The Political Bureau of the CC of the KKE hails the thousands of people who strengthened the KKE with their vote and the people with whom we fought the battle for the Party’s electoral growth in the June election.

The 25 June election concluded the forming process of a new correlation of forces in Parliament and a new government that had started in May. The KKE, both in the May and June election, achieved a discernible rise in votes and percentage compared to the 2019 election. In particular, it recorded a rise of 100,000 votes and 2.5%. It is telling that the number of the KKE’s votes was less affected by the increased voter abstention recorded in June compared to the other parties. The KKE elected 21 MPs, 6 more than in 2019, while the decrease in the number of MPs compared to the May election is due to the rigged law of New Democracy that steals our seats.

We hail the working-class and popular neighbourhoods of the West, South and North constituencies of Athens, of Piraeus, of the East and West constituencies of Attica, of Thessaloniki, of Patras, of the entire country.

We particularly salute the districts, towns and villages where the people waged great, harsh class and political struggles and today casted their vote for the KKE en masse, giving the Party sometimes 1^st place, as in Ikaria, sometimes 2^nd place, as in Aspropyrgos and Lesvos, where we regained the parliamentary seat that we lost in May, and sometimes 3^rd place, as in Attica, the largest region in the country.

The electoral reinforcement of the KKE is an indicator of the rise of the Party’s prestige among the working class and the entire people. Τhis prestige derives from the fact that the Party has been at the forefront of all the crucial fronts of struggle during the past period; from the emblematic workers’ struggles and demonstrations; from its stance during the pandemic; from its position and action against the imperialist war in Ukraine and Greece’s involvement in NATO plans; from the militant demands, the support and solidarity expressed by its Organizations, members and cadres during natural disasters while the bourgeois state had abandoned the people; from the struggles of farmers and the self-employed; from the action of the KNE among university and school students, which was also expressed by the first place of Panspoudastiki in the student elections for the second consecutive year.

The KKE was at the forefront of all the critical moments during 2019–2023, when New Democracy was in government, consistently in opposition from the point of view of the people’s interests both when struggles were waged and in Parliament, highlighting the class political choices of the government and the consensus of the other parties. This was the case with the pandemic, the imperialist war in Ukraine, but also the train crash in Tempe, where the KKE highlighted the responsibility of the policy of privatization and liberalization of transport promoted by all governments serving the profitability of business groups.

This stance allowed broader workers’–people’s forces to now trust in the KKE, acknowledging its consistency and stability in exposing the deception attempt of SYRIZA, despite their different views and thoughts.

The KKE was politically vindicated for its stance during 2012–2015 against the new rise of social democratic illusions brought about by the electoral strengthening of SYRIZA, as well as for the fact that, regardless of all the electoral losses it faced, it stood firm and did not consent to government alternation.

During this period, the KKE was able to better explain its stance towards bourgeois governments to broader popular forces; to present its own perception of workers’ power and governance, its character, the conditions for its realization, and the role that the KKE will play in it.

The rise of the KKE’s prestige also concerns its ideological–political intervention around strategic issues of history, economy and the contemporary ideological–political struggle, as well as the defence of socialism as the contemporary, realistic and necessary economic, political and social system; the only way out for the working class and the people of the country.

It also concerns the Party’s ability to make correct predictions about the course of developments, to enlighten and warn the people and the workers about them.

The Party’s prestige is also enhanced by its broader ideological intervention in a series of issues concerning advances in science, technology, education and health; its intervention in the discussion of contemporary social issues; its rich activity in the field of culture, which has enabled the rallying of broader forces and is also expressed by the mass participation in the KNE–Odigitis festivals.

We know that a broader section of workers, popular forces and the youth that is currently rallying around the KKE, does not agree with us on everything, is not firmly convinced of the political way out we propose and of the way to achieve it. However, we believe that today we are more capable to convince them. In the coming period, through our ideological–political intervention and discussion, but also through joint action with thousands of people on various fronts of struggle, we will be more capable to achieve a stronger rallying of forces around the KKE and its policy, its positions and its scientifically elaborated programme, which guarantees its consistent militant stance in favour of the workers’–people’s interests and in conflict with the objectives and strategy of the business groups.

