KKE: The nationwide candidates' list for the July 7th Greek general elections

In a press conference earlier today, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas announced the names of the candidates included in the Party's nationwide electoral list ("epikrateias") for the July 7th general elections. 

As we presented in a previous article, the head of the list is the former General Secretary of the KKE, a long-time member of the Central Committee and current MP, Aleka Papariga. 

Below is the full nationwide electoral list of the Party:

Remembering José Saramago: "We need to change the world"

Nine years have passed since the 18th June 2010, the day when José Saramago, one of the most gifted novelists of the 20th century, died. 

Saramago, was far more than just a novelist, a poet, a playwright and a journalist; he was a philosopher and he was a communist. 

Born on November 16th, 1922 at Azinhaga, a small village in Portugal. In 1924, the Saramago family moved to Lisbon where his father began his new job as a policeman. Just a few months after their settlement in the portuguese capital, Jose's older brother, Franscisco, died. Although Jose was a good pupil, his parents were unable to afford to keep him in grammar school, and instead moved him to a technical school at age 12. 

No Sanctions- No War on Iran: Joint Statement of Communist and Workers' Parties

In a joint declaration published on Solidnet, Communist and Workers' Parties around the world reject any foreign intervention in Iran under any pretext, say no to sanctions and no to war, stressing out that the future of Iran and its political system is a matter that should be determined by the Iranian people and them alone:

"The undersigned communist and workers parties express their grave concern about the recent developments in the Persian Gulf which pose significant threats to world peace.

Greece: Solidarity with the students who are prosecuted for their anti-imperialist activity

Riot police violently attacking demonstrators during an
anti-imperialist rally in Athens; April 16, 2018.

Two university students are facing charges by the Greek authorities for participating in an anti-imperialist, anti-war mobilization last year. 

The trial is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 19th of June at the Evelpidon Court in Athens and various workers and students' unions have called for a solidarity rally on this day. 

100 years of the Communist International: The declaration of Moscow international conference

On June 1-2 in Moscow there was held international conference “100-years to the Communist International and tasks of the Communist movement today”. 

As a result of discussions and exchange of views on the issues of international cooperation between communist parties a final statement was composed by the participants.

FINAL DECLARATION

«100-years to the Communist International and tasks of the Communist movement today», Moscow, 1 - 2 June 2019.

KKE: Statement on the dangerous plans of the United States against Iran

On the occasion of the latest dangerous developments at the Bay of Oman and the U.S. provocations against Iran, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued the following statement: 

The last attacks against tankers in the Bay of Oman ignite once again the developments around Iran. The USA as if they were “already prepared”, put Iran in the cross-hair and rally more military forces in the region.

Spain: PSOE government deepens its role as a lackey of US imperialism - Statement by PCTE

In a statement the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) slams the social democratic government of Pedro Sánchez for deepening its role as a lackey of USA imperialism. The statement refers to the presense of more US troops in the naval station of Rota in Cádiz:

"The interim PSOE government has accepted the reinforcement of USA military troops in the naval station Rota (Cádiz) with a detachment of navy helicopters, which also leads to the increase of the US detachment in 30 more soldiers. The intentions of the US Government to improve and replace its launcher destroyer warships for more updated and with more capacity ones have been recently announced.

Kosovo: Mass murderers Clinton, Albright return to crime scene 20 years later

Mass murderers Bill Clinton and Madeleine Albright, along
with the so-called "President" of Kosovo Hashim Thaci in
Pristina.

Twenty years later, the murderers of the Yugoslavian people return to the crime scene. Those who bombed Yugoslavia in 1999, spreading terror and death, are celebrating their atrocities in the NATO protectorate of Kosovo. 

Former US President Bill Clinton and top diplomat Madeleine Albright are among Western leaders flocking to Kosovo to receive honors by ethnic Albanian militants they backed in the 1999 NATO massacre against Yugoslavia. 

On Tuesday, Clinton arrived in Kosovo to receive honors from the ethnic Albanian authorities. He was presented with a medal by “President” Hashim Thaci (former leader of the terrorist paramilitary KLA organisation), and a commemorative postage stamp bearing his face.

Solidarität mit Polnischen Kommunisten: Party of Labour of Austria (PdA) denounces the anti-communist actions of the Polish government

In a declaration issued on June 11, 2019 in Vienna, the Party of Labour of Austria (PdA) strongly denounces the escalation of anti-communist policies and the distortion of history implemented by the government of Poland and expresses solidarity with the Communist Party of Poland (KPP). 

