Socialist Rhetoric, Capitalist Reality: Why Mamdani’s Victory Won’t Transform the System

By Nathan Richardson*

The June 2025 Democratic primary in New York shocked many on the U.S. left. Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed socialist and member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo to secure the party’s nomination for mayor. Supporters quickly declared the result a major breakthrough for the socialist movement. However, this development is less a victory than it is a reflection of a broader contradiction facing the U.S. left: the attempt to reconcile socialist rhetoric with participation in a party fundamentally loyal to capital.

The Mamdani Moment and the Crisis of the “Left”

On June 24, 2025, Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City. His defeat of the Democratic Party old guard Andrew Cuomo has been hailed as a victory for socialism in America. Social media has been flooded with celebration. DSA apparatchiks are gloating. The only real victory was for the illusion that the system can be reformed.

Mamdani is a gifted politician. He has spoken courageously on Palestine, organized tenants and workers into his voting base, and has roots in the popular sectors. However, he is still a part of the machinery of the Democratic Party: a party of landlords, war profiteers, billionaires, the ruling capitalist class. 

Mercosur: The false dispute between progressives and neoliberals

On December 5 and 6, the 65th Summit of Presidents of Mercosur (Southern Common Market) was held in the city of Montevideo, Uruguay. 

The meeting was attended by the presidents of Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia -which recently became a full member of the bloc- and representatives of associated countries such as Colombia, Peru, Chile and Panama.

The attitude of social democracy towards imperialist war

By Ástor García

"But the harder the governments and the bourgeoisie of all countries try to disunite the workers and pit them against one another, and the more savagely they enforce, for this lofty aim, martial law and the military censorship (…), the more pressingly is it the duty of the class-conscious proletariat to defend its class solidarity, its internationalism, and its socialist convictions against the unbridled chauvinism of the “patriotic” bourgeois cliques in all countries"

— The War and Russian Social-Democracy. Lenin.

Maduro’s “anti-fascist” and “anti-imperialist” discourse

By Armiche Padrón*

The diversity of positions before concrete problems on the part of Communist Parties over the last decades is an expression of the worst crisis of the labor movement since it saw the light of day in 1831. The case of the last presidential elections in Venezuela, of course, has also been the object of controversy. More than a few have declared their support for the “victory” of Nicolás Maduro and, without further ado, present it as an “anti-fascist” and “anti-imperialist” triumph. But, what is the nature of Maduro’s discourse?

Military coup in Bolivia: Is a coup d'état in progress?

By Camila Azeñas and Gustavo Baldiviezo*

Taking into account what happened on June 26, in when a group of soldiers was stationed in Murillo Square challenging the government of Luis Arce, it is necessary to review the background, the specific events and the possible objectives of this coup adventure. 

Bolivia is one of the countries that has had the most coups d'état throughout its history, so we believe that an event of this type cannot ignore the workers, nor be subject to trivialization, as has been the case on the part of the of the opposition and groups related to Evo Morales.

Koutsoumbas on French Elections: "The regroupment of the movement in France, Greece and across Europe is the only way that can generate hope to the people"

In a statement (here in Greek) concerning the result of the French legislative elections and the electoral victory of the "New Popular Front" (Nouveau Front Populaire), the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Dimitris Koutsoumbas, stresses out:

"(What we are witnessing is) a repetition of the same project, with the protagonists of the anti-popular governments of recent years who have been condemned in the consciousness of the French people, with the only thing being certain is that again - in the name of "democracy" and of the "lesser evil" - will fuel a new vicious cycle of frustrations and conservatism.

"Popular Front" in France: An old, bankrupt story

Article published in "Rizospastis" daily (here in Greek), Organ of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), on 20 June 2024:

"Popular Front" in France: An old, bankrupt story

"The multi-party cooperation established in France under the title “Popular Front” (Front Populaire) in order- as they say- to put obstacles to the election of a far-right Prime Minister, is presented as an example to follow in our country as well.

Venezuela: Maduro's social democratic Government steps up machinations against the Communist Party

The electoral card of the PCV is sequestered by the Government of Maduro

The National Electoral Council (CNE) has presented the ballot card for the presidential elections of next July 28. The face of Nicolás Maduro appears on 13 different cards, that is, one third of those admitted by the electoral body during a process plagued with irregularities and violations to the Constitution and electoral laws.  

Mexico's social democracy exposed: MORENA fanatics attacked Communist Party members

SUMA aggressors in action

Once again, social democracy showed its true, disgustingly anti-communist face. In Mexico, cadres and members of the Communist Party (Partido Comunista - PCM) became targets of a violent attack by supporters of the social democratic MORENA party. 

According to a statement published in El Machete, PCM's official gazette, the incident took place on May 19, during the last presidential debate (Mexico's presidential elections are due to take place on 2 June 2024). With the purpose of denouncing its political exclusion from the electoral process, a delegation of the Communist Party headed by Marco Vinicio Dávila, communist candidate for the Presidency of the Republic, and Ángel Chávez, candidate for Head of Government, staged a protest.

Portugal Elections 2024: Poor performance for the Communist Party, while the far-right rises

Bad news come from Portugal, following March 10 parliamentary elections. The Unitary Democratic Coalition, comprised of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) and the Greens, received 3,30% (approximately 203,000 votes), which marks a regression in relation to the 2022 results (4,39% and 236,600 votes).

