Athens, Friday, March 22nd 2019
Dear friends and comrades
Four years ago, around this time of the year, we were opening the proceedings of the 8th Conference of our party and our primary concerns were the challenges and difficulties we had to confront with, after SYRIZA came to power in January 2015.
We especially identified the difficulties that arose from our position against the illusions spread by the new government, when they were asking the support of the people in their supposed struggle against the imperialists for the overthrow of the policies that they imposed through the memorandums.
As we have established, over time, smooth time periods without demands and challenges do not exist, especially for communist organizations that de facto run against the trend. The difficulties may be different, but, as long as we live in savage capitalism in its imperialist stage, their basis remains the same.
Therefore, today, four years later, nothing seems to have improved for the people, the working class, the youth, the toilers, the immigrants, the unemployed. Once more our immediate duty remains to struggle in an unfavorable environment and to contribute, to the best of our ability, to the reversal of the increasing disappointment and defeatism that resulted from the devastating collapse of the illusions and hopes shaped during the rise of SYRIZA. The domination of SYRIZA further slandered the values and ideals of the Left and, even worse, further overstated the defamation of the communist movement and the socialist prospect and thus complemented the services that revisionism provided to the system for decades.
Τhe rage and anger accumulated to the peoples cannot be relieved and are often expressed by the particularly worrying support of open or covered fascist and neo-fascist perceptions, which, in the times of great defamation of the communist movement, appear like an «anti-systemic shelter» for those hit by the capitalist attack.
Unfortunately those are not the only negative consequences of the degeneration and absorption of the so-called Left into the system. Many more exist and those who insist on the socialist and communist perspectives have to confront with them every day.
In the theses of the Central Committee for the 9th Conference, which we made public and presented to our organization to discuss, we analyzed and tried to deepen the wider social and political data in our country, our region and the world.
However, the existence and necessity of a communist organization is not limited to identifying the barriers of any kind presented to the working class and the peoples in their attempt to overthrow this unfair system.
A communist organization will be judged by its ability to locate the way outs of this environment, to discover possibilities, to act, to strengthen, while being fully aware of the real data of the situation. Mainly by actively contributing to the efforts made so that the people find the power to fight, to resist, to assert, to organize. Our persistence not to give up –at any time- on being active, is a characteristic that we strive to develop and adapt. It is a feature that we achieved despite being a small organization and distinguishes us over time.
We did not give in to the sectarian pressure to restrict ourselves solely to the need to exist and thus only look after our “internals”. We never assumed that we were “sufficient” and never chose to look down on militants, only asking them to join our sect. Throughout our journey, after the dictatorship in the mid and late seventies, when thousands of militants were following us, or later, when they became hundreds or dozens, we did not stop seeking the goals, demands, forms and ways to address the peoples, in order for the oppressed and exploited to restore confidence in their power and their struggle. We followed this road not because we did not realize who and how many we are, but because there is no other school than the movement of the masses and the participation in the class struggle that can strengthen the communists, shape the new pioneers and teach the masses.
Dear friends and comrades
In our discussions on the conference theses we focused on the Resistance Front, common activities between the forces of the Left and, in general, the strengthening of our direction to contribute to peoples’ struggles, to the strengthening of the resistance of workers and youth, to the formation of the peoples’ movement.
From the stage of the introductory of our 9th Conference we would like to clarify certain issues, which we do not discuss for the first time. Not few are the militants who follow our party and wonder -in good faith- if it was a correct decision to prioritize in our conference the issues of the movement, the struggle, the goals and the claims over others that they may deem of higher importance. They probably mean that in the current political situation in our country, in which the movement is in retreat (despite some occasional sparkles), we should focus on the formation of a critical mass of communists and not to split our forces to initiatives that are doomed to fail.
