Yu Haiqing: Steadfastly advancing on the path of promoting human development and progress
In 2022, amidst a world characterized by intertwined changes and turmoil and persistent instability, foreign Communist Parties remained steadfast in their ideals and convictions. Holding high the torch of truth, they forged ahead with unwavering resolve on the path of seeking progress for the world and liberation for humanity. Under complex circumstances, they actively disseminated their own values and concepts, strove to expand their space for survival, clarified their directions and priorities for action, broadened mutual exchanges and connections, and defended the cause of peace and justice. These efforts constituted the core substance of the activities and struggles of foreign Communist Parties in 2022.
Tracing Glorious History to Inspire the Spirit of Struggle
In 2022, the commemoration and reflection on the history of socialist development intersected with celebrations of Party founding anniversaries, forming the primary theme of commemorative activities for foreign Communist Parties.
Two events solemnly commemorated by foreign Communist Parties this year were directly related to the development of Soviet socialism. The first was the 105th anniversary of the October Revolution. Communist Parties in many countries commemorated this great breakthrough and pivotal moment in human history through various forms. Amarjeet Kaur, Secretary of the National Council Secretariat of the Communist Party of India, delivered a commemorative speech at the party's headquarters and laid a wreath at the statue of Lenin, noting that even today, the October Revolution remains a guide to action for all people worldwide struggling for liberation from exploitation and oppression. The Party of Labour of Austria and its youth front organized celebratory activities, recounting the great achievements of the October Socialist Revolution through speeches, themed evening galas, and the broadcasting of Soviet revolutionary songs and films. The Communist Party of Poland issued a statement emphasizing the significant historical meaning of the October Revolution, while also noting that it is still viewed as a threat by global capitalism and thus slandered in new anti-communist historical narratives; they called on the world's communists to remember that the only effective method of opposing capitalism is to organize the working class.
The second event was the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Soviet Union. To commemorate this important date, Gennady Zyuganov, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF), delivered a lengthy report at the party's Central Committee plenary session in November 2022. He summarized the achievements of Soviet socialist construction from twelve perspectives, provided a deep analysis of the reasons for Russia's current predicament, and issued a call to the entire party and the Russian people to "strive for the victory of socialism." On December 5–6, the "European Communist Initiative" organized an online commemorative meeting attended by representatives from Communist Parties of many countries. Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), spoke highly of the immense contributions of Soviet socialism, pointing out that the collapse of the Soviet Union [1] did not change the character of the era, and that the 21st century will surely be a century of a new upsurge in the world revolutionary movement and of new social revolutions.
In 2022, Communist Parties in several countries held activities to commemorate their founding. To celebrate its centenary, the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) launched a series of activities, including designing a centenary logo, introducing the slogan "A Century of Love and Courage for Brazil," continuously publishing centenary news on its official website, publishing poetry collections, filming commemorative short films, and holding related photo exhibitions. The Brazilian Communist Party (PCB) [2] organized a five-day seminar on party history and subsequently issued a commemorative statement, shouting the slogan "For People's Power, Toward Socialism," emphasizing that only through revolutionary struggle can the injustices of capitalism be overcome and a society without exploitation be built.
On September 17, 2022, the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) held a grand meeting at its Tokyo headquarters to celebrate its centenary, with branch venues established nationwide for live streaming. JCP Chairman Kazuo Shii delivered a commemorative speech titled "On the Century-Long History and Program of the Japanese Communist Party," comprehensively summarizing the JCP’s hundred-year history and calling on the party to continue carrying forward the spirit of indomitability, tireless self-improvement, and unity to create a hopeful future.
The New Communist Party of the Netherlands (NCPN) is the successor to the Communist Party of the Netherlands, which once had a brilliant history; it has been 30 years since it was reorganized following the collapse of the Soviet Union. On November 4, 2022, the NCPN held a theoretical seminar and celebratory meeting, released a booklet on party history, and comprehensively reviewed the century-long struggle from the Communist Party of the Netherlands to the New Communist Party. They summarized the precious experience of the Dutch and international communist movements, mourned the deceased, paid tribute to heroes, and expressed their determination to struggle for a better future and for socialism and communism.
