Resolution concerning the situation in the international communist movement

During the pre-Congress discussion the need was emphasized for efforts to be further strengthened so that co-ordination, elaboration of common goals of struggle and development of joint action in the communist and worker’s movement will be promoted in order to confront imperialist aggressiveness; to project the necessity of socialism as the only alternative to today’s imperialist system.

The need to project a distinct communist viewpoint, a communist pole, was brought forward in order to better confront the problems and difficulties of this struggle and at the same time to deal with the necessity of coordinated intervention in the intensity of the anti-imperialist and anti-monopoly struggle internationally where other different forces also take part.

The Congress assigns to the new CC the task of conducting the Party’s international activity according to the following general directions:

1. The Need for a Distinct Presence of the Communist Movement and the Common Action of the Communist and Worker’s Parties

Our Party considers that in the last period there have been certain steps of recovery in the International Communist Movement. Several Communist and Workers’ Parties were better equipped to confront imperialist aggressiveness and to take action against the imperialist wars in Afghanistan and especially against the people of Iraq. Some of them played a leading role in the struggles of the working class and the mobilizations of the working people for their rights. In this period, more initiatives were taken for the coordination of actions among the CPs compared to the recent past. International and regional meetings have multiplied.

Despite these steps forward, the International Communist Movement remains organizationally and ideologically fragmented; it is still experiencing a crisis. The struggle between revolutionary communist viewpoints and reformist, opportunist ones continues within its ranks. The conflict between the line of “resistance-rupture” and the line of “adaptation – assimilation” into the imperialist system continues.

At the center of the struggle are: the attitude towards the socialism that we have known and the causes of the overthrows; the contemporary relevance of Marxism – Leninism; the development of our theory in the period of transition to socialism under conditions of the temporary victory of counter-revolution; the character of the Communist Party; the character of imperialism; the relation of the struggle on a national and international level; the policy of alliances; the attitude towards social democracy; the stance of communists in the mass movements; their stance in relation to the capitalist crisis, the inter-imperialist contradictions and the imperialist wars; the policy towards intra-state imperialist regional and international unions; the historic role of the working class; the laws of socialist revolution and the building of socialism; the proletarian internationalism.

Facing this situation, KKE considers that the efforts amongst the Communist Parties must be intensified so that, in a collective manner and also with respect for the sovereignty of each Party, the best methods to deal with the crisis may be found.

Our Party will intensify its international activities so that a more distinct form of cooperation with communist and workers’ parties will be shaped, the communist pole.

This distinct presence of the parties will create better conditions in order to confront the difficulties which exist. This will also facilitate the broader anti-imperialist rallying of forces.

The initiative for the creation of this pole can be triggered by communist parties which are close in their political and ideological viewpoints, which defend Marxism - Leninism, the contribution of socialism we knew, as well as the necessity of the struggle for socialism.

Cooperation at a higher level in matters of theory development is necessary regarding the questions that are at the centre of today’s conflict. International research must be encouraged on the causes that brought victory for counterrevolution; common strategies against imperialism to be developed.

Our aim is for these forms of cooperation to assume a practical character, to give concrete results.

The distinct communist pole in no case nullifies each party’s sovereignty and its responsibility in relation to the working class and the movement in their respective countries. It will assume the form of coordination of joint action, based on parity.

Regarding communist and worker’s parties with which we have ideological differences, we can and must continue the efforts for common action around anti-imperialist and anti-monopoly goals while refuting mistaken ideological and political viewpoints.

KKE seeks cooperation and relations with all parties without exclusions.

The Distinct Presence of the Communist Movement - A Resolute Agent in the Development of the Movements

The joint action of communists must find its expression within the ranks of the mass movements, of international mobilizations.

The formation of a distinct communist pole, the joint action and cooperation of communist parties will boost the effort to build a strengthened international anti-imperialist movement which will be based on the movement of the working class, the movements that express other popular strata, the movements for peace and against war, the movements of the youth, of women, as well as every other form of mobilization that has a progressive radical direction.

The internationalization of the struggle against imperialism cannot acquire a mass and especially a stable character if it is not based upon a distinct and powerful communist pole which, once established, can become an impetus for the positive influence of the peoples on international developments. This will also provide a sound basis for a broader anti-imperialist alliance.

The people’s answer to the strategy of imperialism, to contemporary barbarism, takes many and varying forms. Nevertheless, the popular struggles would be more effective if they succeeded:
in combining their forces in the struggle against monopolies and imperialism on a national, regional and international level.
in struggling resolutely against the forces of capital, on all fronts of action and intervention: In the economy, in social rights, in culture, against military, economic and political interventions.
in elaborating political demands and means of struggle by the movement of the working class and its allies, which are defined by the historical position of imperialism as the highest stage of capitalism, that respond to workers’ contemporary needs and which project the historical necessity of the transition to socialism.

The policy of imperialism attacks the right of every people to decide their country’s social and political system without foreign intervention.

The development of the anti-imperialist and anti-monopoly movement mainly depends on confronting the serious problems that characterize the international communist movement today. It also goes hand in hand with the course of the trade union movement that also finds itself in a period of turmoil.

As a result of this situation and as long as the international communist movement does not confront its crisis and does not project its own distinct presence, a series of other forces under the direct influence of international social democracy will try to divert these movements into the trap of class-collaboration and into the concept of a capitalism with a human mask.

