KKE General Secretary comments on the U.S. State Department report for Greece

Commenting on the Prespes Agreement, which has been submitted to the Parliament for ratification, and the disclosure of the U.S. State Department "Integrated Country Strategy" (ICS) for Greece, the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Dimitris Koutsoumbas said:

"The recent publication of the "Integrated Report" of the U.S. State Department for Greece, apart from the fact that it brings into mind old dark times, totally confirms the role undertaken by the government of SYRIZA in the promotion of the US-NATO plans. 

KKE votes against Tsipras' government and the Prespes Agreement

In its bulletin on the political developments, the Press Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) states the following:

“The bargaining of the previous days between Tsipras (SYRIZA) – Kammenos (ANEL) ended in a search for a vote of confidence in the Parliament. This is a development that suits both sides, as it provides the possibility, on the one hand for Mr. Tsipras to save his government, with votes from ANEL parliament members,  and on the other hand, allows  Mr. Kammenos to maintain his Parliamentary Group, appearing to stand up against a policy that he has supported throughout all of the previous period.

KKE, PAME, Trade Unions denounce violent police attack on demonstrators in Athens

Commenting on the violent attack of riot police forces against a school teachers' demonstration on Friday in downtown Athens, the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas pointed out: 

"Today's vicious attack by police forces against educators, which also resulted in the serious injury of KKE's MP Giannis Delis who is hospitalized, proves that the SYRIZA-ANEL government is ruthless. Seems that through this way Mr. Tsipras - like his predecessors- intends to "tie up his loose ends", that is to complete the dirty job he has undertaken".

Koutsoumbas calls for people's struggle and counter-attack with a strong KKE

“The justified indignation and dissatisfaction must be transformed into creativity and must be expressed through struggles, counter-attack and social alliance against the dipole, the monopolies and capitalist, with a powerful KKE everywhere” said the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas during an interview on 24/7 radio.

When asked whether the government will be politically legitimate after a possible departure of ANEL from the governmental alliance, Koutsoumbas said that “a government can exist event without the required formal majority. It is certainly a political issue and the government itself has to deal with it”. 

KKE: Greece-US Strategic Dialogue confirms deeper involvement in imperialist plans

The so-called "Strategic Dialogue" between Greece and the United States began in Washington DC on Thursday, focusing on regional defense, security and energy issues (read the Joint Statement). 

The Greek government is represented by the alternate Foreign Minister Giorgos Katrougalos, while the U.S. delegation includes Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell. 

The developments in the Greek Trade Union movement and the negative role of GSEE

The last years the workers in Greece have faced an extremely brutal attack from employers, governments, the EU. 

The consequences of this attack have resulted in wage cuts, abolition of rights, attacks against the collective organization of workers so that they will be easily exploitable by the bosses.

Against this attack the workers had an important weapon of resistance PAME, the class unions of Greece. Those trade unions, that since the first day were at the forefront of the struggle, of information, organization and mobilization of the working class against the anti-workers hurricane that was being prepared.

Massive demonstration by the KKE against US-NATO military bases in Greece (Photos)

With the major slogan being "No to the plans of the government and imperialists, NATO and its bases out of Greece", thousands of workers, people of every age, participated in a militant rally organized on Tuesday evening by the Communist Party of Greece and its youth wing KNE in Athens. 

Members and friends of the KKE and KNE protested against the imperialist plans and raised their voice against the existence of US-NATO bases in Greece. The demonstrators demanded the closure of all foreign military bases and the return of all Greek soldiers who participate in NATO missions abroad. 

KKE: The policy of Tsipras places him in the same reactionary bloc of ND and PASOK

In a statement regarding the speech of Alexis Tsipras at the Central Committee of his party, SYRIZA, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) writes:

"The virtual reality that Mr Tsipras describes is collapsing in front of the people's daily routine, in poverty which persists, in the overdue payments which increase the threats of confiscations and auctions, in the labour jungle, in all these that were formed by the austerity memorandum laws of SYRIZA, New Democracy (ND) and PASOK alongside the permanent EU supervision. [This is a] proof that the development is not only unfair but, on the contrary, it is deeply class-based, anti-people and uncertain. 

The Capitalist Crisis: The pretext for the anti-people agenda in Greece

The text below is the speech delivered by Kostas Papadakis, member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and also member of the European Parliament (MEP), during his visit in Sydney, Australia on Saturday 29th of September. 

K. Papadakis travelled to Australia in order to represent the KKE in political events, held in Melbourne and Sydney, honoring the 100 years since the founding of the KKE and the 50th anniversary of KNE:

Dear comrades, trade-unionists, friends of the CPA, cadres of the Australian trade-unions.

NATO bases out of Greece: Statement by the KKE calls for nationwide anti-imperialist mobilization

In a statement issued earlier today, the Political Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) calls the working people and the youth "to rise against the policy of the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government which transforms Greece into an endless US-NATO camp". 

"On 22 and 23rd of October we demonstrate in every city where military bases exist or new ones are going to be installed. In all over Greece, the Organisations of the KKE and KNE, through multiform activities, will express the opposition in these plans", writes the statement.

