Fascism: What's in a word?

 By Greg Godels

The word “fascism” is a lightning rod. No one wants to be called a fascist.  Everyone is ready to call someone else a fascist. Like many highly charged words, the more common its usage becomes, the more inexact its meaning becomes.

Today, Trump is a fascist, Putin is a fascist, Modi is a fascist, Radical Islam is Islamofascism, the House and Senate members who passed the FISA renewal are fascists, Ukraine is a fascist country, political correctness is fascism, anti-Zionists are fascists, Zionists are fascists, and so on….

The 24th International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties to be held in Beirut in October

Archive Photo / Shutterstock

Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, will host the 24th International Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP), which will take place on 25-27 October 2024. 

 

The decision was taken on Saturday 29 June at the meeting of the Working Group (WG) of IMCWP held in Beirut and attended by 14 Communist and Workers' Parties, including the KKE.

The main theme of the 24th IMCWP, hosted by the Lebanese Communist Party, will be the following:

Hadash blasts Israeli Government's despicable decision to legalize settlements in occupied West Bank

Arch-racists Ben Gvir, Netanyahu and Smotrich

A decision by far-right Israeli government to legalize five occupied West Bank settlements drew widespread criticism on Friday, June 28, from Hadash and the Palestinian Authority (PA), which accused Israel of continuing a policy of “genocide” against the Palestinian people.  

 

The statements came after the security cabinet, at the behest of racist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, announced the steps and a series of punitive moves against the PA.

Sudanese authorities must release now all detained Communist Party members

The state authorities of Sudan have once again resorted to the known practice of persecution against the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) members and other political dissidents who oppose the war. 

 

This time, alongside other comrades, the military intelligence service proceeded on Monday 24 June to the illegal detention of Amal El Zein, Politburo member of the Sudanese Communist Party, Her whereabouts are currently unknown, while her family and lawyers haven't been permitted to see him. 

 

Kenya communists: "President Ruto, your time is up!"

Statement by the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of Kenya (CPK) on the ongoing developments in the country:

In the wake of intense demonstrations against the Finance Bill 2024 and the consistent, resolute demand for the resignation of President William Ruto, the President has made a belated and insincere about-face, declaring that he shall not consent to the bill and ostensibly acceding to the people's demands. This disingenuous capitulation comes only after Ruto ordered the brutal murder of more than 10 confirmed protesters and unleashed death squads to massacre more innocent lives in Githurai. 

 

KKE Europarliament Group: Remove Cuba from the U.S list of "state-sponsors of terrorism"

The European Parliament Group of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) condemns the inclusion of Cuba in the U.S State Department list of "state sponsors of terrorism", which was implemented by the Trump administration in 2021 and is still maintained by the Biden administration. More specifically, the statement of the KKE MEPs (here in Greek) reads:

 

"This is an unacceptable and provocative decision that aims to reinforce the heavy consequences of the economic blockade of Cuba by the US and its allies, which poses great obstacles to the economic development of Cuba and prevents the satisfaction of the needs of the Cuban people.

 

Venezuela communists to support Enrique Márquez’s presidential candidacy

The legitimate membership of the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) announced this Tuesday, June 25, its support for the candidacy of Enrique Márquez for the presidency of the Republic.

The announcement was made by the Secretary General of the Central Committee, Oscar Figuera, after the culmination of the third phase of the XVI National Conference held last Saturday, June 22, to define the tactics of the communists in the face of the July 28 presidential elections.

 

Communist Party of Sweden marks the best election results in 25 years against all odds

The Communist Party of Sweden (SKP) has recorded the best election results in a national election in 25 years. In almost all of the country's regions, the party has taken steps forward and has attracted new votes, which shows that the ideas of communism are not dead, but continues to find fertile ground to grow in.

However, the Swedish election system is designed to prevent this. Small parties are categorically discriminated against, as they have to pay for and distribute their own ballots, which put a financial as well as a logistical pressure on them. 

Italy needs a real Communist Party: New initiative to be unveiled on 30 June in Rome

In a statement published on its official site, the Communist Front (Fronte Communista) informs about a new initiative, undertaken alongside the Front of Communist Youth (Fronte della Gioventù Comunista - FGC), for the reconstruction of the - once militant and powerful - communist movement in Italy. 

