Chapter 6: Review of the Party’s action

A. The main task of the full-fledged strengthening of KKE

66. The progress of the party should be estimated according to the main task set in the 17th Congress: the full-fledged ideological, political and organisational strengthening of KKE constitutes the key prerequisite for the formation of the anti-imperialist, antimonopoly democratic front (AADF) and the development of the anti-imperialist, antimonopoly struggle. Under certain circumstances this struggle can lead the working class and its allies to the conquering of people’s power, to socialism which is the only answer to imperialist barbarity, to capitalist oppression and exploitation.

The 17th congress highlighted as the main weak point of the Party its limited ability to work in all components -from the CC that has the main responsibility to the Party Base Organisations (PBOs)- in a cohesive way based on the party’s strategy. It underscored the importance of achieving the ability to specify the party’s strategy in each field of action, in each sector, area and movement as well as the significance of promoting the process of party building, especially in sectors and enterprises, and strengthening the already existing PBOs at workplaces. Furthermore, it underlined the importance of promoting the rearrangement of the party forces in order to focus on the working class as well as on the work in each sector and orient the action of territorial organisations towards the work among the working class and the youth.

The congress also noted that it is important to combine the ideological and political work with organisational measures promoting and realising the orientation towards the labour movement and youth.

67. The past four years constitute an important period in the overall action of the party in the last twenty years as it is characterised by more methodical and persistent efforts to focus on the assimilation of the Party’s strategy and Programme as well as on the integrated action according to its strategy.

KKE has made efforts in order to be more mature, battle hardened and be able to act under any conditions, to be equal to the task according to the developments and the turning points of the struggle. We should not content ourselves. This goal has not been entirely achieved yet.

68. In the period after the 17th Congress the party has made efforts to expand the various movements formed over the past years in the labour movement, the movement of the peasants, the self-employed and small businessmen. These efforts are made towards the formation of the AADF. Thanks to the efforts of the Party and the joint action along with forces collaborating with KKE and owing to other militant people these various movements have now been stabilised. They have also been expanded especially through the collaboration with more trade unions, while there have been some attempts for the co-ordination of the action of these various movements. At the same time a radical progressive trend is being formed that respects the action and the theses of the party. This has been shown by the national elections in 2007 and the participation in the various actions and movements of the Party. However, the social alliance that constitutes the basis for the formation of the Anti-imperialist Antimonopoly Democratic Front is still in its cradle.

The view referred in the Party Programme that the formation of the Front will emerge from the promotion of the antimonopoly alliance at the social level based on the class struggle, is still current. The more the need for overthrow at the level of power gains ground, the more the party’s political influence extends, the more KKE and the class oriented pole in the trade union are being strengthened, the more the formation of the Front will advance.

The idea of the Front has been spread more distinctly during this period, mainly because KKE has projected widely its alternative which is now more widely and methodically popularised. People have more experiences nowadays due to the consequences of the capitalist restructuring.

69. The contribution of KKE to the internal developments, to the struggles and the mobilisations of the workers and youth, to the positive impact on the people’s conscience is of great importance although they do not yet result in the formation of an antimonopoly, anti-imperialist conscience. Our party has methodically revealed through arguments the identification of the strategy of ND and PASOK as well as the role of reformism and opportunism. Furthermore it contributed to the development of resistance against the governmental choices that caused the deceleration of the restructuring.

Early enough KKE declared clearly that the workers will be benefited by the weakening of both parties in power and by all the complications in the operation of the bourgeois political system. KKE has resolutely declared that the people’s movement must utilise every crisis of the capitalist system against the misleading dilemmas and blackmailing. The stance of our party has been the opposite of the stance of the other parties that are interested in the smooth operation and the power of the political system. KKE has projected overtly and dynamically the goals of rupture and overthrow for the change at the level of power.

It has also revealed the plans for succession of the bipartisan alternation system in case it loses its power. It has unveiled the various forms of the management of the system, the ideology of social-democracy and opportunism arguing about a management of the capital’s restructuring and the “free” EU market allegedly in favour of the people.

Due to its political and mass action KKE stands the fire of the capitalist system as a whole. On the other hand, it forces the opposition forces as well as the government to take its policy into account. These forces often resort to verbal manoeuvres that mislead the people and at the same time they show the impact of our strategy, our theses and demands. Moreover, they recognise the intensification of the popular problems however, they methodically attempt to conceal the reasons and of course the way to solve them. They systematically organise the ideological counterattack slandering and distorting the process of socialist building in the 20th century in order to exonerate and idealise the capitalist system.

Without the ideological and political action of KKE in controversy with the bourgeois political powers and opportunism the struggles would not have been so intense and the capitalist restructuring would have been more easily promoted.

70. The extensive procedure for the party’s reconstruction began in the 14th Congress has brought concrete results in the last four years. The main weak point of the party concerning the ideological political work and its orientation towards the working class are being gradually diluted. Moreover the party has moved closer to the goal of working adequately according to its strategy. It is now more capable of specifying and adapting its general political line to the general popular problems in order to highlight them and stress their cohesion. It can also specify its policy in each sector and area and adapt it to the political battle and mass struggle. The rearrangement of forces aiming at the strengthening of our work in the working class and the party building in the factories and workplaces has proceeded more resolutely.

There has been progress in elaborating theses on issues concerning the modern ideological and political struggle as well as the organisation of the education process within he party at a central level by the CC and at a regional level by the Regional and City committees through party schools and seminars. The educational system within KNE organised by the CC of KNE has also been improved.

The action of the party in fronts of struggle where previously our action had been insufficient such as in the fields of civil protection, social infrastructures, provision and prevention, the disabled people, the environmental protection, the earthquake protection and water resources management has been also extended.