Read the statement, in both English and German languages, below:

KKE: Former General Secretary Aleka Papariga placed head of the nationwide candidates' list

Aleka Papariga, the former General Secretary of the Party's Central Committee, has been placed first in the Communist Party of Greece's (KKE) nationwide list of candidates for the upcoming general elections of July 7th.

Born in 1945, Papariga has served as General Secretary from 1991 to 2013, thus being the first woman to head a major political party in Greece. Born in a family of National Resistance fighters and Communist Party members, Aleka Papariga became active in the peace and women's movements during the 1960s and 70s. 

Mexico's Communist Party (PCM) slams Trump-Obrador anti-immigration deal

In a statement the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Mexico (PCM) slams the recent agreement made by the governments of Donald Trump and López Obrador on immigration issues. 

The Communist Party accusses both the two governments that they actually staged a farce of negotiations - with threats with tariff measures on one hand and a wave of patriotism on the other - thus hiding the real issue which is the imposition of anti-immigration policies by both sides. 

The 21st International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties to be held in Izmir, Turkey

The Working Group Meeting of the 21st International Meeting of the Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP), hosted by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) and the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), in Izmir, Turkey on June 8th.

Delegates from 25 Communist and Workers Parties attended the event.

The Working Group Meeting decided that the 21st IMCWP, which will be jointly organized by the TKP and the KKE, will take place in the city of Izmir on October 2019.

Stalin's monument unveiled in Novosibirsk

A new sculpture - and more specifically a black bust and two plaques - dedicated to the great Soviet leader Joseph Stalin was unveiled in the city of  Novosibirsk, the third largest city of Russia, on May 9th. 

The monument was placed in the facade of the local offices of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, after a decision of the city council. 

At the same time, a record 70 percent of Russians approve of Soviet leader Josef Stalin’s role in Russian history, according to a poll published by the independent Levada Center pollster last April. 

Slander, Lies and Anti-Communism by the ETUC and GSEE Trade Union mafia

The - imposed by court order- social democrat President
of the GSEE Yannis Panagopoulos. 

On Thursday, May 23rd, the Congress of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) gave the floor to the –imposed by court order and not elected- President of the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), Yiannis Panagopoulos.

It is no coincidence that his speech, which began with the defense of Juncker and the ETUC, was spent in slander, lies and anti-communism, while he did not find a word to say about the struggles and demands of Greek workers. Struggles, in which he never took part. Struggles which he opposed and undermined them systematically!

Iraqi Communist Party denounces the attack at the party's offices in Basra

The headquarters of the provincial committee of the Iraqi Communist Party in the province of Basra was subjected to a cowardly attack at 2:15am on Sunday (2 June 2019), with a grenade which caused material damage to the building without casualties.

This treacherous attack came after the blatant assault last month on the offices of our party in the city of Nasiriyah and town of Souk al-Shuyukh, in the province of Nasiriyah.

Stop anti-communist persecution in Poland - Statement by the Communist Party (KPP)

Anti-communist persecution in Poland intensifies as the state authorities attempt to criminalize the communist activity by changes of the penal code. This is an element of the anti-communist campaign aimed at banning the Communist Party of Poland. 

The legal changes are also a part of the persecution such as a trial of the members of the CPP and the „Brzask" editorial board, lasting for about 3,5 years, despite the fact that the court on January declared them as innocent. At the same time the Polish authorities raise other obstacles to the communist activity as well as falsifying the history and destroying anything connected with communism and the Peoples' Poland.

D. Koutsoumbas: "The KKE joins the battle for the general elections with greater determination and optimism"

On Sunday 2/6, the 2nd round of the local elections was completed in Greece. In Patras, the communist mayor Kostas Peletidis was reelected with 70.22% of the vote, while in the other 4 municipalities where the candidates of "People's Rally" took part in the 2nd round, despite the high vote percentage (Kaisariani-47.18%, Petroupoli-49.01%, Haidari-46.02%, Ikaria-42.82%), the election of a communist mayor was not achieved.

Patras' communist mayor Kostas Peletidis wins a landslide victory with over 70% of the votes

The communist mayor of Patras, Greece's third largest city, Kostas Peletidis, has been re-elected in office in the second round of the local elections that took place on Sunday. 

Peletidis, who has the support of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), gained 70,91% winning a landslide victory over his opponent G. Alexopoulos. 

Greeks Abroad: KKE received 14.09%, emerges in the 3rd place in EU elections vote

Greece’s Ministry of the Interior has published the official results of Sunday’s European Elections for the Greek citizens who were abroad on the day of the election and who voted for Greek candidates instead of the local ones in the EU country of their residency.