In addition, many Communist Parties carried out various activities to commemorate their important leaders and revolutionary pioneers, such as the 100th anniversary of the birth of Italian Communist Party leader Enrico Berlinguer and the 80th anniversary of the death of early Communist Party of Spain activist Matilde Landa. Meanwhile, several important Communist leaders passed away this year, such as Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which to some extent brought losses to the international communist movement. Among them, the death of the last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, sparked widespread attention and complex commentary. Communist Parties in various countries offered mostly negative evaluations; for instance, Zyuganov argued that Gorbachev's rise to power was a massive tragedy that buried the Soviet Union and led to the chaos of the current world security order.
Encountering Electoral Setbacks: Parliamentary Struggle Falls into a Predicament
In 2022, foreign Communist Parties faced prominent problems in elections at various levels; their support rates showed varying degrees of decline, and their overall performance was dismal, leaving them facing a predicament in parliamentary struggle.
In Europe, major traditional Communist Parties are deeply mired in the quagmire of parliamentary politics. In the Portuguese general election held in early 2022, the Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) led by the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) received only 4.4% of the vote and 6 seats, marking the PCP's worst performance in history. Fifteen years after the party last ran independently, Fabien Roussel, the current National Secretary, participated as the candidate of the French Communist Party (PCF) in the French presidential election in April 2022. Roussel proposed the campaign slogan "Happy Days," which carries rich historical connotations aimed at recreating the PCF's golden years after World War II, but he received only 2% of the vote in the first round. In the subsequent second round of the French National Assembly elections, the PCF joined the "New Ecologic and Social People's Union" (NUPES), a broad-left alliance led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, and won 12 seats, an increase of two compared to 2017.
In September 2022, the fragmented Italian communist movement faced a new round of national parliamentary elections. In this election, Italy's three main communist forces belonged to different left-wing camps: the Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) joined the "People's Union"; the Communist Party (PC), belonging to "People's Unity," ran independently in some constituencies; and the Communist Party (Italy) [PCI] joined the "Sovereign and Popular Italy" alliance. These electoral alliances and independent runs performed poorly, with support rates mostly fluctuating between 1% and 1.5%, failing to secure any seats. In recent years, despite numerous efforts by relevant communist parties to heal divisions and strengthen cooperation, no substantial progress has been made. The fragmented state of the Italian communist movement is unlikely to be reversed in the short term, with opposition and mutual exclusion remaining the primary characteristics of Italian communist parties' development this year.
In the Brazilian presidential election held in October 2022, the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) joined the "Brazil of Hope" alliance led by Lula, while another communist organization—the Brazilian Communist Party (PCB)—nominated economist Sofia Manzano as its presidential candidate and proposed a political platform with distinct anti-capitalist characteristics. In the concurrent Chamber of Deputies election, the PCdoB won 6 seats, four fewer than in 2018. The PCdoB subsequently analyzed the election results and the challenges of expanding social integration, emphasizing the need for broad debate in 2023 and deep reflection on changes in the world of labor and the far-reaching impact of the capitalist crisis on social struggle.
Additionally, in July 2022, in the 26th House of Councillors election in Japan, the JCP won 11 seats, two fewer than in 2019. In the Czech municipal elections held in September 2022, the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM), which had suffered a major setback in the 2021 national elections, slipped into a sustained decline, winning only 466 seats (having previously held over 1,000). In the Russian federal regional elections held in the same month, although the KPRF saw an increase in votes and support at the provincial level, they mostly trailed behind the United Russia party; however, they performed poorly in city council elections, with support rates dropping in many locations.