The National conference aiming at the specification of our policy for women has provided the party with a more concrete guideline in order to help the organisation and the struggle of the women movement and strengthen the political consciousness, given that the leading bodies realise the importance of the action in this movement. The Party has worked among the women movement during political battles and in periods when anti-labour laws were adopted.

Today the Cities’ and Regional Committees are more aware of how this policy is implemented and developed as well as of its consequences. This tendency should be enforced and spread to each PBO.

71. The National conference on the activity of the Party among the youth and the assistance to KNE has been an important event. The resolutions of the Conference promote the understanding of the social and class nature of our action among the young people, the improvement of our ability to deal with problems as well as the organisation and the action of the youth movement. Moreover, the party’s bodies improved the guidance of the initiatives and actions of KNE.

KNE is now equipped with the resolutions of its 9^th Congress which are based on the strategy of the Party in the youth movement. The progress of KNE is considered to be positive on the whole. KNE is now more mature and competent for actions concerning the intensified problems of the young workers, pupils and students. Furthermore, its action is more focused on work places, on young people who experience occupational mobility and the flexible forms of employment as well as on the problems of young couples.

The new thing is that the action of KNE among the young people is now based on all the modern needs of the youth. KNE has elaborated better the issues concerning its action in the pupils, students and labour movement and improved its orientation towards the mass movement and the mobilisations. It also elaborates its tactics in AEI and TEI (universities and Technological Educational Institutions) that constitute a difficult and complex field of action, where apart from the youth organisations of the other political parties, other groups of anarchist-autonomist direction are active as well. These forces in collaboration with SYN-SYRIZA intend to disrupt and disorient the movement. At the same time KNE has improved its ideological front against the bourgeois and petit bourgeois currents in the youth movement; it projects the policy of the party more comprehensively and through elaborated demands regarding the particular problems of the youth.

72. In the frame of the 90^th anniversary of KKE, The 90^th anniversary of the October Revolution, the 60^th of the Democratic Army of Greece and the victory over fascism the party has carried out multiform political and cultural activities. It has also improved its ideological front against the bourgeois theories and opportunism.

The party has been proved more competent in organising the communist, revolutionary education of young communists and refuting the anti-communist unscientific views in the field of history.

In addition, it is of great importance that the conclusions of the further study of the socialist building and the causes of the counterrevolution in the 20^th century have been finalised. The study of the Party history of the period 1949-1974 has considerably proceeded. However, the CC did not manage to promote the discussion throughout the party in order to accomplish the collective elaboration before the Congress.

73. The role of KKE has been enhanced mainly because it has steadily projected its policy, the need for rift with the capitals power, the need for the formation of the alliance, the Front for the people’s power and economy. Besides it has carried out significant actions in order to popularise its view on the issue of power.

At the same time, it made efforts to strengthen its action in the mass movement and embrace a wider spectre of the people’s problems. It also developed its studying activity, its theoretical and ideological work in order to be able to forecast the developments, to analyse objectively and in depth the internal and international developments in the field of economy, in basic sectors, in the field of social policy, in the field of institution and democracy along with the study of the developments in the EU and in general the rivalries and antagonisms in the international imperialist system. In addition, it made attempts to approach even more a unity of vanguard theory and vanguard practice.

The improvement of the party’s analyses enables the elaboration of goals for the formation of alliances and fronts from the bottom up, the popularisation of the policy for the Front, for the people’s power and economy and it also proves that socialism is realistic and current.

The ideological front and the enlightenment through “rizospastis” and “communist review” have also been improved. The radio station “902 left in FM” and the TV channel have also contributed to this goal.

Nevertheless, this does not imply that these directions are always implemented successful. It is necessary to review their efficiency in order to deal with the problems on time.

The Party has also made efforts to elaborate on time its guidelines and tactics for elections or campaigns concerning major issues. It also took political initiatives at a central level in order to engage the local, sectoral organisations and PBOs in this process.

Of course we should not content ourselves. The class enemy supported by reformism and opportunism intends to stop the progress of the Party and the development of closer ideological-political links with the working class and the popular strata and to reduce the Party’s wider influence. However, the situation is not as it used to be in 1990-1991. The enemy cannot achieve its goals as nowadays the Party and the people are more experienced and mature. Nowadays KKE is able to fight back with its elaborated policy the ideological attack against it.

74. It is generally acknowledged that nowadays propitious conditions have developed that enable a dynamic process of the Party in the next years. This allows a spirit of militant optimism to prevail and makes us believe that in the future the contribution of the Party will answer the needs of the struggle. At the same time we should not underestimate the objective difficulties and the complex consequences at the national level of the victory of the counterrevolution in the international movement that will continue to have an effect. This sets new tasks to the whole Party. We should maintain and develop the achievements of this four year period down to the level of PBOs in order to be more capable and efficient.

B. Party building

75. The ideological and political strengthening of KKE, the growth of its influence on the mass movement and the ideological struggle are not followed by a corresponding progress in the organisational strengthening, the growth of the recruitment rates among the working class, the strengthening of the PBOs, already existing in the work places and the creation of new ones.

The efforts of the Party must be focused on the manpower in the industrial sector, the traditional sectors of manufacturing employing experienced manpower, the new dynamically developing industrial sectors employing young workers as well as on the strata that suffer the most severe attack. Thus, the action of the Party can be extended and appeal in due course to the biggest possible part of the working class.