According to the official results, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) received 14.09% of the votes, emerging in the 3rd place behind the ruling social democratic SYRIZA party and the conservative opposition of New Democracy (ND). 

The Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) reflects on May 26th electoral results

As the provisory results of the municipal, European and autonomic – in several Autonomous Communities – elections held yesterday are known, and while waiting a more thorough analysis of the whole electoral cycle which will be made in the next weeks, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) states the following:

1) First, we want to thank the thousands of people who have consciously supported our candidacies and also all those companions who, having met the members of the PCTE in the working-class and people's struggles, have accepted to participate in our municipal and autonomic lists. We express as well our warm greeting to the two comrades who have been elected as councillors in the municipality of Degaña, in Asturias.

Greece: Five communist mayors go to second round of local elections on June 2

From left: Peletidis (Patras), Stamelos (Kesariani), Selekos (Haidari), 
Simos (Petroupoli), Lardas (Ikaria).

The five communist (backed by the KKE) mayors are going to the second round of municipal elections in Greece, after the results of May 26th. 

The five mayors, heads of the "People's Rally" (Laiki Sispirosi) lists, will have the opportunity to re-claim their mayorship in the local elections run-off next Sunday 2 July. More specifically:

In Patras, mayor Kostas Peletidis received 40.59% of the votes (approximately 39,500 votes). 

In Kesariani, the heroic district of Athens, mayor Ilias Stamelos received 29.87% (app. 3,525 votes).

Dimitris Koutsoumbas: Statement on the results of the European and local elections of May 26th

In his statement to the mass media, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary  of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) noted the following regarding the results for the elections for the European Parliament and local administration: 

“First of all we would like to thank all of those who responded to KKE's call to join forces with it. All of those who honored us, participating in the Party ballot, but also all those who under difficult conditions came to the ballot box and voted for the KKE in the European Parliament elections and for “People's Rally” in the municipal and regional elections. We would especially like to thank all those who took that step for the first time, for the young men and women who gave their very first vote to our Party.

European Elections 2019: KKE gets more than 250,000 votes, elects 2 deputies

Konstantinos Papadakis (upper photo) and Lefteris Nikolaou
are the two MEPs of the KKE.

According to the latest results given by the Greek Ministry of Interior, with 82% of the total electoral centers counted, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) gets 5.48% (252.912 votes) and elects 2 MEPs. 

The eurodeputies elected with the KKE are Kostantinos Papadakis and Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos. 

In yesterday's European elections, the conservative New Democracy (ND) got a comfortable lead (9.5%) over ruling social democratic SYRIZA. According to the latest results, ND gets 33.23% of the votes and elects 7 MEPs, while SYRIZA gets 23.79% and elects 6 MEPs. The center left KINAL (formerly PASOK) party gets 7.61% and elects 2 eurodeputies. 

Athens turned red: Massive rally of the KKE sends message of hope and struggle (Photos)

A really massive and vivid rally of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) took place on Wednesday afternoon in central Athens, just 4 days before the double European and local elections of May 26th. 

Thousands of workers, young men and women, people of every age created a "red river" at Syntagma Square, sending a message of hope and struggle. 

The major speaker at the event was the KKE's General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas. The rally was attended by a delegation of the Communist Party, Italy (PC) headed by the General Secretary Marco Rizzo who delivered a greeting message. 

KKE on the elections for the EU Parliament: Interview with candidate MEP Lefteris Nikolaou

In the wake of the May 26th European elections, the candidate MEP of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and member of the Party's International Relations Section Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos, talked to the International Communist Press. Read the interview below:

1) In Greece, this year May 26 is marked by a "triple election:" the European elections and the elections for regional and local authorities. It is known that the elections for the EP remain generally far from mobilizing people, and consequently, levels of participation remain considerably low. The KKE, even as a party represented in the EP, has always strictly opposed illusions about the character of the EU, which is an imperialist centre that serves the interests of European monopolies. What is the importance of the European elections for the KKE?

Dimitris Koutsoumbas in Rome: "Every vote to the Communist Parties is a contribution to the common struggle of the people" (Video, Photos)

"Every vote to the Communist Parties consists a contribution to the strengthening of the common struggle of the people" said the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas during his greeting speech in Rome. 

Koutsoumbas, along with the KKE MEP Kostas Papadakis, attended an electoral rally of the Communist Party, Italy (Partito Comunista) in San Lorenzo district, where he received a warm welcome by the Italian comrades.