Greece: PAME denounces pro-government trade unionism, calls for nationwide strike on November 8th

In a statement the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) denounces the pro-governmental, anti-workers stance of the majority of the Executive Committee of the General Confereration of Greek Workers (GSEE) which, during a meeting on October 8th, rejected the proposal for a General Strike on November 8th. 

According to PAME, the forces of the employer and government-led trade unionism argued that the workers... "must wait for the developments", while they unleashed slanders against PAME. More specifically, among other things, the statement of PAME writes:

Parliamentary politics and the communist party: the electoral arena, experience and lessons from Greece and the KKE

By Giorgos Marinos*.

We would like to thank the South African Communist Party for giving us the opportunity to attempt to share some basic elements from the experience of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) with our comrades. In our opinion, the exchange of views on the issues of class struggle and the communist movement enhances our knowledge and experience.

Introduction

The KKE was founded as a party of the working class one century ago, in November 1918, as a result of the merging of the labour movement with scientific communism, under the decisive impact of the Socialist October Revolution.

Massive demonstration by PAME during the opening of Thessaloniki's International Fair

Thousands of workers, farmers, unemployed and self-employed men and women participated in a large demonstration organized by the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) in the center of Thessaloniki on Saturday evening. 

The protest was organized on the occasion of the opening, by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, of the 83rd International Trade Fair where the "honored country" is the United States of America. 

Alexis Tsipras: From “anti-imperialism” to US-NATO's most loyal ally

By Nikos Mottas.

Those who follow the political developments in Greece during the last decade have certainly understood the rapid transformation of SYRIZA- the ruling party in today's coalition government- from a small party of the opportunist left into the country's major social democratic power. In this site we have written extensively, in numerous occasions, about the role of SYRIZA a major pillar (alongside the center-right New Democracy party) of the bourgeois political establishment.

Greek maritime workers defy shipowners-government, continue their 48-hour strike

Defying the threats and warnings from the shipowning companies and the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government, Greece's maritime workers continue for a 2nd day their strike over labor rights and collective agreements.

The 48-hour national strike was organized by Greece’s seamen federation (PNO), which said in a statement that negotiations with the sector’s employers over a new collective agreement that would include wage increases did not bear fruit. In its statement, PNO said that “for eight consecutive years, the seamen have not received not even a one-euro increase” and asked for passengers’ understanding and support.

Tsipras' effort to try to pose as a left-wing politician is laughable

Addressing a meeting of SYRIZA's Central Committee on Monday, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras gave another show of mockery, spreading new illusions about the political character of his government. 

Referring to the “end of the austerity memorandums” Tsipras said “we need a strong party, united and open to society,” as 2019 will be a “year of great battles.”

“The end of the memorandum marks the end of a political cycle for SYRIZA,” the Greek Prime Minister said, adding that the party must adapt to the times and seek to build stronger alliances with the party base. Furthermore, he once again tried to exploit the heroic historic legacy of the Greek left in order to present himself as a left-wing leader, despite the fact that his government has implemented harsh neoliberal anti-people anti-workers measures during the last 3.5 years.

Mass workers' rally to be organized during Alexis Tsipras visit in Thessaloniki Fair

Under the slogan "Our needs to the forefront", the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) calls the working people in mass participation in the demonstration which will take place on Saturday 8 September in Thessaloniki, during the official opening of the city's International Fair. 

"No compromise with miserable life, no more waiting", writes the PAME statement, calling the working men and women, the self-employed and unemployed people, the youth to raise their voice against the SYRIZA-ANEL government's mockery and anti-people policy. 

KKE slams Tsipras over his celebrations for the supposed "end of austerity"

In a televised address from the Ionian island of Ithaca, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said that the country's emergence from nine years of crisis and international financial bailouts marks a “new day” for the country, a “day of redemption but also the dawning of a new era".

In a speech laden with classical symbolism, the Prime Minister said that Greece’s modern-day “Odyssey,” which had begun in 2010, had come to an end. “The bailouts of recession, austerity and social desertification are finally over.” 

“Our country regains its right to shape its own future,” Tsipras said from a hill overlooking a bay in the island where Odysseus returned after a 10-year voyage recounted by classical poet Homer. He also added that “we have left the Symplegades behind,” referring to the mythological rocks at the Bosporus that clashed together whenever a vessel went through.

Belgium's Communist Party (PCB) withdraws membership from the "European Left"

The recent Congress of the Communist Party of Belgium (Le Parti Communiste de Belgique), which took place in Brussels, decided with a 83% majority to withdraw the Party's membership from the Party of the European Left (PEL).

According to PCB, several reasons led to this decision, including PEL's hostility towards historical socialism (20th century socialism), as well as the "unacceptable attitude of the European Left's leaders towards NATO". 

Wildfires in Greece: A Capitalist Crime

At least 84 people are dead and 187 injured. The number of those missing is still unknown. Thousands of properties have been turned into ashes. The results of the deadly wildfires which affected the region of Attica are devastating.

The SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government has unleashed an outrageous communicative campaign in order to throw the blame for the disaster somewhere else, except from itself. They blame the “weather”, the “climate change”, the supposedly “unprecedented weather conditions”, the “wind”, etc.