As 2022 drew to a close, communist parties in Nepal unexpectedly achieved reunification and returned to the governing stage, adding a bright spot to the otherwise dismal parliamentary performance of foreign Communist Parties this year. Since the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) parted ways in late 2020 and the communist parties lost their governing status, the overall strength of the Nepalese communist movement had been greatly weakened. In the November 2022 House of Representatives elections, the Nepali Congress, the CPN (UML), and the CPN (MC) won 89, 78, and 32 seats respectively, none of which met the conditions for governing alone. Through multi-party communication and negotiation, the CPN (MC) and CPN (UML) set aside past grievances and formed a new alliance, thereby securing the majority of seats required to govern. In late December, Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda), Chairman of the CPN (MC), assumed the office of Prime Minister of Nepal for the third time, and the alliance led by communist parties regained power. However, from the current perspective, the alliance between the two parties is largely an expedient measure based on the pursuit of governing power. The potential fragility of the alliance casts a shadow over the development prospects of the Nepalese communist movement.
Clarifying Development Ideas and Stepping Toward a New Journey
"Party Congress" was a keyword for the development of foreign Communist Parties in 2022. Communist Parties in many countries held national congresses or Central Committee plenums to summarize periodic development work, analyze and reflect on existing problems, set the tone for future directions and goals, and determine action plans for the next stage.
The year 2022 was the first year after the ruling Communist Parties in socialist countries held their national congresses. These parties successively held Central Committee plenums to implement the spirit of the national congresses and plan key tasks for the new stage of development. The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) held its fifth and sixth plenary sessions of the 13th Central Committee, respectively, discussing important topics such as agricultural and rural development, the collective economy, Party building, advancing national industrialization and modernization, building a socialist state governed by law, and innovating the Party's leadership methods, committing to the overall goal of continuing to promote the construction of a socialist state under the rule of law led by the CPV. The Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) held the fourth and fifth plenary sessions of its 8th Central Committee, prioritizing discussions on the economic situation, especially evaluating the update of the economic model to address the global economic predicament exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the further tightened blockade by the United States against Cuba. The Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) held the fourth and fifth plenary sessions of its 11th Central Committee, confronting challenges in economic and social development, emphasizing the need to enhance social responsibility, paying attention to changes in the international security situation, and avoiding being caught in international risks. The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) held the fifth and sixth plenary sessions of its 8th Central Committee, clarifying the keynote of continuing to strengthen national defense construction, and reiterating that the right to self-defense is the maintenance of national sovereignty, and that they must adhere to the "struggle principle of meeting strength with strength and frontal breakthrough."
In developing regions of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, the Communist Party of Bangladesh, the Colombian Communist Party, the Communist Party of India, and the Tudeh Party of Iran all held new Party congresses. Other representative meetings were also held: from April 6–10, 2022, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) held its 23rd National Congress in Kannur, Kerala, where Sitaram Yechury was elected General Secretary for the third consecutive time. In mid-July 2022, the South African Communist Party (SACP) held its 15th National Congress, where former Deputy General Secretary Solly Mapaila was elected General Secretary, and Blade Nzimande, who had served as General Secretary since 1998, was elected Party Chairperson. The congress adopted a political report titled "Let Us Build a Powerful Socialist Movement of the Workers and the Poor Together," setting the goal of building the SACP into a working-class vanguard struggling for socialism. From November 3–5, 2022, the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) held its 16th National Congress. The congress re-elected Oscar Figuera as General Secretary, further clarified its Marxist-Leninist ideological direction, and committed to deepening the action line of broad unity among worker alliances and popular movements to enhance the party's cohesion in future struggles. In December 2022...
From the 16th to the 18th, the Communist Party of Mexico held its 7th Congress under the theme "For socialist revolution: a strong, class-oriented, and internationalist Communist Party." The congress proposed deepening criticism and confrontation with the current government, seeking to strengthen its own power to advance the urgent and necessary revolutionary transformation of Mexico.