This conclusion that any attempt towards peoples’ resistance is -at this stage- hopeless, is obviously derived by the estimation that the ruling class of Greece, with the help of the foreign patrons, will be relieved of the stifling commitments against them and thus be strengthened. Some may believe that the ruling class will be given the opportunity to recall some of the unpopular austerity measures and disorient the people once more. So they end up in the pessimistic aspect that since the masses did not react when so many and unpopular measures were taken, they will neither react now that things may relax, especially if SYRIZA is elected again.
At this point, of course, we have to draw some clear conclusions. For this we must first discuss and conclude (as much as we can) on the political and social data that will be formed by the policies followed by the imperialist forces and the bourgeois classes in the entire area surrounding our country.
According to our discussions towards the 9th Conference, we do not expect to have any substantial period of «relaxation» of the attack against the peoples’ rights, nor of course a period of respite of imperialist rivalries. Therefore, the new government that will be elected in the coming months will be forced to remain within the same deep and stifling framework of commitments and obligations, which will be more and more unpopular.
Consequently, those who think that favoring SYRIZA or ND (Nea Dimokratia – the rightwing opposition) may contribute to a better future for our people are wrong. On top, some parts of the peoples and youth claim that that things will get worse with ND in power. On one hand, they are right to conclude that ND -as a genuine representative of the unpopular and reactionary interests of the ruling class- will move within the requirements of local and foreign capital and the imperialists. But what do they think of SYRIZA? That a new SYRIZA administration will rise against the dictates? That is, will they do today –that they have clearly turned to the right- what they did not do in 2015? We believe that absolutely not.
That is why we must prepare once more to oppose to the new disorientation that Europe and our country will be relieved and recover. To the disorientation that with its alignment with the US and NATO, our country will experience growth and stability, since it will have the great powers on its side, despite the compromises it will have to withstand against them.
No other than that are Tsipra’s policies on alliances, which supposedly resolve pending issues for the benefit of the people and the country. In any case the painful reality is the opposite than the one presented by the ruling class: their negotiations with the imperialist powers aim to ensure their own vital space and the favor of the imperialists and not the wellbeing of the people. If they want (and are allowed) to negotiate, they will have to sacrifice even more interests of the people and the working class.
We, therefore, have every reason to prepare our party and fronts to address the people on an anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist basis. We have every reason not to give in to the dominating defeatism claiming that the people will not resist and fight, or that conditions will improve and we need not favor resistance. There is, of course, yet another obstacle, the pre-election environment, which, as we know, will be adapted to the needs of the dominant bourgeois and reformist forces.
Does this all mean that we are abandoning the task of strengthening our organized forces and enhancing our influence to the people? OF COURSE NOT!
We see our reinforcement through this perspective. And to serve it we want to cooperate and coordinate with anyone willing to act accordingly.
Dear friends and comrades
It has been 37 years since 1982, when a group of people from the old organization of CPG(m-l) decided to continue (while the leadership abandoned the communist path) and evolve the historic effort that was initiated in the mid-50s and started to take flesh and bones after definitively cutting-off from the revisionist CPG in the mid-60s.
It is not negligible for an ideological-political movement, despite the difficulties, the obstacles, the splits, the people that left it, to be able to remain alive and active for a period of over 60 years, to evolve, to strengthen, to have ambitions and persistence to contribute in the reformation-reconstitution of the communist movement.
This movement was expressed by the communists in exile in Greece and political refugees in the eastern European countries against the revisionist turn, under the decisive contribution of the CP of China and the WP of Albania. The undeniable fact that this movement continues its long road, even if no one of the comrades that pioneered in its formation is now in life, should not be overlooked.
This political current still continues, even without comrades like Polidoros Daniilidis and the hundreds of political prisoners that started it. This is a clear proof that the roots of this movement are deep and that the values and ideals it expresses and serves come from the need of the peoples and the working class to overthrow capitalism and to walk the road towards a society without exploitation.
Our movement continues to inspire and attract new militants and leaders, even if only few comrades that started their route in the years before and during the dictatorship (1967-1974) are now with us. This fills us with optimism and strength.