2. The Present Forms of Cooperation

The forms of cooperation that have been developed up to now among communist and workers parties, such as international regional and multilateral meetings, can and must be continued. They must be enriched with discussion and exchange of views on theoretical issues, as well as with meetings that will result in concrete plans of action on common issues.

In this framework, special importance must be given to highlighting anniversaries and historical events which constitute milestones in the struggle of communists, of the working class, and more generally of the peoples for political, economic and social emancipation (e.g. The Paris Commune, Mayday, the October Socialist Revolution, the day of the anti-fascist victory of the peoples – May 9 1945-, the battle of Stalingrad etc) not only as an answer to the attempt to rewrite history by the imperialists but also as an opportunity to project contemporary questions of the struggle of the working class and the peoples.

Strengthening solidarity with communist parties that fight under conditions of illegality must be continued and further developed, in support of communists and other militants who are persecuted for their activity, with countries and peoples who resist imperialist aggression and with countries where Communist and Workers’ parties are in power and are trying to confront the undermining activity of imperialism and defend their peoples’ achievements in today’s unfavorable conditions

3. Concerning the Party of the European Left

The creation of the “Party of the European Left” (EL), with the participation of certain Communist Parties, expresses the trend of adaptation to the negative correlation of forces. Objectively, independently of subjective choices and declarations, it constitutes a fatalistic acceptance of the limits posed by bourgeois legitimacy. The EL refutes the theory of scientific socialism, communist traditions and the experience of the socialist revolutions in the 20th century. It chooses the dangerous and dead-end road of the abandonment of a communist identity and incorporation into the EU structures. In this way, it torpedoes the efforts for coordination and equal co-operation of Communist, Workers’ and other Left Parties in their opposition to the European imperialist centre and the capitalist system in general.

4. The Anti-Imperialist Movement, the Peace Movement, the Anti-War Movements and other Popular Movements

An important fact is the development and appearance of movements, centres of resistance of the people, of radical forces that tend to touch on the full spectrum of imperialist policies with their demands and aims of struggle. At the centre are the issues of unemployment and poverty, of wars and interventions, of profits and the profit-making character of capital. There are also the issues of militarization, state repression and violence, the struggle for democratic liberties and political rights, against the robbery of the environment and raw materials by the monopolies, the fight against racism and the persecutions against those who challenge the new world order.

The workers’ struggle in some cases and regions take on bigger dimensions, fights are developing against privatization, the problems of education and social policy. The struggles concerning social problems tend to expand on all continents and in duration using varied forms of struggle. The anti-war struggles involved greater mass mobilization, a higher level of international coordination, however they have not taken on a permanent character nor continuity.

These developments showed that imperialist aggression did not succeed in immobilizing and subjugating the different movements, the peoples’ struggles against imperialist occupation and intervention.

In recent years, the people have challenged in a more concrete manner the policies of the EU, NATO and other imperialist unions. Slogans have been put forward against the concept of “one-way roads”, as well as demands for more general social change. Such tendencies appeared also in Europe, in the referenda and in the recent Elections for European Parliament.

The development of the movements reflects, to a large extent, a spirit of awakening that has not taken on, however, an upward course and dynamic yet. It is still very far from expressing a comprehensive alternative political proposal in confrontation and rupture with the monopolies and imperialism, both at the national and the international level.

Concerning the International Mass Organizations

The international anti-imperialist organizations that exist have not yet dealt with the obstacles facing them so that they might create the necessary infrastructure on a worldwide basis, in order to develop stronger interaction with forces that are being reorganized and revitalized in many countries.

Many organizations and movements are still facing difficulties to develop internationalist action and share the responsibility of building a pole of action that will fight against imperialism in a consistent manner, due to the lack of resources and means. They are characterized on a national and regional level by internal contradictions and differences, following the struggle between the forces of consent and the forces of emancipation.

To a greater or lesser extent, international organizations such as the World Peace Council, the World Federation of Trade Unions, the World Federation of Democratic Youth, the Women's International Democratic Federation, have taken important steps in the direction of international struggle and the coordination of action among themselves.

Concerning the Social Forum

Forces of Social Democracy predominate in the World Social Forum and its regional structures. Representatives of business groups also participate, forces of consent and compromise that openly declare their hostility towards the communist workers’ movement and towards class-oriented social organizations, which they seek to replace with some NGOs or with organizations of so-called civil society. Anarchist and Trotskyist groups support it as well as governmental forces and mechanisms of imperialist countries.

The World Social Forum, with its actions, attempts to entrap and assimilate radical forces, forces that express militant attitudes of the working class and other social strata.

Inter-imperialist contradictions, sharpening as the USA demands the lion’s share of the loot, resulted in a series of socialdemocratic forces in Europe to take on initiatives to utilize and direct the movements into a line of support for French-German imperialism.

It is necessary to strengthen the political and ideological opposition in order to confront the disorientation of the movements and the incorporation of political forces in a struggle against neo-liberal management without, however, an anti-imperialist, anti-monopoly direction. These forces pursue the incorporation of movements in a one-sided struggle against the USA, for the benefit of other imperialist forces that seek a larger share or parity with the USA in their competition for the distribution of markets.

What the Forum projects as necessary for the peoples does not come into conflict with the needs and interests of the capitalist system, therefore it needs to be refuted so that the internationalization of the struggle against imperialism can take on a mass, solid character and open a perspective towards socialism.

11/2/2005