Communist Party of Italy: The hypocrisy of Pope Francis

In his preaching at Santo Spirito Church in Sassia close to the Vatican, on Sunday 11 April, Pope Francis claimed that the ideal of sharing property - in contrast to private ownership - is "pure Christianity and not Communism". 

Commenting on Pope's remarks, the Communist Party, Italy (Partito Comunista) characterized them as "hypocritical". Here is the full comment:

"The Pope states that sharing property is a Christian gesture and not a communist one, which means that the Catholic Church has never done anything Christian in its entire existence, limiting itself only to preaching the famous Christian charity without ever, in fact, implementing it.

Contro il governo Draghi — Communist Party of Italy held nationwide protests against Draghi government

Hundreds of members and supporters of the Communist Party, Italy (Partito Comunista) participated yesterday, Saturday 27th February, in nationwide protests against the government of Mario Draghi. From Rome's San Silvestro square to Piazza Castello in Turin, the communists sent a strong message of struggle, reaffirming their strategic aim of social alliance against the pro-capitalist, closely affiliated with EU and NATO,  policies of the new government. 

Protests were held in numerous cities, including Milan, Florence, Genova, Napoli, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Terni and elsewhere,

Italian USB trade union slams the new Draghi government

The Italian trade union USB (Unione Sindacale di Base) has released a statement condemning the formation of the new government under the leadership of former banker Mario Draghi. 

The USB statement reads:

The national coordinations of the categories of the Unione Sindacale di Base met on Saturday 13 February 2021. This is the note unanimously approved.

Italy's Communist Party marks its 100th anniversary

Today, 21 January, marks the 100th anniversary since the foundation of the Communist Party of Italy in 1921, following a split in the Italian Socialist Party (PSI). The Party was founded in Livorno in 21 January 1921, headed by Antonio Gramsci, Palmiro Togliatti and Amadeo Bordiga.

In a turbulent course of 70 years until the final dissolution in 1991, the Communist Party of Italy, renamed as Italian Communist Party in 1940s,  left an indelible mark in the country's history. A member of the Communist International until 1943, it became the largest Communist Party in the western world with almost 2.3 million members in 1947. 

Italy's Communist Party increases its power in Rome by-elections

Communist Party leader Marco Rizzo gained the 4th place in the supplementary elections that took place on Sunday in Rome’s Lazio 1 constituency. 

Rizzo received 2.62% of the votes, which is seven times higher than the percentage in the 2018 elections (0.37%), thus marking a successful electoral performance for the Communist Party (Partito Comunista), given the existing correlation of forces.

A message, written in Italian, at the Communist Party's official website reads: 

"Si Fottano!": Italian communist leader Marco Rizzo tore up EU Parliament's resolution which equates communism with fascism

Thousands of members and supporters of the Communist Party (Partito Comunista) from across the country gathered on Saturday in Rome's Piazza Santi Apostoli, protesting against Italy's bourgeois government and the European Union. 

In a symbolic gesture, the General Secretary of the Communist Party, Italy, Marco Rizzo tore up a copy of the recent EU Parliament's resolution which equates communism with fascism. In his speech, Rizzo condemned the resolution for rewriting history through the unhistorical and despicable claim that the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop pact was the cause behind the Second World War. 

Marco Rizzo responds to the anti-communist slanders of "Lega Nord" member

Marco Rizzo (left). On the right, Iacopi with Matteo Salvini.
Photo: lariscossa.com

Being a communist is "an incurable disease". This is what Emilio Iacopi, a local representative of Matteo Salvini's Northern League (Lega Nord) and a former sergeant of Italian police, wrote during an anti-communist rant on social media. 

According to La Riscossa, organ of the Communist Party, Italy (Partito Comunista), the General Secretary of the Communist Party Marco Rizzo responded to the hideous remarks of Iacopi. More specifically he wrote on Twitter:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Partito Comunista, presente! Communist Party, Italy will participate in European elections

Communist Party's General Secretary Marco Rizzo.

The Communist Party, Italy (Partito Comunista) is going to participate in the 2019 European Elections on May, after overcoming the remaining legal obstacles. According the Italian law, a party can take part in the European Elections after the collection of 145,000 signatures, including high regional shares (e.g. 3,000 in Valle d'Aosta), which is also a very costly procedure. In fact, this law consists a privilege for the big parliamentary parties and creates significant obstacles for the smaller ones.

The Communist Party, Italy will be exempted from this procedure, as long as it will participate in the Elections under the membership of the European Communist Initiative, which is represented in the EU Parliament by two deputies of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). 

Italy: Communists paid tribute to the 100th anniversary of Communist International

Photo from the event in Rome (Credit: La Riscossa).

An event in honor of the 100^th anniversary since the founding of the Communist International was held in Rome, on Saturday 2^nd of March, by the Communist Party, Italy (Partito Comunista). Numerous members and friends of the Party and its youth wing- the Front of Communist Youth (FGC) – attended the event. 

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) was represented by Kostas Papadakis, MEP and member of the CC, who delivered a greeting speech.