In developed capitalist regions, the Communist Party of Australia held its 14th National Congress from February 25 to 27, 2022, under the slogan "Building the Party for a Socialist Future," emphasizing the strategic role of the Communist Party in seizing power and constructing socialism. During this meeting, Andrew Irving was re-elected as General Secretary and Vinnie Molina was elected National President. From June 11 to 12, 2022, the Communist Party of Finland held a congress themed "For Class Struggle and Peace." Based on new changes in the domestic and international situation, the party updated its program, passed amendments to its constitution, and adopted political documents such as "The World Needs Peace, and Peace Needs Builders." Liisa Taskinen, a retired senior medical official, was elected as the new Party Chairperson. From July 8 to 10, 2022, the 21st Congress of the Communist Party of Spain was held in Madrid. The political documents adopted analyzed the developmental characteristics of global capitalism at the current stage, Spain's position within the global capitalist system, and the state of domestic class struggle. For the first time, the party proposed the future goal of establishing a workers', feminist, and environmentalist party. At this congress, Enrique Santiago was re-elected General Secretary and José Luis Centella was re-elected Party President. On November 12, 2022, the Portuguese Communist Party held a political conference titled "Take Political Action, Strengthen Party Power, Respond to New Developments," which saw a generational transition in the party’s top leadership. Jerónimo de Sousa, who had served as General Secretary for 18 years, stepped down, and 46-year-old Paulo Raimundo became the seventh General Secretary in the party's more than 100-year history. Additionally, the Communist Parties of Denmark, Norway, and Ireland, the New Communist Party of the Netherlands, the Party of Labour of Austria, the Communist Party of Italy, and the Communist Party of Canada also held national congresses.
The Party of the European Left, a regional unified organization of communist and other radical left-wing forces, held its 7th Congress in Vienna, Austria, from December 9 to 11, 2022. More than 350 delegates from European member parties and over 40 political parties worldwide attended. The congress committed to building a social, ecological, democratic, and peaceful world, putting forward the slogan "Peace, Bread, and Roses," calling for peace and disarmament, the fight for decent living conditions, and the struggle against discrimination and for a better life for all. Walter Baier, the General Coordinator of the "transform! europe" [3] think tank and a member of the Communist Party of Austria, was elected to succeed Heinz Bierbaum as the new President of the Party of the European Left.
Seeking Consensus while Internal Divergences Remain Difficult to Reconcile
In 2022, foreign Communist Parties actively strengthened their ties, promoting cooperation and common development through bilateral and multilateral exchanges. In particular, the successful convening of numerous international conferences demonstrated the efforts made by Communist Parties to seek consensus to the greatest extent possible. For example, the "Roundtable of Mediterranean and European Left Parties" held in Brussels in June 2022 saw in-depth discussions on the regional situation in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the necessity of unity and mutual support among left-wing parties. In North America, the Communist Party USA hosted the first International Anti-Imperialist Conference in September 2022. Through speeches and other activities, it organized communists from various countries to conduct in-depth analyses of new developments in 21st-century imperialism and response strategies, elucidating the extreme importance of internationalism and solidarity. In South America, the Communist Party of Venezuela hosted the 3rd International Ideological Seminar, discussing the current crisis of capitalism, the roles of the proletariat, Communist Parties, and social movements, and the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the global restructuring of power, thereby deepening and promoting understanding and struggle regarding international ideological issues.
The International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP), an important symbol of current international communist solidarity and cooperation, held its 22nd meeting in Havana, Cuba, in October 2022 after being suspended for several years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 145 delegates from 78 Communist and Workers' Parties in 60 countries attended. The meeting reflected on how to strengthen the unity, solidarity, and coordination of the world's Communist and Workers' Parties and exchanged views on the international situation and the problems facing various parties. The meeting issued a "Final Declaration," clarifying the action plan for the next stage and calling on communists to strengthen unity and defend peace, the environment, workers' rights, solidarity, and socialism.
At the same time, however, divergences among foreign Communist Parties on several major theoretical and practical issues have become increasingly clear. In 2022, two concentrated debates occurred: one centered on important issues of ideology, unity, and cooperation. At the beginning of the year, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) published an article titled "Ideology—The Political Struggle in the International Communist Movement" in its party newspaper Rizospastis [4], publicly naming and criticizing several Communist Parties and left-wing forces, and proposing a revolutionary reorganization of the international communist movement based on Marxism-Leninism. In response, the Hungarian Workers' Party published an open letter emphasizing that Marxism is not a dogma and that defending Marxism is not the exclusive right of any single party or faction, but the responsibility of all communists. They argued that Communist Parties must proceed from current realities, creatively apply and develop Marxism, unite all anti-capitalist forces, draw lessons, and continuously learn from new experiences to gain the strength to move forward.