All the above demonstrate that a vote for the KKE is not circumstantial or occasional. It is linked with its militant ties in the workplaces, the neighbourhoods, the villages, the places of health, education and culture. Those ties are strong and they must be strengthened even further. The process of forming militant links did not stop even during the election period. The candidates, the cadres of the KKE and KNE and the Party Organizations found themselves at the forefront of all the crucial battles of the previous period, even in the period between the May and June elections. We joined forces with hundreds of workers and breadwinners against the foreclosures of houses and small shops, in the demonstrations against workplace “accidents” in the Perama Ship Repair Zone, Lavrio, etc. resulting in dead workers, in the demonstrations condemning the crime off the coast of Pylos with hundreds of dead migrants and refugees, in the demonstrations of farmers to defend their income. We successfully fought battles to change the correlation of forces in trade union elections such as in LARCO and a number of hospitals, utilizing the elevated prestige that communists gained in the health sector, particularly during the pandemic.

All in all, the positive element of this electoral battle and result is the growing momentum of the Party’s electoral influence, despite the ongoing negative political correlation of forces. We believe that this momentum has a wider impact than its electoral expression and is linked with the struggle to regroup and give a massive character to the workers–people’s unions and organizations as well as with the change in the correlation of forces, over the years, in dozens of elections in trade unions, federations and labour centres of the working class, the farmers, the self-employed, craftsmen, tradesmen, scientists, students, doctors and teachers.

We know that those who chose to support the KKE did not make an easy choice. They were confronted with blackmailing dilemmas, prejudices, the dominant propaganda and illusions fostered by the government.

The MPs elected by the KKE are already where they promised to be the next day; at the forefront of the struggles against the problems faced by the workers and the people, at the side of the workers, the people and the youth.

We continue in a determined way. It is crucial that we continue the discussion and joint action around the issues that are on the agenda for the development of the popular struggle and the rise of the labour movement, with all those who have approached the KKE throughout this period, regardless of what they voted for in these elections.

At the same time, the reinforcement of the KKE gives courage and optimism to Communist Parties that struggle to change the correlation of forces in their own countries, to the workers’ struggles that are breaking out in the effort to regroup the international communist movement.

Difficult times lie ahead for the people. The KKE, as from tomorrow, will put into practice its commitment to be at the forefront of a 100% militant, working-class, people’s opposition. The Greek people should not keep a wait-and-see stance or give a grace period; especially the large part of the people who voted for New Democracy with a heavy heart.

From tomorrow, the working class and the popular forces will be faced with a new round of attack, against the background of new developments and facts:

- The implementation of the new memorandum prerequisites for the disbursement of the Recovery Fund and Stability Pact instalments.

- The transition to a strict fiscal policy, which essentially means a new round of social cuts and austerity in the name of primary surpluses as demanded by the EU, for the objective of investment grade.

- The possibility of a new financial crisis, the warning signals of which are already present in the USA and the EU, while the Greek capitalist economy is slowing down. These issues are highlighted both in the EU Commission’s spring economic forecast and in recommendations by the Bank of Greece.

- We are also following developments in the imperialist war in Ukraine, the pursuit of deeper Greek involvement in NATO plans, as well as the negative settlements being negotiated concerning Greek-Turkish relations, under the NATO umbrella.

New Democracy has already openly expressed its intention to expedite its anti-popular agenda and promote new commitments to EU policy and NATO plans, an issue that is also reflected in the composition of the new government.

Both SYRIZA and PASOK, as well as other forces currently in parliament, will essentially consent to the directions of this policy.

Ahead of us lie new anti-popular milestones:

- The NATO Summit, where new decisions will be taken for further involvement in the war in Ukraine, against the backdrop of the recent developments and the intra-bourgeois confrontation within Russia that has taken the form of an armed conflict.

- The commitment to adopt a package of anti-labour and anti-popular prerequisites within the framework of the commitments to the Recovery Fund by the end of August, entailing a new round of heavy taxation on the working class and the self-employed.

The KKE will immediately contribute to the struggle waged inside and outside the Parliament against anti-popular bills and the escalation of involvement in NATO plans. It will be the voice of the people against this negative political correlation of forces.