Italy's communist youth FGC leads students' mobilizations against cuts in education

While the coalition government of the “Five Star Movement” and the far-right “Lega Nord” intensifies the anti-people policies, reducing social spending in education (4 billion euros) and allocating 200 million euros to install security cameras (!) in schools, the Italian youth has no other option but to resist and organize its struggle. 

Last week, more than 100,000 students took to the streets in more than 50 cities across Italy, in order to demonstrate against the governmental policy on Education.

Hands Off Polish communists: The working class in solidarity with the CP of Poland

Resolution by the European Communist Initiative regarding the anti-communist persecutions in Poland: 

On December 7th 2018 the 3-year anti-communist trial against members and cadres of the CP of Poland will resume. 

The Polish authorities, escalating the anticommunist campaign, encouraged by the fact that the EU recognizes anticommunism as its official ideology, have proceeded to despicable persecutions against the editorial board of Brzask magazine, carrying out even investigations in the houses of cadres of the Party. 

Italian communist leader Marco Rizzo blasts Berlinguer's eurocommunist legacy

Marco Rizzo (left), General Secretary of the CC of the
Communist Party, Italy. Right: Enrico Berlinguer.

In a very interesting speech delivered at the 20th International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties, which is taking place in Athens, the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Italy (Partito Comunista) Marco Rizzo strongly criticized the ideological and political legacy of the so-called "Euro-communism".

The intervention of Rizzo marks a break-up with the traditional reformist line of the - once powerful- Italian Communist Party. "We reject with extreme firmness any hypothesis of political alliances between parties, both for electoral purposes, which, even worse, in support of self-styled "left "governments. The Italian labor movement has paid heavily for the lines of collaboration and compromise with the reformist parties" said Rizzo and added:

"Vite di tutti, profitti di pochi": Who is to blame for Genova bridge collapse?

Poster by the Communist Party, Italy on the
Genova disaster: "Immediate Nationalisation".

At least 26 people were killed and 15 badly hurt after a motorway bridge in the northwest Italian city of Genova collapsed on Tuesday afternoon. Dozens of vehicles fell from a 45m height while, according to police sources, there are people who are still missing. 

The tragic incident in Genova seems to be another crime committed in the altar of profitability. In other words, another capitalist crime, in a system which risks the lives of the many for the profits of the few. 

The reaction from the Communist Party, Italy was immediate. In a message to his Twitter account, the Party's General Secretary Marco Rizzo offered his condolences to the families of the victims and wrote (free translation):

Italian communist leader Marco Rizzo: "The only revolution is the communist one"

Commenting on the recent developments in Italy and the failure of the two major parties to form a coalition government, the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party, Italy (Partito Comunista) Marco Rizzo wrote on his personal twitter account the following:

"The governmental incident indicates who is in charge in Italy. The EU, IMF and NATO are able to choose ministers and not only. We, the communists, know that, as well as Di Maio and Salvini knew that. Forward to the battle against capitalist globalization. The only revolution is the communist one."

Interview with the Communist Party (Italy)

Special interview with Guido Ricci, member of the Political Bureau and head of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, Italy (Partito Comunista). 

IDC: Taking into account the existing difficulties and the political correlation of forces, how do you evaluate the result of the March elections for the Communist Party, Italy? Did you achieve the basic objectives you had set before the elections?

PC: As you know, our Party does not consider elections and the parliamentary activity as the only possible form of struggle. According to the teachings of Lenin and Gramsci, the presence in the bourgeois parliament must be used to develop the work outside and against it. We approached these elections as an opportunity to verify our Party's mobilization ability, improve our organizational skills and attract new militants. We considered the elections as a means of making the party grow. Actually, a considerable number of workers and young people came into contact with the Party during the signatures drive and the election campaign. New party organizations have been established and the existing ones have been strengthened thanks to new comrades joining them.

Delegation of the European Communist Initiative on a three-day visit to Palestine

Members of the delegation met with Palestinian deputies.
(Photo: 902.gr)

A delegation of the INITIATIVE of Communist and Workers Parties is on a three-day solidarity visit to the Palestinian territories, in order to express its solidarity to the just struggle of the Palestinian people. 

The delegation is comprised by Sotiris Zarianopoulos, MEP of Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Lefteris Nikolaou, member of the International Relations Section of the CC of the KKE, as well as representatives from the Communist Party, Italy (Partito Comunista) and the Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE).

Communist Party, Italy: "A small boat that goes against the current in the storm"

"We are a small boat that goes against the current in the storm, but we have a duty to keep the bar straight. We did not hide the difficulties and did not give false illusions, saying clearly that our goal was to use the elections to strengthen and build the Party" writes, among other things, a statement of the Communist Party of Italy (Partito Comunista) regarding the results of March 4th elections. 

The Communist Party, which gave a brave electoral fight under difficult circumstances, gained approximately 100,000 votes which, in percentage terms is 0.35%. On that point, it must be mentioned that the Party had presence with lists in 57% of the colleges in the Chamber and in 59% in the Senate.