European Communist Action: KKE's Koutsoumbas addressed the founding meeting in Athens

The founding meeting of the European Communist Action was held at the headquarters of the Communist Party of Greece in Athens, on Saturday 18 November. 

Delegations from twelve Communist and Workers' Parties from Europe participated in the event: Labour Party of Austria (PdA), Communist Revolutionary Party of France (PCRF), Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Swiss Communist Party, Workers' Party of Ireland, Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE), Communist Front of Italy, New Communist Party of the Netherlands (NCPN), Union of Communists of Ukraine, Communist Party of Sweden (SKP), Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), Communist Workers' Party of Finland. 

D. Koutsoumbas: On the military conflict between Israel and Palestine and the developments in the region

By Dimitris Koutsoumbas*

Israel’s ground offensive on the Gaza Strip will trigger a general conflagration in the region, and more generally, on a global scale. This issue was rightly addressed by the recent plenary meeting of the CC of the KKE. The CC reaffirmed the public positions of the Party, as they were reflected in press releases of the Press Office, in the interventions of its MPs in the Greek and the European Parliaments, as well as its actions in the mass movement.

Α. The regional and international powers–capitalist states involved in the conflict in the Middle East 

Greece local elections: Significant reinforcement of the KKE in all regions and large municipalities

On 8 October 2023, the first round of the regional and municipal elections took place throughout Greece. 

 

The KKE participated in the elections in all 13 regions of the country, as well as in 262 municipalities, with the ballot paper under the name “People’s Rallying”. Based on the results, “People’s Rallying” gained over 10% in the 13 regions nationwide, up from 6.86% in the 2019 regional elections and 7.69% won by the KKE in the parliamentary elections last June.

 

Koutsoumbas: Join forces with the KKE in all struggles and in local elections!

The activity of the party organizations of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) throughout the country is culminating ahead of the municipal and regional elections that will take place on Sunday 8 October. The GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, is participating in the pre-election rallies in many cities across the country, such as Thessaloniki, Lamia, Larissa, Nea Ionia (Athens), Nikaia (Piraeus), etc.

At the rally in the city of Larissa on Tuesday 3 October, he stated the following:

KKE: Article by Dimitris Koutsoumbas on the post-election developments and the tasks of the Party

The following article by Dimitris Koutsoumbas, GS of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), on the post-election developments and the tasks of the Party was published on 22/07/23 in the newspaper Rizospastis - organ of the CC of the KKE.

A few weeks ago, we came out of an arduous, long and relatively intense electoral period with two successive electoral battles that reflected the current negative political correlation of forces. 

Thousands of young communists participated in the 32nd Anti-imperialist Camp of KNE

The 32^nd Anti-imperialist Camp of the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) took place in Nestorio, Kastoria, on 13–16 July 2023, with the participation of thousands of young people from all over the country.  

 

The area where the camp was held was the centre of the three-year epic of the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE, 1946–1949), led by the KKE. 

Communist Party of Vietnam and KKE reaffirm long-standing fraternal relations

A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam, headed by Politburo member Phan Dinh Trac, paid a visit to the headquarters of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) in Athens, 902 portal reported today.

Phan Dinh Trac, accompanied by the Ambassador of Vietnam in Greece, Le Hong Truong, was welcomed by the General Secretary of the CC of the KKE Dimitris Koutsoumbas and Giorgos Marinos, member of the KKE's Political Bureau. 

 

Greek Elections 2023: KKE's significant rise with 7.7% and more than 400,000 votes sends hopeful message

Despite the negative correlation of forces, the parliamentary elections of June 25 in Greece sent a very hopeful message for the workers and popular strata, as the Communist Party (KKE) came out significantly strengthened, by 7.7% (from 5.3% in 2019) and more than 400,000 votes.

The Party also increases its MPs, from 15 to 20.  

The conservative party of New Democracy (40.55%) prevailed in the elections, while the party of the new social democracy, SYRIZA (17.84%), recorded an important decline and a major defeat. The old force of social democracy, PASOK (11.85%), was strengthened, while the nationalist party Hellenic Solution (4.44%) was reelected.

D. Koutsoumbas: Only a strong KKE can strengthen the genuine 100% militant people’s opposition against the New Democracy government

Abstracts from the speech delivered by Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), in the Party's massive central pre-election rally in Athens' Syntagma Square on Wednesday 21 June:

“The mass red rally of the people and youth here in Athens confirms that the positive step taken in May can now become a leap forward” stressed Dimitris Koutsoumbas. 

Greek Elections 2023 — Now is the time to decide how much stronger the KKE will be

The General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Dimitris Koutsoumbas, was the keynote speaker at the mass rally organized by the organizations of the KKE and KNE in the city of Patras on Monday 19/6. The communist mayor of the city, Kostas Peletidis, also attended the rally. 

In his speech, Dimitris Koutsoumbas stressed the following:

“Another crime that was bound to happen, the shipwreck off Pylos that continues to shock us all, was carried out a few days ago. The KKE is once again at the forefront of the struggle and clearly states that, despite the decay and cynicism of all the voices of the system, there is the choice of action and organized struggle against barbarity.

