE's General Secretary speaking to farmers in Thessaly

Blocking dozens of traffic arteries with thousands of tractors, the poor and middle-sized farmers in Greece are fighting for their future. They struggle to prevent their total extinction, to be able to continue ploughing and cultivating their fields and producing good and cheap food for all the people.

On Thursday 8/2/24, starting from the morning until late at night, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, GS of the CC of the Communist Party (KKE), visited 9 junctions in Central Greece and Thessaly, where farmers’ roadblocks have been set up. The farmers gave a warm welcome to the GS of the CC of the KKE.

Communist Party of Turkey on anniversary of deadly earthquake: "We will not forget, we will not forgive"

In a statement on the first anniversary of the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit South Eastern Turkey and Syria in February 2023, leading to at least 54,000 deaths, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) stresses out:

"We remember the great disaster like it was yesterday.

How can we forget the thousands of people who died under the rubble while the state was completely absent, who were displaced from their homes and left to despair, how can we forget our neighborhoods, our districts, our labor, our history. 

McCarthy in the Knesset: Hadash deputy Ofer Cassif expelled from Israeli Parliament

Members of the Knesset committee on Tuesday took a key step toward expelling MP Ofer Cassif (Hadash) over his support for the South African-led International Court of Justice case accusing the Israeli Government of genocide in the Gaza Strip.

The following day, the extreme-right, racist Minister of National Security of Israel, Itamar Ben Gvir, published on his social network a photo of comrade Ayman Odeh (Head of the Hadash-Ta'al coalition) with Khalida Jarrar (Palestinian PFLP parliamentarian), with a comment threatening the revocation of Comrade Todeh's mandate.

Greek Army cadet prosecuted over anti-NATO views

By Nikos Mottas

The spectre of censorship seems to be back in the Greek Armed Forces these days. Konstantinos Kesopoulos, Cadet reserve officer of Infantry in the Hellenic Army, has been summoned for an official apology after expressing himself against Greece's military involvement in the Euro-Atlantic imperialist plans in the Middle East.

The cadet's “crime” was the fact that that he publicly expressed his opposition to the dispatch of a Greek frigate in the Red Sea within NATO and EU's operations against the Houthis. He also demanded the closure of all foreign military bases and the cancellation of the Greek-US joint drills which actually prepare the Hellenic Army for active participation in the imperialist war fronts in Ukraine and the Middle East. 

The position of the KKE on civil marriage of same-sex couples and its impact on children's rights

The CC of the KKE recently met and issued a resolution under the title "The position of the KKE on civil marriage of same-sex couples and its impact on children's rights", on the occasion of the relevant bill put forward in parliament by the right-wing/liberal government of New Democracy. 

 

Below are some excerpts of the resolution, while the full text will be published in various languages in the near future:

China Plunders Congo, Exploits Miners — "Anti-imperialists” Approve

Photo Credit: Sebastian Meyer

By Charles Andrews*

Late in January Sinohydro Corp and China Railway Group Limited re-negotiated their plunder of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). They hold 68% of Sicomines, a joint copper and cobalt mining venture with a local corporation. The two Chinese corporations will pay a pitiful royalty of 1.2% on gross sales.

The Chinese firms also pledged to invest $7 billion in infrastructure in the Congo during the life of the agreement. However, in the previous contract they had agreed to put in $3 billion but actually invested only $822 million.

Mexico's Communist Party names Marco Vinicio Dávila as Presidential Candidate

Marco Vinicio Dávila (centre)

On Monday 29 January, the Communist Party of Mexico (PCM) announced its candidates for the Presidency, the Head of Government of Mexico City and the governorship of Morelos for the upcoming June elections.

During its National Political Conference, which took place over the weekend, PCM decided to present its candidates so that Mexican voters “have an option for radical change, to put an end to injustice and bring the workers to power. That is the option that the Communist Party of Mexico represents,” reads a statement published on social networks.

Communist Party of Sweden: The decision to join NATO is based in the interests of Swedish monopoly capital

Recently PCTE’s organ Nuevo Rumbo conducted an interviewed with the Communist Party of Sweden on the topic of Sweden, NATO and neutrality. 

 

Below is an English language version of the interview, which Nuevo Rumbo has already published in Spanish.

Nuevo Rumbo: First of all, we would like to thank the Communist Party of Sweden (SKP) for your time and for having accepted to this interview in our newspaper. 