This insufficiency is also expressed through the low daily circulation of “rizospastis” which is lower than the number of members of Party and KNE, the friends and supporters of the Party. The low circulation of “rizospastis” prevents the propagation and popularisation of the Party’s policy, reduces its ability to create ideological and political links with the vanguard workers and also affects the process of the Party building. Without studying and utilising “rizospastis” it’s not possible to proceed with the improvement of the propaganda, the operation of the leading bodies and PBOs as well as the Party building.

The organisational strengthening of the Party -especially under the conditions of temporary defeat and retreat of the revolutionary movement and consciousness- is a more complicated task. Of course the ideological and political strengthening constitutes a key prerequisite; however it does not depend merely on it. To a great extent, it depends on the objective conditions. As long as the labour movement is not equal to the task, in other words, as long as a big part of the labour movement continues to be assimilated and does not realise its strength neither sees the alternative, the difficulties affecting the building and the increase of the Party forces will remain.

In order to bring fresh blood in the ranks of the Party, to increase the Party’s growth rates, the ideological and political strengthening must be expressed in the work of the PBOs. Nowadays, an advanced consciousness is required in order to join KKE. Therefore, the Party needs to combine the action against the people’s problems with its own distinct ideological and political work and the intensification of the ideological conflict within the ranks of the wider movement.

The PBOs must be assisted by the CC, the Cities, Regional and Prefectorial and District committees in order to focus their action on the young people among the working class and the youth.

The assistance to KNE constitutes an integral part of the Party building process, namely the methodical educational work of the Party among the members of KNE preparing them for being awarded the honourable title of the Party member and renewing the cadre forces with young workers.

The Party Organisations should create militant reserves by retaining stable links with the workers and the youth in various ways, mainly through information and discussion as well as by urging them to participate actively in the mass movement. In other words, they should be constantly in contact with the workers and not only in periods of general mobilisations or electoral battles. The meetings with friends and supporters of the Party constitute a key element in the work of the Party and it should be regarded as such by the leading bodies and the PBOs.

76. The CC believes that this insufficiency is caused by several subjective factors stressed in the 17^th Congress. In spite of the improvement they still prevent the achievement of a comparative higher level of Party building. These factors affect directly or indirectly the extent and the quality of the links of the Party with the working class as well as the preparation and realisation of the goals of the Party’s building.

The main problem is the shortcomings in the orientation of the CC in the work in the working class. It is essential to enhance constantly and steadily the content and the forms of our work in the trade union movement, taking into account the particular conditions. Regular review, measures to support the leading bodies in each sector are also required.

In our action we should take seriously into account the multiplicity of working relations as well as the age and sex of the workers in each sector. Furthermore, we should be aware of the conditions in each sector of production as well as concerning the trade, the degree of monopolisation, the competition between the various sectors as well as within the same sector and the international developments. We should have a precise overview of the policy of the employers towards the working class and the employees in general concerning salaries, benefits, safety and hygiene in work places, the damaging factors for the environment and the workers’ health. Furthermore we should spot the consequences for the workers of the monopolies activities in each sector. Only in that way can our action be complete, act and provide a future prospect and the ability to forecast the developments. This requires methodical work without casualness or amateurism.

77. The sectorial work should be based on the planed Party building and the growth of Party’s links in each factory and enterprise in order for the movement to grow and take roots. It should also be enriched with all the problems of the working class, namely the common problems of the working class in all sectors, in order to create the conditions for the unity of the workers under the conditions of the promotion of trade conflicts by the bourgeois and reformist powers. The party should have a wider political orientation and work systematically in order to expand its field of action.

Every PBO should have an elaborated plan for the support of KNE in order to increase its own forces and build Base Organisations (BOs) in places where none exists. The Party along with the class oriented trade unions should develop links with the young workers, the unemployed and the immigrants.

The action in each company and sector, the specification of our ideological political and organisational work among the women and youth movement continue to be weak points in our Party’s action. Over the last years the Party has projected their particular problems however, it is still essential to realise that we need an elaborated and long-term action as well as a systematic response to the specific work of the class enemy towards women and youth. The need of our work along with its forms and content will be better understood provided that they are based on the awareness of the class nature of the women’s issue. However the women’s issue should not be regarded only in its development over the years but also under the current conditions that intensify the gender inequality through the so-called special measures included in the capital’s restructuring.

The action of the Party in each company and sector should highlight the problems that the workers’ families face on the whole, at workplaces, at places of residence as well as their cultural, material and intellectual needs.

The development of a vanguard educational and cultural action is an integral part of the development of substantial links with young people that belong to the working class due to their background or due to their position in the social production. This action can be the counterweight to the current educational system that does not promote advanced knowledge, creative and critical thinking. Today, there is a more imperative need to develop a movement fighting for the rights of the young people and the workers in general for culture and athleticism, against drugs and substitutes for social life and the alternative for human life in a human environment. The development of the political consciousness of the working class, the youth, the women, the popular strata depends on their emancipation from the substitutes for their needs, on the reduction of the influence of the standards of the ruling class, the media monopolies and the modern technology that promote the imperialist ideology and subculture.

Under these conditions it is possible to elaborate an executive plan for the work of the Party in order to prepare the ground for changing the balance of forces, for the building of the Party and KNE, for the raise of the influence of the Party’s policy and strategy.

The increase of the Party’s membership combined with the improvement of the Party’s social composition will proceed to the extent that we reduce and eliminate the discontinuity of our action, the fragmentation of the various tasks, the disassociation of our work, and its restriction to periods of certain events.

78. The reshuffle of the Party forces aiming at the strengthening of the sectorial work has been proven right. It has not yet achieved the desired results; however it is a dynamic process that will yield fruits in the next period. We should not regard it as an accomplished process neither believe that it is restricted only to a specific period. It should be constantly reviewed according to the new recruitments. Likewise in the organisations of KNE.

