KKE: The nationwide candidates' list for the July 7th Greek general elections

In a press conference earlier today, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas announced the names of the candidates included in the Party's nationwide electoral list ("epikrateias") for the July 7th general elections. 

As we presented in a previous article, the head of the list is the former General Secretary of the KKE, a long-time member of the Central Committee and current MP, Aleka Papariga. 

Below is the full nationwide electoral list of the Party:

Remembering José Saramago: "We need to change the world"

Nine years have passed since the 18th June 2010, the day when José Saramago, one of the most gifted novelists of the 20th century, died. 

Saramago, was far more than just a novelist, a poet, a playwright and a journalist; he was a philosopher and he was a communist. 

Born on November 16th, 1922 at Azinhaga, a small village in Portugal. In 1924, the Saramago family moved to Lisbon where his father began his new job as a policeman. Just a few months after their settlement in the portuguese capital, Jose's older brother, Franscisco, died. Although Jose was a good pupil, his parents were unable to afford to keep him in grammar school, and instead moved him to a technical school at age 12. 

No Sanctions- No War on Iran: Joint Statement of Communist and Workers' Parties

In a joint declaration published on Solidnet, Communist and Workers' Parties around the world reject any foreign intervention in Iran under any pretext, say no to sanctions and no to war, stressing out that the future of Iran and its political system is a matter that should be determined by the Iranian people and them alone:

"The undersigned communist and workers parties express their grave concern about the recent developments in the Persian Gulf which pose significant threats to world peace.

Greece: Solidarity with the students who are prosecuted for their anti-imperialist activity

Riot police violently attacking demonstrators during an
anti-imperialist rally in Athens; April 16, 2018.

Two university students are facing charges by the Greek authorities for participating in an anti-imperialist, anti-war mobilization last year. 

The trial is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 19th of June at the Evelpidon Court in Athens and various workers and students' unions have called for a solidarity rally on this day. 

100 years of the Communist International: The declaration of Moscow international conference

On June 1-2 in Moscow there was held international conference “100-years to the Communist International and tasks of the Communist movement today”. 

As a result of discussions and exchange of views on the issues of international cooperation between communist parties a final statement was composed by the participants.

FINAL DECLARATION

«100-years to the Communist International and tasks of the Communist movement today», Moscow, 1 - 2 June 2019.

KKE: Statement on the dangerous plans of the United States against Iran

On the occasion of the latest dangerous developments at the Bay of Oman and the U.S. provocations against Iran, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued the following statement: 

The last attacks against tankers in the Bay of Oman ignite once again the developments around Iran. The USA as if they were “already prepared”, put Iran in the cross-hair and rally more military forces in the region.

Spain: PSOE government deepens its role as a lackey of US imperialism - Statement by PCTE

In a statement the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) slams the social democratic government of Pedro Sánchez for deepening its role as a lackey of USA imperialism. The statement refers to the presense of more US troops in the naval station of Rota in Cádiz:

"The interim PSOE government has accepted the reinforcement of USA military troops in the naval station Rota (Cádiz) with a detachment of navy helicopters, which also leads to the increase of the US detachment in 30 more soldiers. The intentions of the US Government to improve and replace its launcher destroyer warships for more updated and with more capacity ones have been recently announced.

Kosovo: Mass murderers Clinton, Albright return to crime scene 20 years later

Mass murderers Bill Clinton and Madeleine Albright, along
with the so-called "President" of Kosovo Hashim Thaci in
Pristina.

Twenty years later, the murderers of the Yugoslavian people return to the crime scene. Those who bombed Yugoslavia in 1999, spreading terror and death, are celebrating their atrocities in the NATO protectorate of Kosovo. 

Former US President Bill Clinton and top diplomat Madeleine Albright are among Western leaders flocking to Kosovo to receive honors by ethnic Albanian militants they backed in the 1999 NATO massacre against Yugoslavia. 

On Tuesday, Clinton arrived in Kosovo to receive honors from the ethnic Albanian authorities. He was presented with a medal by “President” Hashim Thaci (former leader of the terrorist paramilitary KLA organisation), and a commemorative postage stamp bearing his face.