The correlation of forces remains negative mainly because the parties that support the policies of the business groups, the EU and NATO continue enjoying the vast majority of the workers’–people’s support. This does not signify acceptance of the anti-popular policy, or that those who voted, for instance, for New Democracy consent to its anti-popular programme. The electoral decline of the social-democratic pole expressed by SYRIZA and PASOK does not constitute an element of the negative correlation of forces; such an element is the disillusionment and fatalism systematically fostered by these parties, together with the notion that there is no alternative that led workers’–people’s forces to abandon them and support New Democracy. It is once again confirmed that all versions of social democracy (SYRIZA and PASOK) bear heavy responsibilities as they foster compromise and consensus on the anti-popular strategy and put stumbling blocks in the way of the labour–popular movement. Now an attempt is being made to conceal the responsibility of those parties, which while both in government and opposition have served the exploitative system, drawing dividing lines between the right, the centre and the left.

If anything has been proved, it is that those who promised that they would change things to the benefit of the people while serving the goals of the business groups, the capitalist system and the EU, i.e. without any conflict or rupture with the power of capital, the EU and NATO, lied to them. Only the KKE tells them the truth; that we can indeed change things, but that requires the overthrow of the current situation.

The enhanced presence of far-right and fascist parties in Parliament is another negative development of these elections; however, it is not the first time that those forces have won such a percentage. In both 2012 and 2015 those forces had recorded percentages above 10%. There is no room for complacency, because it is once again demonstrated that the roots of fascism–Nazism are to be found in the very system and the state; they are deep as there are various centres and interests supporting them. Fascism is fed by the official EU policy of anti-communism and the theory of two extremes, the EU policy on immigration issues, the policy of repression and offensive against the workers’–people’s movement.

Their over-promotion as an anti-systemic vote by the media and the apparatus of the system, which was also the case in 2012–2015, helped them to gain traction.

The unacceptable obstructionism in the Golden Dawn trial as well as the fact that various political forces have been buttering up Nazi supporters or adopting their political agenda have also played a role in this result.

It is confirmed that fascism–Nazism, due to its nature, cannot be dealt with by some legislative measures, which in fact open up dangerous paths. This is a matter for the workers’–people’s movement. The KKE will continue to struggle in this direction, as it has done so throughout the previous period.

The KKE will closely follow the debate that will objectively open up concerning the domestic political developments, as well as the processes that will take place in SYRIZA and perhaps in PASOK and other, smaller political forces. Those who were disappointed by PASOK in the past and by SYRIZA today, must take a step forward. The answer lies neither in trying to restore social democracy, nor in a new vicious circle of illusions and delusions. The answer lies in the policy of the KKE, in the class struggle, in the coordinated workers’–people’s struggles on the path of the overthrow of capitalism.

We have a firm conviction that the correlation of forces can change. Nothing remains static. The bourgeois political system will face difficulties in the coming period, as it has done before. Besides, even the figures show that since 2019 hundreds of thousands of people have abandoned New Democracy and SYRIZA, regardless of whether they casted a protest vote or abstained from voting.

The KKE will struggle together with thousands of workers and young people who are abandoning the impasses of social democracy and other bourgeois parties in order to reinvigorate hope. We call upon them all to rally around and join forces with us. In the face of disillusionment, fatalism and compromise cultivated by SYRIZA and other forces, the KKE insists that hope for the people lies in the path of conflict with this policy, this system, the directions of the EU and the commitments to NATO.

The way to change the correlation of forces lies in the current disputing the dominant bourgeois policy, its class character, the parties and governments that serve it and the state of capital. It lies in the current that is not looking for new saviours resulting from an alternation in government. It lies in a current that seeks a solution to today’s problems through organized struggle, participation in the movement, collective action and class struggle.

There are important political struggles ahead of us; we single out the battle of the imminent municipal and regional elections. A further rallying of workers’–people’s forces can be expressed in this battle through the ballot papers of “People’s Rallying” nationwide.

HOPE FOR THE PEOPLE LIES IN THE KKE

WE CONTINUE FOR A 100% PEOPLE’S OPPOSITION

The Political Bureau of the CC of the KKE

26/6/2023