The issue of ensuring that the territorial and sectoral PBOs will work at the same direction based on each sector of production has not been solved yet and constitutes a problem in the Party’s guidance.

The four year period after the 17^th Congress has not been long enough for the PBOs to reach a certain level corresponding to their potential and the demands of the struggle. The allocation of Party forces to the sectoral organisations is not an excuse as it has strengthened the action of the Party in the working class as a whole. The action of the territorial District organisations must have a stable orientation towards the workers in their area either they live or work there. Our goal is the territorial District organisations to include workers’ PBOs emerging from the development of the recruitment within their area of responsibility. The Regional and Cities’ committees should make provision for the arrangement of cadres according to the needs and the social composition of the areas of the territorial District Organisations in order to strengthen the Party organisations in areas with enterprises and factories. Thus, we will strengthen the orientation, the action, and the building among the working class.

79. The developments, especially the reactionary choices of the government require from the CC to carry out initiatives/interventions? and actions at central level in order to set the pace and guide the Party forces but also to stress the role of the Party in the general developments and the central political scene. The Party makes considerable efforts to meet the requirements of the general political contradiction. However, we need to pay special attention to this issue since the action of KKE has nothing to do with that of the other parties’ that attach great weight to the general contradiction at central level utilising the role of the Media. The central initiatives of the Party are necessary and we should take more care of their projection and popularisation. They should also be followed by measures appropriate for their creative assimilation by the leading bodies and especially the PBOs in order to be the starting point for political and mass action.

These initiatives should not be restricted to current events but they should also be expanded to issues that the Party itself should project to the people and the working class on schedule, general issues having to do with its strategy, severe popular problems, issues that the class enemy intends to conceal so as not to receive the attention of the workers. In other words, the Party should not be unilaterally oriented towards the currents events, but on the contrary, it should be in a state of alertness.

80. Over the last four years a significant number of the Party’s cadres has come to maturity; they fight for the promotion of the Party’s strategy and at the ideological front more steadily, resolutely, and militantly.

On the other hand a number of the Party’s cadres due to several subjective or objective reasons has not achieved to adapt to the current needs of the movement it still works in an utilitarian way. They do not try hard enough to study the policy of the Party or the developments in their area of responsibility. Similar trends are manifested also among the members of the PBOs. A part of the Party forces has advanced and matured, it makes efforts to contribute to the action of the Party according to its abilities and the needs of the struggle.

Nevertheless another part of the Party’s cadres has not accumulated adequate experience and has not increased its contribution to the action of the Party. They firmly believe in the role of the Party and the vindication of its policy, however, this is not enough if it is not followed by the awareness of its policy and arguments. The work based mainly on emotional criteria and less on daily active participation, political education and awareness of the overall policy of the Party cannot achieve essential results. The members of the Party need to make constant efforts for the assimilation of the Party’s policy and its political elaborations which are being updated according to the developments. The process of assimilation is also promoted through the daily consistent work. The occasional ideological armament mainly in electoral periods is not thorough and it cannot provide solid knowledge.

A part of the Party’s forces does not implement the obligations deriving from the Party statute and as a result the Party does not utilise entirely current possibilities for increasing its impact on the movement and the correlation of forces. The gaps in political knowledge and Marxist education, the reduced contribution of those members to the organised struggle has an impact on the operation and the effectiveness of the PBO’s action.

As a matter of fact, it reduces the ability of the members to contribute to the elaboration and realisation of resolutions through the expression of personal views, experience and criticism.

Nowadays, there is an obvious need for cadres to have multiple competences. The high level of assimilation of our strategy based on our theory, Marxism Leninism, constitutes a key prerequisite.

The Party needs cadres- heads of organisations capable of generalising the experience accumulated through their responsibilities within the Party, capable of contributing to the specification of the Party’s elaborations and the enrichment of its work. They should have exact awareness of the problems concerning the guidance and the action in the movement. The maturing of such cadres constitutes an essential prerequisite for the improvement of the operation and efficiency of the leading bodies and the assisting committees. In addition, it can ensure the specification of our policy without hindering the ability to work at several fields of action and the changes concerning the division of work.

81. The various forms, the content and the quality of propaganda are characterised by insufficiency and occasionally by formulism. The shortcomings in the Party’s propaganda are manifested mainly as a general view of its policy and popular problems as well as a reduced awareness of the tactics and the propaganda of the class enemy, the diversification and flexibility of its political representatives and opportunism.

The new CC should create the appropriate infrastructure in order to be able to use all the forms of propaganda utilising all the modern means. There should be a plan for assisting the cadres in the labour movement as wells as an increased number of members and cadres capable of undertaking the responsibility for the popularisation of our theses through a vis a vis conversation. The new elements that should be included in the ideological and political action must be provided directly and immediately in order to enable more comrades to act directly according to the developments. Comrades should be assisted through comments, recommendations and exchange of experience.

KKE does not underestimate any form or mean of propaganda. However, the immediate personal contact and conversation are considered to be the most valuable.

“Rizospatis”, the Party radio and TV-channel should also work in this direction.

C. The work of the Party among the masses

The work in the labour movement

82. The 17^th Congress pinpointed as a key issue in the action of the Party the issue of improving the orientation and way of action among the masses, above all in trade unions, sectors, mass organisations and all forms of temporary and permanent mass movements.

The work, the theses and goals of struggle of the Party, the struggles it supports and plays a vanguard role in, appeal to all the working class and its allies.