"Against capitalism and the EU, for the Europe of the peoples, of Socialism!" - Joint appeal of 25 Communist Youth Organizations

Τhe Communist Youth Organizations of Europe that sign this text, on the occasion of the upcoming European elections, we address the youth of our countries that sees its life getting worse and its dreams getting crushed by the anti-people policy of the European Union and the governments.

The EU is a union of states that aims to serve the big capital, to assure the profits of the large European business groups by crushing the rights of the people and the youth.

For the Europe of Socialism - Campaign video by the KKE (2019)

Social Democracy plays a leading role in EU policy that feeds the fascists- Kostas Papadakis

The latest issue (3/2019) of the "Communist Review" (KOMEP), the Communist Party of Greece's (KKE) political and theoretical journal, organ of the Central Committee, includes an extraordinary interview with two of the Party's candidates for the European Parliament elections; Makis Papadopoulos and Kostas Papadakis. 

Below you can read - translated into english- an excerpt of Kostas Papadakis's answer in the question "aren't there issues for joint action of the communists with social democracy in the wake of the danger of rise of the far-right and fascism?". 

"Raise your head" - Dimitris Koutsoumbas and Marco Rizzo to address political event in Rome

The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas is going to address a political meeting organized by the Communist Party, Italy (Partito Comunista) on Saturday 18 May, at 4 pm in Piazzale Tiburtino, at San Lorenzo in Rome (Facebook page). 

The event - which is organized under the slogan "Rialziamo da testa" (Raise your head") will conclude with a speech by the General Secretary of the CC Communist Party, Italy Marco Rizzo. 

Despicable: Tsipras signs EU Council's vulgar anti-communist declaration in Romania

By Nikos Mottas.

A shameful delcaration was signed yesterday, Thursday 9 May, by the EU leaders at Sibiu, Romania, during an unofficial summit. All together, "liberals" and "social democrats", "conservatives" and "progressives", confirmed the rottenness of the so-called "founding values" of the EU. The declaration of Sibiu, signed on 9 May (on the anniversary of the Great Anti-Fascist Victory), is another memorial of hideous anti-communism. 

Declaration of the KKE for the 74 years since the Great Anti-Fascist Victory of the People

In an announcement for the 74 years since the Great Anti-fascist Victory of the peoples, the Press Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) notes:

The anniversary of May 9, 74 years since the end of World War II, is not"Europe Day", as it has been unhistoricallyattempted to be established in the last few years by the representatives of this reactionary structure. It is the Day of the Great Anti-fascist Victory of the Peoples, the immortal epic of the Soviet Red Army and the Resistance movements of Europe, with the vanguard and decisive role of the Communist Parties.

KKE: Political events about European elections scheduled in Britain, France and Belgium

On the occasion of the 2019 European Elections, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) organizes the following political events in Britain, France and Belgium:

BRITAIN:

LONDON: Friday 10 May, at 7 pm, at Marx Memorial Library (7A Clerkenwell Green, EC1R 0DU). Speech will be delivered by the KKE candidate MEP Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos. 

"The situation in the Eastern Mediterranean is dangerous"- Statement by the KKE

The Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) in its statement on the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean notes:

"The situation in the Eastern Mediterranean is dangerous. This is clear due to the violation of Cyprus' EEZ by the Turkish drilling ship "Fatih" and the search and rescue ship "Barbaros", the threats of the Turkish government regarding Cyprus and the Aegean, as well as due to the intensification of the criminal Israeli aggression against Palestine and its bombing of Gaza.

Istanbul election re-run: Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) slams Erdogan's decision

In a statement the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) calls the people of boycott the election re-run for Istanbul Metropolitian Municipality. Read the full statement below: 

"Supreme Election Council's (YSK) decision means taking away people's right to vote!

YSK announced its decision. To be more precise, Erdogan's decision to cancel the Istanbul elections, which were completed on March 31, is now echoed by the YSK. The fact that the decision is now made does not change that it is unlawful and unreasonable.

PAME: The SYRIZA government washes its hands in the blood of the children of Palestine

On the occasion of the new strikes of the Israeli military forces against Gaza, the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) issued the following statement, strongly condemning the new bombings and accusing the SYRIZA government for being an accomplice in the crime:

PAME condemns the new, murderous raids of Israel against the Palestinian People.

The murderer-State of Israel went on a new escalation of its aggressiveness against Gaza and held dozens of raids the last days, which resulted in dozens killed.