 

Details on the initiative are going to be publicly announced in Rome on 30 June 2024. 

Communists of Cyprus demand from the government to stop cooperation with Israel: No involvement in the massacre of Gaza

In a televised address on 19 June, the head of Lebanon's Shia Islamist group Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, threatened the Republic of Cyprus accusing it of allowing Israel to use its airports and bases for military exercises.

The Communist Initiative of Cyprus (CIC) issued a statement (here in Greek) calling the government to end every cooperation with Israel and stop facilitating the Netanyahu leadership in the Gaza war. The statement titled "Cyprus is directly involved in the Gaza massacre: Every cooperation with Israel must stop" reads: 

KKE's leader Dimitris Koutsoumbas on the far right and the “New Popular Front” in France

On 19^th June in an interview with the radio station “Real FM”, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the CC of the KKE, referred to the results of the recent European elections held in Greece and the rest of the EU. 

Specifically for Greece, he noted that “there has been another significant electoral rise of the KKE, starting from the 2019 European elections (5.35%), the 2023 parliamentary elections of May (7.2%) and June (7.7%), and now the European elections (9.25%). This confirms that positive processes are taking place in society,in the struggles and the elections of the mass movement. I would say that a current disputing the dominant policy, i.e. that of the Commission, the EU and the New Democracy government, is being stabilized and strengthened; and, of course, this current is mainly expressed by the increase in the prestige of the KKE and in the rallying of broader forces around it.”

"Popular Front" in France: An old, bankrupt story

Article published in "Rizospastis" daily (here in Greek), Organ of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), on 20 June 2024:

"Popular Front" in France: An old, bankrupt story

"The multi-party cooperation established in France under the title “Popular Front” (Front Populaire) in order- as they say- to put obstacles to the election of a far-right Prime Minister, is presented as an example to follow in our country as well.

AKEL: Cyprus' subordination to the US does not make it a pillar of security, quite the opposite

In a televised address on 19 June, the head of Lebanon's Shia Islamist group Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, threatened the Republic of Cyprus accusing it of allowing Israel to use its airports and bases for military exercises. 

 

A day earlier, in a statement concerning the meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Cyprus and the USA in Washington DC, the Press Office of AKEL (Progressive Party of Working People) was pointing out:

 

In Mexico the rich became richer during the first leftist government of MORENA

Business tycoon Carlos Slim with President Obrador

Published in "El Machete", Organ of the CC of the Communist Party of Mexico (PCM), under the title "Los ricos se hacen más ricos en el primer gobierno de izquierda":

June 2018 began with a whirlwind of emotions among the Mexican population. For the first time in our history as a country we would be governed by a left-wing party. Andrés Manuel López Obrador won the elections after more than a decade of campaigning and arrived with the promise of putting the poor first, who aren't few in Mexico. In fact, when AMLO assumed the presidency, there were more than 50 million people in poverty in Mexico. “The poor,” he said, had been forgotten during all the neoliberal governments from Salinas to Peña Nieto.

Statement of the CC of the KKE on the results of the European Elections of 9 June 2024

Statement of the CC of the KKE on the results of the European Elections of 9 June 2024

1. The Central Committee of the KKE salutes the thousands of workers, the popular forces, the youth and the women who voted for the KKE and all those who joined forces with it in this important electoral battle. In particular, it extends a warm and comradely greeting to the members and cadres of the KKE and KNE, its supporters and friends, and all its candidates, who waged a hard struggle throughout this period.

Tudeh Party of Iran: The death of Raisi, chaos in a "homogeneous regime" and the need to organise for maximum pressure on the ruling dictatorship!

Extracts from the Editorial of Nameh Mardom, issue no. 1209, published Monday 3 June 2024:

With the death of Ebrahim Raisi, the criminal servant of the ruling dictatorship, the "homogeneous regime" project favoured by ["Supreme Leader"] Khamenei has suffered another blow. This project, centred around Raisi's administration, had already overseen major failures in both domestic and foreign policy over the past three years. 