It is not possible to change the conscience of the working class through general work. Even more so, it is not realistic and feasible to change the conscience of all the working class at once. There is a need for an integrated ideological work appealing to the whole of the working class, as well as a targeted programmed activity among workers, who are concentrated in industrial sectors, in sectors with dynamic development and high concentration of young workers, young women, among those segment of the working class that suffer more acutely from the effects of the restructuring on their salaries and the labour relations in general.

Consequently, a mass, militant, class-oriented pole in an anti-imperialist, anti-monopoly direction should be formed, which in progress will motivate and inspire new segments of workers and will be reflected in the action in each workplace.

The coordination of the struggle in each sector, city, prefecture, area and in the whole of Greece is an imperative. There should be an integrated platform of demands, which will include goals of struggle concerning the defence and satisfaction of the modern demands of workers’ families. The character of bourgeois theories, the policy of the government and the political representatives of capital should be revealed through the ranks of the movement. The ideological-political contradiction of the class-oriented labour movement against reformist and opportunist forces should strengthen. The class-oriented current of the labour trade union movement should promote militant initiatives for the common action and coalition in each sector along with the militant forces of the self-employed and the petty and middle peasantry in general. The international labour solidarity should be strengthened.

The more the work and living conditions deteriorate the more preconditions for the consolidation of struggle and the wide awakening of people are created through the action of the KKE and PAME.

83. The KKE has supported the action of PAME, which is movement of class-oriented trade unions, federations, industrial centres, trade unionists, it is the class pole in the labour trade union movement, the pole for the social alliance.

The new CC needs to examine better the differences that exist in the composition of the working class in order the work of the party to be more suitable and especially among those segments of the working class, in which the rise of class consciousness will give a new impetus to the movement. It should also study, in particular, the public and local administration, the former public utilities, the new conditions in occupation and the composition of the working class that will be caused by the promotion of «Kapodistrias II». Likewise, the modern labour aristocracy, namely the corrupted part of the working class, which constitutes the basis of social reformism and opportunism.

PAME has already been established in the minds of a significant part of the working class. The KKE regards as positive the fact that PAME combines the sectoral and the general demands of workers, its attempts to broaden its action including all the needs of the working family.

KKE evaluates positively the international initiatives and activities of PAME for the reconstruction and the widening of the consolidation of WFTU through the integration of new trade unions in its ranks. Some of these trade unions have millions of members.

The conflict over the orientation of the labour movement cannot be served solely through the struggle in the confines of each trade union and within the current structure of the movement. A critical precondition for a turnaround is the Party to contribute to the strengthening of the class pole that struggles from the top to the bottom and vice versa.

84. The overcoming of the existing delay in the rise of the organisation of workers in unions, in sectors, in struggle and strike committees, in the class solidarity and everyday action in general, even when mass struggles take place, depends on the quantity and quality of action of the cadres and the members of the Party in mass actions and struggles. All the cadres, irrespectively of the division of labour and their concrete responsibility, should be concerned about the development of the movement and about gaining experience from the class struggle. They should also be concerned about the course of the ideological struggle in the movement.

Vigilance and readiness are needed to oppose the relatively new practice of bourgeois parties and employers, who stake on the creation of structures, including the so-called non-governmental and other forms of misleading social solidarity and volunteering organisations, which are presented as a new type of organisations, as opposed to class-oriented and mass militant organisations. The fact that they hold multiple events, which substitute the militant ones or constitute a way of occupying free time as well as an escape, should not be underestimated.

In spite of the improvement, today there are still certain problems in the way we work in the mass movement, in how quickly we create links with the labour, popular masses and lead them to become vanguard. Irrespectively of the current low level of organisation of workers in trade unions and mass organisations and the existing problems, today there is a need to contribute to the formation of a strong class-oriented movement. This movement will be integrated and united and it will have antimonopoly, anti-imperialist goals. In progress it will be convinced of the line of rupture and overthrow, and it will mobilise the masses to solve the problem of power.

Certainly, this movement will certainly be based, either way, on a number of mass organisations, class-oriented trade unions, trade unions of the self-employed and poor peasants, youth organisations from the field of Education and the neighbourhoods, women's organisations, movements of anti-imperialist struggle for peace and solidarity, which are coordinated among them and are consolidated into a single current, while maintaining their individual characteristics.

The organisations and mass activities in places of residence, regardless of the specificity of their subject and the level of politicisation, should have as an axis the acute problems of work and income, the problems of women and youth, of Education and Healthcare, of the environment at workplaces and in general, as well as sport and culture.

Today, the challenge for PAME is to also achieve a greater and more dynamic pace in attracting new trade unions, sectoral organisations and trade unionists to its action, either permanently or by rallying them on the basis of fronts of struggle emerged through certain reshufflings and processes at the given moment. This depends on the change of the correlation of forces in favour of the class-oriented forces, but also on the creation of new trade unions, based on the developments in the production and labour process in general.

Judging by the experience from the participation and the support to PAME we esteem that this class pole has matured and is able to respond to a more complex task, to the work at the base level, in sectors, in workplaces, aiming at the development of the political consciousness of workers and their emancipation from the dominant policy. Supported by the forces with which it collaborates, by the vanguard action of the communists and other progressive people, PAME has to fight for the creation of sectoral trade unions in cities and prefectures which will include employees of all specialties, regardless of labour relations. In addition, it should make a special effort to organise immigrants and to strongly repulse racist views.

It is vital for the class-oriented trade unions to insist on the organisation of workers in trade unions and other committees of struggle, in order the struggle to be organised more effectively and today’s fears and reserves caused by the job precariousness and terrorism of the employers to be dealt with, systematically and methodically. The showdown with employer-led trade unions and manipulation mechanisms should rise to a higher level.