Party of Labour of Austria to hold its 6th party congress on February 10

On 10 February 2024, the Party of Labour of Austria (Partei der Arbeit Österreichs, PdA) will hold its 6th party congress. The congress will be held in Linz, the capital of Upper Austria, and the congress motto is: "Peace to the peoples! War on imperialism!". 

The Central Committee will present its reports on the past two-year period since the 5th party congress to the convening members and put them up for discussion. Subsequently, the focus for the coming period will be determined and important resolutions and motions will be passed, for example on the massive inflation in Austria or the war in Palestine. 

Ceasefire Now! Thousands protest across Israel calling for release of hostages and Netanyahu’s dismissal

Tens of Thousands protest Saturday night, January 27, in various demonstrations across Israel, demanding the release of hostages, immediate elections, against war in Gaza and the removal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Protests were held this in several locations across the country. Protests demanding elections were held at Habima Square in Tel Aviv, Horev Center in Haifa, Karkur Junction, Jerusalem, Be’er Sheva, Rehovot, Nes Tziona, Kafr Saba and Caesarea. 

Vladimir Lenin: Lodestar of Revolutionary Advance For Human Emancipation

By Sitaram Yechury*

In a short span of 54 years, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin left an inerasable imprint for the advance of the global proletarian revolution.  He not only mastered the essence of the creative science of Marxism, but updated it to his contemporary times and led the Russian Revolution to victory leading to the establishment of the first socialist country in the world – the USSR.  

He enriched Marxism combating all forms of deviations and protected the revolutionary movement from derailment. He was a master tactician adopting correct and appropriate tactics for every twist and turn of the revolutionary movement.  

Argentine communist leader Víctor Kot passes away

On January 22, 2024, the Communist Party of Argentina (PCA) announced the death of its General Secretary Víctor Kot.

"We regret to report on the passing of the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Argentina, Victor Kot. An important political leader for the history of our workers' movement and a comrade who fought his whole life for socialism", a message of PCA stressed out.

Victor Kot began his militant political activity at an early age, as a student, becoming a leader of the Communist Youth Federation. 

Communist Party of Turkey condemns Grand National Assembly's approval of Sweden NATO bid

In a statement, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) stresses out:

"The Grand National Assembly of Turkey has made another shameful decision. The issue of Sweden's membership to NATO was discussed in the General Assembly of the Parliament today and approved with a majority of votes. As it is known, after the start of the war in Ukraine, NATO's attempt to gain new members in Northern Europe gained great momentum and the membership of Sweden and Finland was immediately on the agenda. As a result of an extremely fast process, Finland became a member of NATO and the Turkish Parliament was one of the parliaments that signed this historic decision in March 2023. 

Communists from the U.S and Mexico: Lenin Lives! — Comunistas de Estados Unidos y México: ¡Lenin vive!

In a joint statement regarding the 100th death anniversary of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, the Communist Party of Mexico (PCM) and the Communist Workers’ Platform of the USA stress out:

Lenin Lives!

Lenin,
alive
again, calls:
-¡Proletarians,
Line up
For the final struggle!

Vladimir Mayakovski

Free Haitham Dafallah! Sudanese Communist Party newspaper's editor abducted by paramilitary forces

In a statement, the Chairman of Al Midan Newspaper, organ of the Sudanese Communist Party, calls for the release of journalist Haitham Dafallah (photo):

"Mr. Haitham Dafallah, the managing director of the Sudanese Communist Party's Al Midan Newspaper, was detained yesterday from his home in the Al-Jaref West neighborhood east of the capital Khartoum. The detention was carried out by members of the Rapid Support Forces, who control the area. 

Russians gather in Red Square to honor V. I. Lenin on his 100th death anniversary

Despite the freezing temperatures, hundreds of Russian working men and women of every age gathered today, Sunday 21 January, in Moscow's Red Square in order to mark the 100th death anniversary of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. 

"I came here to honor the memory of Vladimir Lenin — our leader, the founder of the Soviet state," said 47-year-old Yulia, one of many admirers who gathered outside Lenin's mausoleum.

Joint statement of the European Communist Action On the Centenary of the Death of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

Today, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the death of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (January 21, 1924), we, the Communist and Workers’ parties participating in the ECA, turn to the grandiose figure of this brilliant thinker and revolutionary.

His contribution to the cause of the working class and the other popular strata, the struggle for the abolition of exploitation and the construction of the socialist–communist society is enormous.