KKE is the only true opposition in Greece, says General Secretary Koutsoumbas

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) is the only party that is "a 100% true fighting and popular opposition" party, said General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas on Monday evening, addressing KKE's Attica branch event.

Expanding on the event's thematic title on "Who created miraculous tourism?", Koutsoumbas said it was due to KKE's support that workers in the tourism industry experienced first-hand the fact "that only the people save the people, defending their rights at work, securing collective labor agreements, and protecting them from employers' arbitrary exploitation."

Greek Elections 2023: No anti-popular government is omnipotent when faced with a stronger KKE

On 29/5, the GS of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Dimitris Koutsoumbas, spoke at a meeting attended by all the KKE candidates in Attica, Party cadres and other militants who joined forces with the Party in the elections. He called for a further strengthening of the KKE in the new parliamentary elections to be held on 25 June.  

“The optimistic message of these elections —without, of course, overlooking the overall negative correlation of forces— is the significant strengthening of the KKE, which won 7.23%, 427,000 votes, and 26 MPs, taking third place in Attica again, this time achieving  double-digit percentages in the working class–popular neighborhoods and an increase in all regions nationwide”, noted the GS of the CC of KKE.

Dimitris Koutsoumbas: The KKE can be the only true opposition to ND's anti-popular government

Only the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) can be a true opposition to the anti-popular policies of the New Democracy (ND) government, KKE General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas said in an interview with the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA) published on Sunday.

"There is today but one dilemma: Either you give consent to the support of the government's anti-popular policies or you support the only true opposition from the point of view of working-class, popular interests," the General Secretary said, urging voters to further strengthen KKE in the upcoming elections on June 25.

Statement of Dimitris Koutsoumbas, GS of the KKE, on the outcome of Greece's parliamentary elections

Following the results of the May 21 parliamentary elections in Greece, and the significant rise of the KKE, the General Secretary of the CC of the Party Dimitris Koutsoumbas stated:

“On behalf of the CC of the KKE, we salute the thousands of workers and young people who took this step today and voted for the KKE, resulting in its considerable rise.

We want to congratulate the thousands of members and cadres of the KKE and KNE who gave their best, contributing to this election result.

KKE gains more than 7% in parliamentary elections, almost doubles its MPs in Parliament - #greekelections

The parliamentary elections of May 21 sent a very hopeful message for Greece's working class, as the Communist Party (KKE) came out significantly strengthened, by gaining 40% more voters in relation to 2019 elections.

More specifically, the KKE gains 7.23% (from 5.3% in 2019) and 425,646 votes.  

The Party also increases its MPs, from 15 to 26.  

The results:

Massive, awe-inspiring pre-election rally of the KKE in Athens: "Only the people can save the people"

A clear and decisive message of militant resurgence and optimism for the battle being waged up until the last moment before the elections May 21st to strengthen the Communist Party (KKE), was sent by the huge central pre-election rally held in Syntagma Square, in the heart of Athens, addressed by the General Secretary of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumbas. 

Under the slogan "Only the people can save the people, with the KKE at the forefront!", thousands of workers, men and women of every age participated in the largest pre-election rally this year. 

Large pre-election rally of the KKE in Thessaloniki

On Monday 16/05, the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Dimitris Koutsoumbas, delivered a speech at a mass pre-election political rally in Thessaloniki, the country's second largest city. 

An excerpt from his speech reads as follows:

“During this pre-election period, an optimistic message is emerging from all over Greece: There are many more people, who, with a clearer mind, draw broader conclusions; who understand that what we have experienced, especially in recent years, was not accidental. 

Dimitris Koutsoumbas: The KKE keeps its arms open to progressive people, leftists who refuse to compromise

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) "keeps its arms open to progressive people, leftists who refuse to compromise" with the systemic 'swamp', Party Secretary General Dimitris Koutsoumbas told "Efimerida ton Syntakton" (Efsyn) newspaper in an interview published on Saturday.

Referring to the May 21 parliamentary elections, he said that "there are many responding to our invitation, and many honest people who have joined our ballots, former deputies, Eurodeputies, and officials and members of SYRIZA, ANTARSYA and LAE," naming the main opposition party and other leftist parties.

Koutsoumbas: Only the strength of the KKE will be the indicator of the people’s strength after the elections

In Ioannina, the capital of the Epirus region, the great political campaign of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE)  continued on 4/5, in order convey the call for the strengthening of the KKE, from the ends of Greece,to every working man and woman and youngster.

As D. Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the KKE Central Committee, noted: “Only the strength of the KKE will be the indicator of the people’s strength after the elections. And the people of Ioannina have every interest in electing a communist MP for the first time in years."

The KKE will not take part in anti-popular government, says Party Secretary Koutsoumbas

"The KKE won't participate in any anti-popular government", clarifies the Party's leader ahead of the Greek Parliamentary Elections of 21 May 2023. 

 

Excerpts from the interview of Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), to "Proto Thema" newspaper:

What does the term “left” mean today?

The truth is that it is a term that has been abused by many people over time, both in Greece and internationally.