We esteem that PAME should proceed to more systematic initiatives for the elaboration of primary and advanced forms of social alliances with self-employed and poor peasants, by sector and at a local level. The working class is bound by its nature and its role to be the first to highlight the importance of antimonopoly alliance to popular strata, to inhibit the influence of the bourgeoisie among these strata and win them on the side of the struggle for their own power.

The persistent work with the masses is a precondition for the further enlargement of PAME, for a change in the correlation of forces, for the promotion of new trade union cadres, who will create new channels of communication with workers who suffer, who seek solutions and cannot express themselves and be mobilised by the compromised union leaderships.

The work among middle and petty peasantry

85. KKE has studied the new developments in the agricultural sector, it elaborated theses and drew up goals of struggle to promote the development of struggles and their antimonopoly orientation. It fought against the policy of the WTO and the new CAP of the EU, against the policy of the government and the parties supporting the EU one-way. It linked the struggle of small peasants to the proposal for a productive agricultural cooperative in the frame of a People's Economy.

The peasant union movement is in a phase of disorganisation and crisis. Only a few peasants’ associations manage to function at a basic level, even in prefectures where the correlation of forces is better. Under the current circumstances, the integration of agrarian associations on a territorial basis constitutes a precondition, for the reinvigoration of the petty and middle peasants. This issue should concern the Party Organisations, which should develop systematic work. Another serious obstacle is GESASE (General Confederation Of Greek Agrarian Association) and SYDASE (Confederation of Democratic Agrarian Associations of Greece) which support the anti-agrarian policy and have led to the disruption and bureaucratisation of the agrarian movement.

The action of PASY (Peasant’s Militant Rally), the militant pole of the agrarian movement, advances in a relatively slow pace, which does not correspond to current requirements. It has certainly raised its status and influence, without it being crystallised in the broadening of its base. The communists and associates operating within the ranks of PASY should intensify their efforts so that it gains contact and bonds with as many agrarian associations and cooperatives as possible.

An essential precondition to improve the action of the Party among farmers is to make it a concern of all Party Organisations and not only of agrarian association cadres. The promotion and popularisation of the position of the Party on agricultural production and the problems of peasants concerns all the Party Organisations, since the problem is directly related to nutrition, cheap and healthy products, which is the connective network of the social alliance in an antimonopoly direction.

The Party Organisations should turn more systematically to the acute problems of farm workers, the vast majority of whom are immigrants and most of them suffer discrimination, poverty-level salaries and live in dismal living conditions. The action of the Party in Manolada and other regions and the struggle of immigrants there offer great experience today.

The work among self-employed

86. The Party pays special attention to self-employed without staff, as under the current circumstances it is more realistic for them to act along with the working class. The self-employed who do not exploit labour force constitute the majority of small entrepreneurs.

The joint action of self-employed with the workers and employees can exert positive influence on those who occupy 1-2 or 3 employees, according to their turnover. Under the influence of class struggle and the initiatives of the class-oriented unions in the alliance a significant part of this stratum may support antimonopoly action.

In the intervening period, the political action of the Party in this sphere has improved. However, it remains far behind the needs and requirements, taking into account the hesitation and illusions of this stratum. The weakness of the Party work makes the progress of the social alliance harder, which is an issue that must be understood and addressed. Several steps have been made towards the coordination of the action of the class-oriented pole in the labour trade union movement with sectors of small entrepreneurs in an antimonopoly direction. Also, in this issue there is a serious shortfall in relation to the needs.

The negative correlation of forces in the confederations of small entrepreneurs is objectively a serious obstacle. The problem is particularly intense in the National Confederation of Trade, where, while the vast majority of the members are small traders, the majority of the leadership is elected and comprises of the merchants who cooperate closely with HFE and the Chambers. There is a need to establish separate trade unions of self-employed and small entrepreneurs with a staff of 1-2 or 3 people and small turnover from the medium entrepreneurs with high turnover and capitalists with big profitability.

The developments in Greek capitalism confirm that it is possible - especially in periods of rising class struggle - to create better and more stable alliance conditions with the self-employed. They also confirm that, eventually, a large segment of the self-employed will form an alliance with the working class. Therefore, our work should be planned and stable, because it constitutes an essential precondition for the construction of the front of antimonopoly forces.

The new CC is responsible for addressing the shortfall, following the detailed guidelines drawn up at its meeting on the ideological-political action of the Party among the self-employed and their movement. It should ensure sufficient guidance of the Cities and Regional Committees,in order for them to contribute to the assistance of the respective party forces, the sectoral PBOs, but also the territorial PBOs appealing to a large number of self-employed. The coordination and joint action of workers’ sectoral PBOs, sectoral and territorial PBOs of the self-employed and tradesmen is a key prerequisite for a cohesive work and action in this sphere. The mass and combined trade union work should also develop through the establishment of unions of tradesmen and professionals in each municipality or in a group of neighbouring municipalities and in handicraft establishments, in sectoral federations and unions. There is a necessity to proceed with the rallying of small tradesmen on a territorial basis. This will be an important step in our action towards the structuring of a militant antimonopoly anti-imperialist pole that will be based on trade unions, associations, federations, struggle, coordination and trade unionists committees, which accept the frame of struggle against monopolies.

D. Estimation of the performance of the central guiding bodies

On the Central Committee

87. In the 17th Congress the CC and its assisting Departments were assigned to

§ acquire capability of executive guidance on the content, forms and methods of work, so as to contribute to a uniform perception of the action of the Party on the basis of the strategy and the ability of specialisation, with particular emphasis on the working class and the youth.

§ promote the planned growth of forces and party building among the working class, workplaces and sectors in general.