Not many more are the comrades coming from the generation after the dictatorship. This means that the base is set to continue and upgrade our effort. This fills us with confidence in the power of the masses and their perspective.
It is an honor for those who participate today in CPG(m-l) to have their references to great communists and personalities that dedicated and continue to dedicate their lives to the struggle; that reacted to the defeat and retreat of the movement with their practical and theoretical work; that became the builders of the revolutionary road in the new conditions that were formed. Great communists and personalities like Polidoros Daniilidis, Giannis Hontzeas, Isaac Iordanidis, Ilias Kamaretsos, Grigoris Kostantopoulos, Vasilis Gemistos and Stefanos Karamitros, who left us, Vassilis Samaras and Stelios Agoutoglou, who continue in the lines of CPG(m-l), have formed a frame of emancipation and continuation of efforts through the new generations of militants.
The ideological and political movement that CPG(m-l) continues to serve has formed through the decades a correct relationship between the leadership and the organization, against the revisionist rust and against the typically most catastrophic functions, mentalities and practices of the communist movement.
These comrades might not have avoided mistakes, might not have managed to level the demands set by the difficulties and obstacles of the movement. However, they were taught by these mistakes, which by no means are the main aspect of their contribution. And the thing that discerns them is that they formed the conditions so that the working class and communist movement is able to continue its activities, passing the baton from the old strong hands to the new equally robust ones. It is in their honor that they have contributed to form the frame to continue the effort, without the passing of the baton to undermine or cancel this effort.
Comrades,
This short reference to the long route of our movement has another side that must not be missed. The one that shows that despite the huge continuous efforts of hundreds and thousands of militants, despite the pioneering action and contribution of great personalities who did not bow their head, a convincing approach to the big challenges for the modern communistic movement has not yet been achieved. The answers to the important questions that we inherited from the prevalence of revisionism, from the historic revenge sought by capitalism, by the defeat of the communist movement have not yet been shaped through the class struggle.
This side must never be missed, because if we do not confront with it we will not achieve anything. Covering it up, trying to beautify it (especially after temporary successes) will lead to a new deflation, to new disappointments. It has been proven that the assumption of being over-sufficient or that it is enough for some hundreds of militants to unite in one organization in order to pave the road, do not lead to any answer.
This side underlines that the road might not be a straight line but will be long. With many demands in the practical, organizational, political and theoretical level.
Anyone seeking easy and fast answers, anyone suffocating in these difficult conditions without finding at least small way outs of struggle and collective action, will sooner or later be obliged -directly or indirectly- to bow before the supposed omnipotence of the system.
From our side we deeply believe that this image of omnipotence of the capitalist-imperialist system is temporary. As we have said before, if it was so “sure” and “safe”, it would not continue screaming at every occasion against the communist movement and its pioneer leaders. If it only considered the communists as graphics and fossils of the past, who are not a serious opponent for capitalism, then why does it unceasingly provoke with the most vulgar anticommunist expressions a movement that it has supposedly beaten?
For all of us that continue to insist on the road of revolution, this ascertainment, along with many more, convinces us that we are on the bright side of the moon.
Finally, I would like to wish to all of us to keep our minds fair and clear, so that we clarify and take the best advantage of the conclusions and directions qualified through a long and essential pre-conference procedure.
Also, I would like to address the representatives of the Greek organizations, which honored us with their greetings, and call them to do all that is necessary, without sacrificing their particular views and positions, so that we find the points to meet and cooperate.
The great demands that lie ahead of us, impose that through common action and cooperation we concentrate to the target ahead of us with the widest possible people potential.
From the deepest of our hearts we also wish to our comrades of our brother party TKP/ML to continue in better conditions to connect with the working class and people of our neighboring country. As TKP/ML strengthens and participates in the class struggle from better positions, the direction that both our people walk side by side in solidarity for the fulfillment of their great goals can be better served. So that the basis is set for peoples of both countries, along with the peoples of the rest of the countries around ours, to form a stable FRONT against IMPERIALISM AND ITS WARLIKE PLANS.