Unfortunately, it seems that, among others, the Portuguese Communist Party pays the price for its political support – also known as Geringonça - towards the social democratic governments of Antonio Costa in 2015-2019 which cultivated empty promises to the working class but ultimately led to disappointment. 

SYRIZA hits rock bottom of political degeneration

Stefanos Kasselakis, SYRIZA's new leader

On 24/9/23, the second round for the election of the new president of SYRIZA took place. This party was the continuation of the “Coalition of the Left, the Movements and Ecology (SYN)”, consisting of a part of KKE cadres who, eroded by opportunism, the ideas of the counter-revolution and Gorbachev, left the KKE in 1989-1991 after their unsuccessful attempt to dissolve the Party. 

 

This section collaborated within the SYN framework with other opportunist forces that had broken away from the KKE in 1968 and embraced the Euro-communist current.

 

Finland: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

Finland's social democrat PM Sanna Marin.

 By Panos Alepliotis.

No, it's not about another unknown Bunuel film. But if he had lived and knew about Finland's election results, he could write a script and direct something similar.

After the Social Democrats did the “dirty work” of throwing the country into NATO and building a 300 km long wall against Russia, they failed to come on top in the elections. No particular surprise... The right came in first place, the ultra-right in second and Sanna only in third place. It seems that the Finns are are ungrateful...

Note on the "World Anti-Imperialist Platform" Meeting in Caracas

In a statement about the meeting of the so-called "World Anti-Imperialist Platform" in Caracas, Venezuela, the International Relations Section of the CC of the Communist Party of Mexico (PCM) notes:

"On March 3, the third meeting of the "World Anti-Imperialist Platform" begins, which amalgamates confused forces unknown until recently, together with strange to the communist movement political groups. Some exist only in the computers and minds of their spokespersons, such as the non-existent "Collective of Struggle for the Revolutionary Unification of Humanity" or the "Platform for Independence" of Greece. 

Communist Party of the Workers of Spain: Assessment of the three years of PSOE-UP coalition government

Statement of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE): Adopted by the 6^th Plenary Session of the Central Committee

January 14^th, 2023

Assessment on the Three Years of the Government of Social Democratic Coalition

On December 30^th, 2019 Pedro Sánchez and Pablo Iglesias signed the “progressive coalition” agreement that led, in January 2020, to the inauguration of the first Spanish Government of coalition after the Transition with Pedro Sánchez as Prime Minister.

Lula da Silva: Brazil's sinful social democracy is back

Brazil's former social democrat president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva narrowly defeated far-right incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro in Sunday's runoff and was thus elected head of state for the third time, confirmed the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).

"Election mathematically defined (elected)," the agency indicated on its website, noting that, with 99.98 percent of the centers counted, Lula is left with 50.90 percent of the votes against 49.10 percent for Bolsonaro. 

Brazil: Is social democracy the solution for the people?

By Nikos Mottas.

After four years of far-right Bolsonaro government, the old known social democracy is back in Brazil. Lula da Silva's electoral victory consists the culmination of social democracy's recent resurgence in Latin America, following the rise of Lopez Obrador in Mexico, Gabriel Boric in Chile and Gustavo Petro in Colombia.

Once again, opportunist left-wing forces will celebrate the victory of Lula da Silva, presenting it as a political triumph that will allegedly bring positive developments for the Brazilian working class and the popular strata. Without doubt, Bolsonaro's defeat would be positive news, but the major question that arises is the following: Does social democracy provide a real alternative solution to the dominance of the capital in Brazil? 

Sweden's Communist Party condemns the extradition of Kurdish fighters to Turkey

In a statement published in its official gazette “Riktpunkt” (here in Swedish), the Communist Party of Sweden (SKP) condemns the extradition of Kurdish fighters from Sweden to Turkey. The SKP also reiterates its strong opposition to Sweden's accession in NATO.

“In their effort to join NATO, Sweden's bourgeoisie and its social democratic government reject everything related to human rights. Sweden's social democratic government entered into a deplorable agreement with Turkey to extradite Kurdish communists and other fighters who have lived in Sweden for years and received asylum to escape Turkey's oppression and death threats”, points out the SKP. 

Swedish Communists blast Sweden-Turkey agreement over NATO

Swedish PM M. Andersson and Turkish President R.T. Erdogan.

After extensive bargaining within the imperialist NATO alliance, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dropped weeks of resistance to Sweden and Finland’s ambitions to join NATO at talks on Tuesday ahead of the NATO summit  in Madrid, Spain. 

Erdogan emerged from the meeting with Nordic leaders having secured a 10-point agreement under which the two countries vowed to join Turkey’s fight against banned armed groups, such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and to swiftly extradite suspects to Turkey.

Communist Party of Mexico: Democratic capitalism is no solution for the Colombian, Latin American people

Commenting on the electoral victory of social democrat Gustavo Petro in Colombia, the Communist Party of Mexico (PCM) stresses out that “democratic capitalism” does not provide a solution to the problems of the Colombian people, nor for the people of Latin America.

In a statement, the PCM points out that, despite their electoral defeat, the most reactionary and criminal forces of the Colombian bourgeoisie are still owners of the capital and land.