§ continue consolidating forces in key battle fronts more systematically and executively, in order to promote the political structuring of the AADF (Anti-imperialist Anti-monopoly Democratic Front) according to the needs and capabilities.

§ draw up a policy of promotion and growth of labour cadres, including young cadres and women, who have the highest possible level of theoretical education and effectiveness of action.

§ Orientate the Bodies and the Bodies in turn to orientate the PBOs towards improving the action in the labour and, more generally, in the mass movement, uniting forces in the direction of building the socio-political Front of anti-imperialist antimonopoly forces.

§ Contribute to the development of a richer activity within the party, so as to increase the activity of the cadres and members, their participation in the elaboration and specialisation of the guidelines and decisions.

§ Continue the action and initiatives for the coordination of Communist and Workers’ Parties, aiming at the establishment of a distinct pole.

§ continue studying the socialist building in the 20th century, proceed with the writing of the second volume of the History of the Party of the period 1949-1974. Organise the ideological front better and more systematically.

88. The elected by the 17th Congress CC has made progress in the key task of becoming more executive in working in a cohesive and multifaceted way on the basis of the strategy of the Party, concerning capitalist restructuring, the acute problems of the working class and other workers. It organised a systematic work in order the strategy of the Party to be assimilated through the experience of struggles and developments, through the experience of each sector and workplace. Of course, this effort must be continued. It should be enriched by the developments. At the same time there is a need for special work among new members of the Party and KNE.

The CC has made progress in trying to adapt and specialise the general political tasks to the various fronts of struggle, to the various stages of political developments. Along with, and on the basis of the current acute problems, it organised nationwide political campaigns that focused on the promotion and popularisation of the political proposal of the Party for the establishment of the AADF and the struggle for People's Power and Economy.

It succeeded to some extent in overcoming the permanent weakness of previous years, when the general political positions of the Party were popularised only in election periods. It contributed to the improvement of the Cities and Regional Committees’ orientation and planning, to the elaboration of a concrete program of struggle, to the broadening of the scope of action upon a wider range of problems, ranging from income and labour relations in general, the right to work and full employment, education and social policy, particularly in matters of social security, the disabled, prevention and protection of public health and the environment.

In the period following the 17th Congress, the CC has contributed to the shaping of some important preconditions for the ideological and political strengthening of the Party, to the assimilation of the strategy, which is a prerequisite for the development of the Party’s maximum capacity in the coming years. In addition it increased the Party’s capacity to cope with the ideological and political attack it receives as a Marxist - Leninist party that withstood and counterattacked in the conditions of a temporary but relatively long-term decline of the international revolutionary movement. It helped to improve the action of the Party in the International Communist and Anti-imperialist movement and to unify Marxist - Leninist Parties. It developed systematically and timely its positions on international developments and serious incidents that occurred during this period.

89. The CC, based on the agenda adopted in the 17th Congress, held successfully: “the Nationwide Conference on the action of the Party among the Youth and on the support to KNE”, “the Nationwide Meeting on the action of the Party among women”, two Nationwide Cadres Meetings on guidance issues, on the basis of the decisions of the 17th Congress, nationwide Meetings concerning the party and mass work in key employees and workers sectors as well as meetings on the Education movement and the Educationalists’ problems. Furthermore, it continued the research on the socialist construction in the 20th century, studying, especially, the experience of the USSR and initiated a debate on the issue of socialism throughout the Party. It continued working on the second volume of the History of the Party of the period 1949-1974, which has reached the stage of completion, but has not yet been possible to be discussed within the Party. The study of the history of the Party required a systematic collection of international materials, and a systematic study of the internal available to the Party materials, it required more time than anticipated. The new CC can complete this task, based on all the work that has been accomplished.

The CC also organised nationwide activities for the 90^th anniversary of the Party and the Socialist October Revolution, for the 60^th anniversary of DSE (Democratic Army of Greece) and the 60^th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. These multifaceted activities contributed to the development of a major ideological educational work throughout the Party, to the development of a problematic and had also put to the test the historical experience of the Party and the movement. In addition, the CC organised a Nationwide Campaign on issues of Education.

90. This positive trend should not undermine, even more so, hide the weaknesses of the work of the CC, the aspects of its work that fell behind the needs and must be addressed decisively by the new CC:

a) Although the CC, improved its orientation towards the development of the links and the forces of the Party in the working class, at workplaces and in specific sectors, although it directed the lower leading bodies to be frequently involved in these issues, it did not manage itself, as a higher leading body, to study more systematically the experience of Party Organisations. Consequently, it did not achieve to develop more comprehensive guidelines, to take more decisively executive measures in order to rally forces for this critical task. It has not promoted resolutely enough the ideological education and training of the cadres and members active in the labour movement, an issue that concerns above all the growth and promotion of labour cadres and the decisive improvement of the social composition of the Bodies on a regular basis.