Solidarität mit Polnischen Kommunisten: Party of Labour of Austria (PdA) denounces the anti-communist actions of the Polish government

In a declaration issued on June 11, 2019 in Vienna, the Party of Labour of Austria (PdA) strongly denounces the escalation of anti-communist policies and the distortion of history implemented by the government of Poland and expresses solidarity with the Communist Party of Poland (KPP). 

Read the statement, in both English and German languages, below:

KKE: Former General Secretary Aleka Papariga placed head of the nationwide candidates' list

Aleka Papariga, the former General Secretary of the Party's Central Committee, has been placed first in the Communist Party of Greece's (KKE) nationwide list of candidates for the upcoming general elections of July 7th.

Born in 1945, Papariga has served as General Secretary from 1991 to 2013, thus being the first woman to head a major political party in Greece. Born in a family of National Resistance fighters and Communist Party members, Aleka Papariga became active in the peace and women's movements during the 1960s and 70s. 

Mexico's Communist Party (PCM) slams Trump-Obrador anti-immigration deal

In a statement the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Mexico (PCM) slams the recent agreement made by the governments of Donald Trump and López Obrador on immigration issues. 

The Communist Party accusses both the two governments that they actually staged a farce of negotiations - with threats with tariff measures on one hand and a wave of patriotism on the other - thus hiding the real issue which is the imposition of anti-immigration policies by both sides. 

The 21st International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties to be held in Izmir, Turkey

The Working Group Meeting of the 21st International Meeting of the Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP), hosted by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) and the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), in Izmir, Turkey on June 8th.

Delegates from 25 Communist and Workers Parties attended the event.

The Working Group Meeting decided that the 21st IMCWP, which will be jointly organized by the TKP and the KKE, will take place in the city of Izmir on October 2019.

Stalin's monument unveiled in Novosibirsk

A new sculpture - and more specifically a black bust and two plaques - dedicated to the great Soviet leader Joseph Stalin was unveiled in the city of  Novosibirsk, the third largest city of Russia, on May 9th. 

The monument was placed in the facade of the local offices of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, after a decision of the city council. 

At the same time, a record 70 percent of Russians approve of Soviet leader Josef Stalin’s role in Russian history, according to a poll published by the independent Levada Center pollster last April. 

Slander, Lies and Anti-Communism by the ETUC and GSEE Trade Union mafia

The - imposed by court order- social democrat President
of the GSEE Yannis Panagopoulos. 

On Thursday, May 23rd, the Congress of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) gave the floor to the –imposed by court order and not elected- President of the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), Yiannis Panagopoulos.

It is no coincidence that his speech, which began with the defense of Juncker and the ETUC, was spent in slander, lies and anti-communism, while he did not find a word to say about the struggles and demands of Greek workers. Struggles, in which he never took part. Struggles which he opposed and undermined them systematically!

Iraqi Communist Party denounces the attack at the party's offices in Basra

The headquarters of the provincial committee of the Iraqi Communist Party in the province of Basra was subjected to a cowardly attack at 2:15am on Sunday (2 June 2019), with a grenade which caused material damage to the building without casualties.

This treacherous attack came after the blatant assault last month on the offices of our party in the city of Nasiriyah and town of Souk al-Shuyukh, in the province of Nasiriyah.

Stop anti-communist persecution in Poland - Statement by the Communist Party (KPP)

Anti-communist persecution in Poland intensifies as the state authorities attempt to criminalize the communist activity by changes of the penal code. This is an element of the anti-communist campaign aimed at banning the Communist Party of Poland. 

The legal changes are also a part of the persecution such as a trial of the members of the CPP and the „Brzask" editorial board, lasting for about 3,5 years, despite the fact that the court on January declared them as innocent. At the same time the Polish authorities raise other obstacles to the communist activity as well as falsifying the history and destroying anything connected with communism and the Peoples' Poland.

D. Koutsoumbas: "The KKE joins the battle for the general elections with greater determination and optimism"

On Sunday 2/6, the 2nd round of the local elections was completed in Greece. In Patras, the communist mayor Kostas Peletidis was reelected with 70.22% of the vote, while in the other 4 municipalities where the candidates of "People's Rally" took part in the 2nd round, despite the high vote percentage (Kaisariani-47.18%, Petroupoli-49.01%, Haidari-46.02%, Ikaria-42.82%), the election of a communist mayor was not achieved.

