Outrageous! Communist Party of Slovakia punished for its 100th anniversary campaign

Billboard celebrating the KSS's 100th anniversary in 2021

A Slovak court has upheld penalties against the Communist Party of Slovakia (KSS) and members of its leadership over a campaign commemorating the party's 100th anniversary, in a ruling that has sparked strong condemnation from communist parties abroad.

The case dates back to 2021, when the KSS marked the centenary of its foundation with a nationwide campaign featuring commemorative posters bearing the hammer and sickle and the slogan "Without socialism, it will not work." 

Slovak judicial authorities ruled that the campaign amounted to the promotion of a movement allegedly aimed at suppressing fundamental rights and freedoms. As a result, the party has been fined several thousand euros, while seven members of its Central Committee Presidium face substantial personal fines or prison sentences of up to one year. According to the KSS, the ruling effectively criminalizes the public celebration of the party's own historical anniversary.

The decision has been widely condemned by communist organizations as another manifestation of the anti-communist policies that have intensified in several European Union member states in recent years.

Statement by the IRS of the CC of the KKE

Among those reacting to the ruling was the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). In a statement issued by the International Relations Section of its Central Committee, the KKE described the decision as an outrageous act of anti-communist persecution, stressing that punishing a political party for commemorating its own history constitutes a serious attack on democratic and political freedoms.

Rejecting the Slovak court's argument that the anniversary campaign promoted the suppression of civil liberties, the KKE argued that the ruling itself violates fundamental democratic rights, including freedom of political expression and organization.

The Greek communists further linked the case to what they described as the broader escalation of anti-communism across the European Union. According to the KKE, attempts to outlaw communist symbols, distort the historical contribution of socialism and equate communism with fascism are increasingly being used to restrict the activity of communist parties and intimidate those fighting against capitalist exploitation.

The statement also recalled that Slovakia has adopted a series of anti-communist measures in recent years, including legislation declaring the former Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and its Slovak branch to have been "criminal organizations"—a move repeatedly denounced by communist parties as an attempt to rewrite history and legitimize political persecution.

Expressing its full solidarity with the Communist Party of Slovakia, the KKE demanded the immediate withdrawal of all penalties imposed on the party and its leadership, reaffirming that anti-communism will not prevail and stressing that communists will continue their struggle for workers' rights, social progress and socialism despite attempts at intimidation.

  IN DEFENSE OF COMMUNISM ©