The CC, with the assistance of the corresponding Departments, set off a more systematic action in the field of salaried scientists, especially among engineers and economists. Through the improvement of our action in the front of Healthcare, our action among salaried doctors and other scientists has also improved. The issue of the social role of the salaried scientists in the movement and the struggle for the People's Economy, as opposed to the policy of complete subduing the scientific knowledge and research to the service of competitiveness and profitability has been disclosed better and broader. These are the initial steps, the shortfall has not been overcome.

b) Although the CC has improved its orientation towards studying the strategic and tactical issues, it did not manage to meet the demand for a generalisation of the experience and to lead to a better orientation of the work in the mass movement, to the rallying of forces associated with the task of the building of the Front. The CC did not manage to study systematically and take measures to improve our contribution to the anti-imperialist peace movement. The objective conditions are so complex that they require an even more specific examination and, above all, a more direct review of the Party’s work among labour and popular masses, in their organisation and consolidation. The CC had to be more concerned about the understanding, above all within the Party, of the importance of the social alliance among the working class, the self-employed as well as the middle and petty peasantry, which is the basis for the positive processes in the movement and the AADF.

c) The improvement of the work of the CC is associated with the improved performance and contribution of its assisting Departments, which progressed, during this time, in monitoring and studying the developments, the governmental, EU and NATO policy. They elaborated better and more concretely the positions of the Party. Nevertheless, the fact that the CC has not yet managed to guide adequately and provide cadres for its assisting departments remains a weakness. The CC has not managed to guide the Departments so that they can work towards upgrading the theoretical infrastructure of the Party in a long term basis and contribute through their elaborations and their role to the study of the experience of each sphere, since the increased demands of tomorrow are already visible. The composition of the Departments should be improved and this is a responsibility of the CC. At the same time it indicates specifically the progress of the policy for the promotion of cadres from the working class, the youth and women. It is required to assign cadres to the preparation of the promotion of cadres who have social, political and organisational experience of action in the labour and youth movement, but also a highest possible Marxist education and scientific specialisation.

The assisting staff of the CC can contribute to the enrichment and the specialisation of the strategy of the Party, to the specialisation of cadres, to broadening the links of the Party with its friends and supporters, scientists who can, as well, contribute to the elaborations, but also to rally forces in various fronts. The assignment of an adequate number of qualified cadres to the Departments will contribute to the increase of the aid towards the PBOs. It will also contribute to the better link of these cadres with the class struggle, so as they stay in contact with the important practical experience of everyday action.

d) Although the CC contributed to the growth and promotion of new cadres through the improvement of its overall work, it failed to produce a firm plan in this sphere and first of all to prepare systematically the promotion and growth of cadres from the working class. Current daily needs absorbed much of the attention of the cadres, at the expense of the required attention to the ideological development of the working class cadres and the acquisition of multifaceted skills. The CC also failed to systematise the policy of the promotion of cadres from KNE. In the intervening years, a significant number of KNE cadres has been assigned to the Party work and helped to improve the work of the Bodies. The renewal of the Bodies with cadres from KNE is not well-considered, there is not good preparation for the transition to the party work, nor is there adequate caution so as to prevent serious gaps in the work of KNE. The new CC must promote more boldly cadres from KNE, particularly young workers. However, this must be based on better planning and on the increase of the support towards KNE according to the resolutions of the Nationwide Conference.

e) The CC has failed to implement decisively the combined measures for the support and assistance to KNE, but also to strengthen the links of the Party with the youth, based on the content and guidelines of the Nationwide Conference. Although today the Party has elaborated positions for all the problems of the youth, they are not integrated into the wider activities of the Party. The CC has not managed to contribute to the specialisation of cadres for the work among the youth.

f) There was a delay from the part of the CC in the realisation of the Nationwide Conference on the work among women, first of all, among those belonging to the working class, to the poor popular strata, among the girls facing serious problems when they start a family and children. The CC has failed to make clear through its guiding work by means of practical and organisational measures that women's work is not a specific sector that is detached from the general duties. On the contrary, it constitutes an integral component of the Party’s work in the working class and the workers’ family and requires a specialisation of the general policy of the Party. Although the CC helped the Bodies of KNE to understand the problem to an extent, it did not manage to orientate KNE in this direction. The work of KNE among young women must be focused first of all on the understanding of the nature of the women issue and the timely assistance to its members in the stage of the transition from «schools» to occupation and family, so as they do not yield to the objective adverse conditions and abandon the struggle.

On the Political Bureau

91. The Political Bureau had a positive contribution to the improvement of the orientation and the efficiency of the CC in undertaking central initiatives and improving in general the action of the Party in the developments and in the struggles. It also contributed positively to the action and action of the Party in the international communist and anti-imperialist movement.

The Political Bureau did not manage to ensure an adequate degree of interdepartmental cooperation, which had an impact on the performance of the Departments at a time when the elaborations in the various issues are intertwined. The decisive examination of the experience and the review of the extent to which the Party managed to rally forces have been a weak point in the work of the Political Bureau, although it was concerned about this issue. Moreover, it did not succeed to combine this task with the daily developments.

The Political Bureau lacked a policy of promotion and growth of cadres namely a policy of preparation and corresponding assistance. It failed to strengthen adequately the staffs of the Party and particularly to develop an infrastructure in terms of propaganda, which now needs to acquire more diverse means and content.

In the first period following the congress, the Political Bureau in collaboration with the Secretariat, paid attention to holding nationwide party meetings in key labour sectors, particularly at places where the processing of the developments and the new problems that occurred had deepened, because of the influence of capitalist restructuring. In the last two years, this effort weakened. The conclusion is that we need perseverance and determination in combining duties of wider importance with the current requirements of the struggle.

On the Secretariat

92. The Secretariat played a positive role and improved its assistance in guiding the Organisations, in orientating them towards issues of assimilation, processing and specialisation of the strategy, the reshuffling of party forces, in an attempt to improve party building. It improved the process of the review on decisions and the coordination of the work of the Departments - Movements and Organisations. It also has a responsibility in the failure to achieve a more systematic control and generalisation of experience, thus enriching the orientation of our work in the mass movement, especially among the working class and social alliances, in the failure to rally politically forces in concrete conditions. Although the Secretariat tried to study issues of PBOs guidance through specific organisational meetings, it should have studied them better and more systematically.

Chapter 6

Review of the Party’s action

A. The main task of the full-fledged strengthening of KKE