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| Photo: Tom Brenner / Unsere Zeit. |
From February 28 to March 1, 2020, the 23rd party conference of the German Communist Party (DKP) took place in Frankfurt/Main.
Over 200 delegates welcomed more than 20 international guests and embassy representatives from Cuba, Laos, and Vietnam. Robert Griffiths, Chairman of the CP of Britain, Zisis Liberidis of the CP of Greece, and Ramón Ripoll Díaz, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, addressed the Congress. From Germany, representatives of the peace movement, the East German board of trustees of associations, and the party “Die Linke” addressed the delegates.
With a vast majority, the delegates again elected Patrik Köbele as chairman. The 58-year-old IT consultant has been chairing the party since the 20th party conference, which took place in 2013. Also confirmed in office was the deputy chairwoman Wera Richter. The previous deputy chairman Hans-Peter Brenner did not run for office again. The new executive committee consists of 19 men and 12 women. The head of the International Commission of the party executive committee, Günter Pohl, resigned from the party executive committee at his own request, but will continue to be a member of the commission, which will be headed by comrade Renate Koppe in future.
The 23rd Party Congress of the Communists in Germany received a large number of motions for resolutions. Nevertheless, the party congress devoted several hours to a debate on party development. The exchange of experiences was primarily about reestablishing the party in the working class. In impressive speeches, delegates talked about concrete struggles in the automotive industry, in hospitals, and in public transport companies. There were also reports on work in city parliaments, in the peace movement, as well as in the struggle against the right-wing development.
Following a lively discussion on the motion, the party congress adopted the main motion entitled “Our fields of struggle within the framework of the anti-monopolistic strategy” with the tasks for the coming period up to 2022. First and foremost are the struggle for peace and friendship among nations, the struggle for democratic rights, and for the preservation of a healthy nature and ecology. Another priority is the struggle alongside the trade unions for better working and living conditions.
In addition, the delegates adopted positions on health policy and environmental protection issues, as well as demands for East Germany, i.e. the territory of the GDR. Two solidarity projects with the revolutionary Cuba and the CP of Venezuela were also decided upon, as well as a long-term roadmap for the revision of the party program of 2006.
In his closing statement, Patrik Köbele orientated the party towards the resistance against the US military maneuver “Defender 2020”, which is, of all things, just around the 75th anniversary of the liberation from fascism and war directed against the Russian Federation.