Dockworkers in Greece refused to load arms shipment destined for Israel, forced cargo ship to change route

The militant mobilization of dockworkers at Greece's major port, Piraeus, on Saturday 15 June led to the cancellation of the arrival of “MSC ALTAIR”, a container ship transporting weaponry and ammunition to Israel.

As “Rizospastis” daily reported, MSC ALTAIR began its itinerary from Valencia, Spain and was due to reach Israel via Piraeus. According to information the cargo ship was carrying ammunition and other war material destined to be used by the IDF against the Palestinians in the slaughterhouse of Gaza. 

 

PCRF: Macron, Le Pen and the role of the revolutionary Communist Party

Same cause, same effects: capitalism and its bourgeois state, are the culprits!

On the evening of June 9, 2024, a verdict fell, with the results of the European ballot: electoral bankruptcy of the Macron/Attal government, with less than 15% of votes cast for the Macronist list (less than 8% of registered voters, taking into account the still strong abstention); new surge of the Rassemblement national, to over 31% (also to be put into perspective, with 16% of registered voters). You can find a fuller analysis on our website.

Justified popular anger, illusions to be dismantled

Greek Communist Youth's anti-imperialist camp to take place on July 4-7 in Chalkidiki

Under the slogan “No to the wars of the imperialists - Hope lies in the struggles of the peoples”, the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) organizes the 33rd Anti-imperialist Camp on 4-7 July 2024 in Chalkidiki.

With a tradition of many years, the camp will take place in the popular seaside village of Posidi, in the northern peninsula of Chalkidiki, and will include numerous political, cultural and sports events. Posidi is located approximately 105 km away from Greece's second largest city and major port, Thessaloniki. 

 

Communist Party of the Workers of Spain — PCTE: On the result of the European Elections

Statement of the Political Bureau of the PCTE: After the European Elections

Once the provisional results of the European Elections held on June 9^th are known, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain declares the following:

1) The general results at the European level and the particular ones in our country are giving a similar picture. On one side, there is a clear majority of what we call the Europeanist consensus. Although they express different options for capitalist management, all the political forces agreeing with the support to the European Union and the economic and military strategic plans being carried out within it belong to such consensus.

Italy marks 40th death anniversary of Eurocommunist leader Enrico Berlinguer

It was 7 June 1984, when the leader of the infamous "historic compromise", Enrico Berlinguer, who had recently turned 62, suddenly left the podium of a rally in the city of Padua, in the northern region of Veneto, after suffering a brain hemorrhage, and died four days later. 

The 11th June marked the 40th death anniversary of the Eurocommunist leader and Italy's bourgeois leadership praised his merits. Sergio Mattarella, the President of the Republic, pointed out that Berlinguer, who served as General Secretary of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) from 1972 until his death in 1984, “was an esteemed and popular political personality, capable of taking brave decisions".

Cyprus: The result of the European elections does not satisfy us, says AKEL leader Stefanos Stefanou

In a statement, the General Secretary of AKEL (Progressive Party of Working People) Stefanos Stefanou assessed the result of the 2024 European Elections, pointing out that the outcome of the elections isn't satisfactory for the party. 

AKEL came second after centre-right DISY, gaining 21.67% of the vote but losing one of its two seats in the European Parliament. The big surprise of the EU elections in Cyprus was an unpolitical YouTube prankster, Fidias Panagiotou, who took a whopping 19.4 per cent as an independent candidate. 

European Elections: Significant rise of the KKE sends message of hope throughout Europe

Electoral rally of the KKE in Athens, 5 June 2024

By Nikos Mottas

With 9.30% and more than 350,000 votes, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) marks a very significant electoral rise in June 9 European Elections, thus sending a resounding positive message, not only for the country's working class and popular strata, but also throughout Europe. 

While far-right, ultra-conservative and racist political forces gain ground in EU countries (France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, etc), the rise of the KKE's electoral influence is a beacon of hope for Europe's peoples. 

The European Elections and the role of Communists

 By Nikos Mottas

“The United States of Europe, under capitalism, is either impossible or reactionary”, Lenin wrote back in 1915. 

The course of history repeatedly proved the correctness of his timeless analysis. Since its formation, the European Union – formerly ECC – has been a transnational economic, political and military alliance of imperialist characteristics, aimed at serving the interests of monopoly groups at the expense of the working class.