Patras' communist mayor Kostas Peletidis wins a landslide victory with over 70% of the votes

The communist mayor of Patras, Greece's third largest city, Kostas Peletidis, has been re-elected in office in the second round of the local elections that took place on Sunday. 

Peletidis, who has the support of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), gained 70,91% winning a landslide victory over his opponent G. Alexopoulos. 

Greeks Abroad: KKE received 14.09%, emerges in the 3rd place in EU elections vote

Greece’s Ministry of the Interior has published the official results of Sunday’s European Elections for the Greek citizens who were abroad on the day of the election and who voted for Greek candidates instead of the local ones in the EU country of their residency.

According to the official results, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) received 14.09% of the votes, emerging in the 3rd place behind the ruling social democratic SYRIZA party and the conservative opposition of New Democracy (ND). 

The Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) reflects on May 26th electoral results

As the provisory results of the municipal, European and autonomic – in several Autonomous Communities – elections held yesterday are known, and while waiting a more thorough analysis of the whole electoral cycle which will be made in the next weeks, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) states the following:

1) First, we want to thank the thousands of people who have consciously supported our candidacies and also all those companions who, having met the members of the PCTE in the working-class and people's struggles, have accepted to participate in our municipal and autonomic lists. We express as well our warm greeting to the two comrades who have been elected as councillors in the municipality of Degaña, in Asturias.

Greece: Five communist mayors go to second round of local elections on June 2

From left: Peletidis (Patras), Stamelos (Kesariani), Selekos (Haidari), 
Simos (Petroupoli), Lardas (Ikaria).

The five communist (backed by the KKE) mayors are going to the second round of municipal elections in Greece, after the results of May 26th. 

The five mayors, heads of the "People's Rally" (Laiki Sispirosi) lists, will have the opportunity to re-claim their mayorship in the local elections run-off next Sunday 2 July. More specifically:

In Patras, mayor Kostas Peletidis received 40.59% of the votes (approximately 39,500 votes). 

In Kesariani, the heroic district of Athens, mayor Ilias Stamelos received 29.87% (app. 3,525 votes).

Dimitris Koutsoumbas: Statement on the results of the European and local elections of May 26th

In his statement to the mass media, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary  of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) noted the following regarding the results for the elections for the European Parliament and local administration: 

“First of all we would like to thank all of those who responded to KKE's call to join forces with it. All of those who honored us, participating in the Party ballot, but also all those who under difficult conditions came to the ballot box and voted for the KKE in the European Parliament elections and for “People's Rally” in the municipal and regional elections. We would especially like to thank all those who took that step for the first time, for the young men and women who gave their very first vote to our Party.

European Elections 2019: KKE gets more than 250,000 votes, elects 2 deputies

Konstantinos Papadakis (upper photo) and Lefteris Nikolaou
are the two MEPs of the KKE.

According to the latest results given by the Greek Ministry of Interior, with 82% of the total electoral centers counted, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) gets 5.48% (252.912 votes) and elects 2 MEPs. 

The eurodeputies elected with the KKE are Kostantinos Papadakis and Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos. 

In yesterday's European elections, the conservative New Democracy (ND) got a comfortable lead (9.5%) over ruling social democratic SYRIZA. According to the latest results, ND gets 33.23% of the votes and elects 7 MEPs, while SYRIZA gets 23.79% and elects 6 MEPs. The center left KINAL (formerly PASOK) party gets 7.61% and elects 2 eurodeputies. 

Athens turned red: Massive rally of the KKE sends message of hope and struggle (Photos)

A really massive and vivid rally of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) took place on Wednesday afternoon in central Athens, just 4 days before the double European and local elections of May 26th. 

Thousands of workers, young men and women, people of every age created a "red river" at Syntagma Square, sending a message of hope and struggle. 

The major speaker at the event was the KKE's General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas. The rally was attended by a delegation of the Communist Party, Italy (PC) headed by the General Secretary Marco Rizzo who delivered a greeting message.