The other debate centered on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. For some time, foreign Communist Parties have formed two different positions and advocacies on this issue. One view, initiated by the Russian Communist Workers' Party and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation during the 22nd IMCWP, was expressed in a joint statement by 23 Communist and Workers' Parties. It condemned the United States and NATO for resorting to provocation and conflict, pointing out that their goal is to establish American world hegemony in the 21st century, and called on Communist and Workers' Parties to unite against the fascism, anti-Sovietism, and Russophobia of the EU and NATO. The other view emerged in July 2022, when the Communist Parties of Greece, Spain, Mexico, and Turkey held a meeting to focus on the Russia-Ukraine issue. During the 22nd IMCWP, the Communist Party of Greece, together with several other parties, signed a resolution publicly stating that this is an imperialist war, criticizing the U.S., EU, NATO, and all participating parties, and proposing that the task of communists is to end capitalism—as only the end of capitalism can end war. These two debates are a concentrated manifestation of the different positional tendencies of foreign Communist Parties in recent years, reflecting the expanding internal contradictions within the international communist movement.
Striving for Peace and Progress, Defending Social Equity and Justice
In 2022, foreign Communist Parties continued to persevere in opposing hegemonism, maintaining peace, defending social equity and justice, and moving forward courageously on the path of promoting human development and progress. Representative actions included the following aspects:
First, organizing and leading various forms of activity to protest the U.S. and NATO for instigating and continuously intensifying the Russia-Ukraine conflict. For example, during the NATO summit from June 24 to 26, 2022, communists from many countries participated in a Peace Summit held in Madrid to analyze NATO's threat to global peace and security and seek alternatives based on peace, non-violence, and global justice.
Second, organizing struggles to defend the interests of the working people. For example, in response to the deterioration of people's lives caused by the energy and economic crises exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, several European Communist Parties organized and led protest actions against the EU's "green" transition plan, calling for lower prices for energy, fuel, and food, and the abolition of anti-people taxes to alleviate the burden on workers.
Third, vigorously resisting the acts of anti-communist persecution by some national authorities. For example, Communist Parties in various countries issued statements condemning the 60-year U.S. blockade of Cuba. Following the first erection of a Lenin statue in the small German city of Gelsenkirchen in 2020, the Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany (MLPD) erected a statue of Marx next to it in August 2022 to protest the removal of Soviet-era monuments in Baltic countries.
Fourth, actively speaking out to protect the basic rights of women. For example, after the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the CPUSA issued a statement attacking the state of human rights in the U.S. and calling on people to "organize in communities, unions, schools, and workplaces" to build a more broadly inclusive and militant movement to defend women's right to abortion, and so on.
Conclusion
In 2022, foreign Communist Parties began to enter a new cycle of development. Throughout the year, Communist Parties actively conducted in-person contacts, increased the frequency of communication, and returned more to traditional forms of activity. Their struggle goals were concentrated and their actions clearly directed, highlighting the distinct characteristics of communist political parties. Currently, the characteristic trend of foreign Communist Parties—forging ahead during a low ebb, seeking survival in the cracks, and seeking development in adversity—remains significant, and long-standing internal contradictions have become more prominent. In particular, fundamental differences in positions and views on major theoretical and practical issues have become endogenous obstacles to strengthening unity and cooperation among Communist Parties, greatly restricting the pace of development for the world's Communist and Workers' Parties. Clearly, only if the various Communist Parties respect each other, seek common ground while reserving differences, and strive to find the "greatest common denominator" can they bridge differences to the maximum extent, promote collaboration, and open up brighter prospects for the revitalization of world socialism. (Notes omitted)
(The author is a Professor at the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a Researcher at the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies)
Network Editor: Zhang Jian Source: Contemporary World, Issue 1, 2023