During the teleconference, many contributions positively evaluated the activity of the ECI for the period 2013–2022, its contribution to the coordination of the communist parties in Europe and the joint study and elaboration of European and important international issues aimed at strengthening the struggle against the capitalist system, the EU, the bourgeois classes and their governments.
Based on the above, it was decided that the activity and function of the ECI be concluded. We are sure that life itself and the development of the class struggle in many European countries throughout the European continent will make it necessary in the coming period to establish a new form of inter-party cooperation between the Communist and Workers’ Parties of Europe, which will make use of the useful experience gained in recent years from the activity of the ECI.
OPENING SPEECH OF THE KKE AT THE LAST TELECONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNIST INITIATIVE
We would like to thank the parties participating in today’s necessary teleconference concerning the acute problems of the European Communist Initiative, which have led to the suspension of its action and undermine the continuation of its course.
The European Communist Initiative was founded 10 years ago as a space for cooperation between Communist and Workers’ Parties in Europe and the wider region, based on an agreed framework and specific commitments.
It has contributed to the exchange of views and substantive discussion on important ideological-political issues. It has organized interventions on a wide range of problems faced by the working class, the popular strata and the youth.
The ECI has enriched its initial directions and acquired an important orientation:
• Against capitalist barbarity, for the overthrow of the regime of exploitation of man by man and the construction of socialism, in support of the principles of socialist construction, taking into account the experience of the Soviet Union, its achievements and accomplishments as well as the problems it faced, the shortcomings, the mistakes that led to the counter-revolution, the overthrow of socialism and the restoration of capitalism.
• Against imperialist war, for the elimination of its causes, inter-imperialist contradictions and competition.
• Against the bourgeoisie in every capitalist state, the anti-popular policies of the bourgeois governments and parties, whether social-democratic or liberal ones.
• Against the USA, NATO and the EU, and all kinds of imperialist alliances.
• In the ideological-political struggle against the Party of the European Left (PEL) and opportunism in general.
• In the struggle against anti-communism, in support of the CPs that are persecuted and struggle under conditions of illegality and all kinds of prohibitions.
• In solidarity with the Cuban people, Cuba and the Communist Party of Cuba and the demand for an end to the blockade imposed by US imperialism, in condemnation of the interventions of the EU and any intervention in the internal affairs of Cuba.
• In solidarity with the Palestinian people and all peoples.
• In solidarity with uprooted immigrants and refugees and the defence of their rights, against racism and xenophobia.
We evaluate positively the work carried out by the ECI for a long period of time before the strong disagreements over the imperialist war and other problems,which had a catalytic and negative impact on its course, arose within it.
The Secretariat made efforts to coordinate the interventions of the ECI, to ensure its continuity, taking into account the different views expressed on various issues, the fact that the contribution of the parties was uneven, that some parties did not participate regularly and did not take part in the implementation of the actions.
In this joint effort, the KKE has devoted considerable resources in order to establish, consolidate and develop the action of the ECI based on its founding declaration and the positions that it subsequently adopted.
In the course of time, some parties retreated from the agreed framework of the ECI and strong disagreements were expressed.
Some parties disputed the character of imperialism as monopoly capitalism, the highest stage of capitalism as defined by Leninist principles. Positions were expressed that limited imperialism to the USA and its foreign policy and disputed that each capitalist state participates in the imperialist system according to its economic, political and military power, in the context of uneven development.
Disagreements were also expressed on the stance of the ECI towards the uprooted immigrants and refugees and some parties opposed the expression of support and solidarity.
The problems were exacerbated after the outbreak of the war between the USA-NATO-EU and capitalist Russia and the unacceptable invasion of the Russian army on the territory of Ukraine.
We underline that a significant number of parties of the Initiative condemned the invasion, rejected the pretexts used by the USA, NATO and the EU on the one hand and the Russian leadership on the other hand and pointed out that the war is being led and waged by the bourgeois classes and is therefore imperialist on both sides.
In this context, they called upon the working class and the peoples to oppose the imperialist war and to continue the struggle based on their own independent interests against the involvement of their countries in the war, against the bourgeois classes and the anti-popular governments in the direction of overthrowing the bourgeois power.
Parties of the Initiative were at the forefront of the International Communist Movement and dozens of Communist and Workers’ Parties from all over the world signed joint statements that they put forward, sending a hopeful message. Mass demonstrations were held against the USA, NATO, the EU and the imperialist war, for the disengagement of NATO member states from the war and the dangerous NATO plans in general.
However, a number of Parties sided with capitalist Russia in the imperialist war. They justified and supported the Russian leadership and the invasion of the Ukrainian territory by claiming that this war is anti-fascist, opposing the position that the war is imperialist, expresses acute capitalist rivalries and is waged for the control of markets and wealth-producing resources, for energy and transport routes, leading the peoples to the slaughterhouse of war.
In other words, in practice, certain parties have adopted positions that run counter to the agreed joint positions of the European Communist Initiative against the bourgeoisie and the imperialist war, creating conditions that have led to the obstruction of its action.
Furthermore, some parties of the Initiative are attempting to present China as a socialist state, while capitalist relations of production have long prevailed in China and the exploitation of the working class and of man by man, which is the very definition of capitalism, is intensifying. Chinese monopolies are leading in the international market, exporting capital and commodities, while China and the USA are competing for supremacy in the capitalist system.
Moreover, some parties of the European Communist Initiative participate in the so-called World Anti-Imperialist Platform, which supports Russia in the imperialist war and China in its competition with other imperialist centres. This creation engages in fabricated provocative attacks against some parties of the Initiative and especially against the KKE, while some parties of the Initiative post the provocative positions of the so-called anti-imperialist Platform on their websites.
The disagreements that have arisen concern issues of strategic importance, which are becoming more acute.
Under these circumstances, it is clear that the European Communist Initiative has practically ended its activity, cannot continue its function, and the question of its dissolution arises.
initiative-cwpe.org