D. Koutsoumbas: "The EU and its governments lay the ground for fascism's rise in Europe"

"SYRIZA and New Democracy (ND) are identical in the goal to recover capitalist profits. That is why in the plans, in their declarations, there is not even the slightest mention or commitment for the abolition of the memorandums, the hundreds of memorandum laws that threw salaries and pensions to the bottom, crushing the workers' rights", said Dimitris Koutsoumbas, the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) during a speech in the city of Trikala. 

Cuban Foreign Minister slams U.S. aggression: "Bolton and Pompeo lie again and again"

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said today that lies are the basis of the aggressive escalation of the United States against Latin America.

'Bolton and Pompeo lie again and again (...) Accusations vs. #Cuba is a vulgar slander. Blackmail is unacceptable. They look for pretexts to intensify the blockade and hostility against the Island, 'the foreign minister wrote in his account on the social network Twitter.

Earlier, Rodriguez rejected the pronouncements of the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who accused the largest of the Antilles of being 'the true imperialist power in Venezuela.' 

The Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) reflects on April 28th electoral results

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE), after knowing the provisional results of the General Elections held on April 28, makes the following assessments: 

1) We deeply thank the thousands of votes received by our candidacies, but it is an undeniable fact that there has been a large support from the workers of our country to the false anti-fascist front organized by socialdemocracy in these general elections.

Greece's SYRIZA government officially aligned with imperialists' position on Venezuela

The social democratic government of SYRIZA in Greece has openly endorsed the EU position for government change in Venezuela. 

In a message posted on Twitter, Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Katrougalos wrote: "In the crisis of Venezuela, Greece sides with Europe and the positions of High Representative of the EU F.Mongherini, which she co-shaped". 

May Day 2019: Thousands joined PAME rally in Athens honoring Workers' Day

Thousands of workers, students, pensioners, men and women of every age, joined a massive rally organised by the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) and class-based unions in the center of Athens on May 1st, honoring the International Workers' Day. 

The demonstrators sent a powerful message of resistance and counter-attack to the anti-worker policy unleashed by the capital, the EU and the bourgeois governments. Under the banners of PAME and the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), the protesters honored the heroes of the working class and the heroic struggles of the labor movement.

KKE strongly condemns the imperialist-backed coup attempt in Venezuela

On the occasion of the new US-backed coup attempt in Venezuela, the Press Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) has issued a statement (read here in Greek):

"The KKE unequivocally condemns the coup attempt in Venezuela for the overthrow of the country's elected president and the imposition of Guaido or any other stooge of the imperialists.

Ukraine: Poroshenko regime attempts to close “Rabochaya Gazeta” newspaper

The Department of International Relations of the CC of the Communist Party of Ukraine denounces the efforts of Poroshenko's far-right regime to close down "Rabochaya Gazeta", a historic pro-workers newspaper which was first published in 1897. 

Read below the relevant statement by the Communist Party:

KKE: Statement for the 2019 Workers' May Day

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued a statement regarding the International Workers' Day - May 1st, which was published in the Party's official gazette "Rizospastis". 

Below you can read a translated version of the statement:

"We honor the Workers' Day, the dead workers in Chicago in 1886, the tobacco workers of Thessaloniki in 1936, the 200 executed communists of Kesariani on May 1st, 1944, all the unbending of the class struggle, all those who sacrificed themselves for a society without exploitation of man by man. This is  the only really progressive future of society. 

Message of support of the KKE to PCTE ahead of Spanish general elections

On the occasion of the April 28th General Elections in Spain, the International Relations Section of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) sent a message of support to the Communist Party of the Workers' of Spain (PCTE). 

Below you can read a translated version (unofficial) of the message in English. 

"Dear Comrades, 

"Honor the past, conquer the future" - Italian communists honored Liberation anniversary

With vibrant rallies and mobilizations Italian communists honored the anniversary of the country's liberation from fascism on April 25th. 

In a statement, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party, Italy (Partito Comunista) writes, among other things, that "remembering the victory over fascism is not a rituality, but a precise link with our history and the ideals of liberation and social justice that animated the partisan struggle".

India: BJP government's defeat looks imminent, says communist leader Sitaram Yechury

India's PM Narendra Modi (left) and Communist Party (Marxist)
leader Sitaram Yechury.

"The defeat of this BJP government looks imminent, paving the way for an alternative secular government, post-elections" writes Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury in an article appearing in People's Democracy journal (22-28 April, 2019).

Read the full article below:

Modi's Desperation Peaks Midway