Yu Haiqing: 2024 Development Trends of Foreign Communist Parties: New Opportunities Amid Lows and Seeking Unity Amid Diversity
In 2024, the international situation grew increasingly complex, with instability and uncertainty becoming more prominent, further revealing the epochal characteristics of the accelerated evolution of the "Great Changes Unseen in a Century." Amidst this intricate domestic and international landscape, foreign Communist Parties actively carried out actions both within and outside parliaments, striving to expand their social support bases, increase their influence, defend laborers' rights, support international causes of justice and progress, and promote the building of a better world. In their critique of and resistance against capitalism, they demonstrated their unique and vital role.
Forging Ahead on the Path of Promoting Human Progress
Commemoration, critique, and struggle were the keywords for the extra-parliamentary political activities of foreign Communist Parties in 2024.
The year 2024 marked the 120th anniversary of Lenin's death. Foreign Communist Parties profoundly honored Lenin's great contributions by organizing extensive commemorative activities, publishing articles, and issuing statements, seeking the developmental direction of the socialist movement through a review and synthesis of the great revolutionary leader’s thought. Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), published a long article on the party’s official website, likening Lenin to the "Pole Star that guided the cause of human revolutionary liberation and progress," leaving an indelible mark on the process of the world proletarian revolution. He argued that Lenin not only grasped the essence of the creative scientific thought of Marxism but also ensured it advanced with the times; Lenin’s intellectual contributions deserve continuous study to further the development of the global revolutionary movement. [1] Socialist Voice, the newspaper of the Communist Party of Ireland, published a piece reviewing Lenin's revolutionary career and great contributions, concluding with lines from the American poet Langston Hughes’s poem commemorating Lenin—"Great day coming! / A red star rises / Out of the night"—highly praising Lenin's great achievements. [2] The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) organized rallies and themed concerts to commemorate Lenin. Its General Secretary, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, delivered a speech emphasizing the importance of Lenin’s legacy and its major role in guiding the contemporary working-class struggle. [3] The participating parties of the "European Communist Action" issued a joint statement highly evaluating Lenin's great historical feats, emphasizing that Lenin was an outstanding thinker and revolutionary who made immense contributions to the cause of working-class liberation, the abolition of exploitation, and the building of a socialist-communist society. Lenin’s rich theoretical legacy and his experience in political practice and Party building possess enduring vitality; in particular, his analysis of the issue of imperialist war is more relevant today than ever before. Commemorating Lenin today is not only to pay tribute to this leader of the world proletariat but also to call upon all working people, Communist Parties, and Workers' Parties of all countries to deeply study the revolutionary theory that guides revolutionary action, follow the Leninist spirit, and defend the development of Leninism in the 21st century. [4]
2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of NATO. As relevant countries held large-scale celebrations, foreign Communist Parties took a confrontational stance by writing articles and issuing statements to profoundly expose NATO’s essence and reactionary nature. Communist Parties in many countries reposted a commentary by Nikos Mottas, editor-in-chief of the leftist website In Defense of Communism. The article reviewed the history of NATO’s formation and development, pointing out incisively that NATO was never a "defensive alliance" but an imperialist organization aimed at maintaining and expanding the interests of its capitalist member states throughout the world. [5] The Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) issued a statement noting that NATO and its member states instigate armed conflicts and coups globally, causing instability. It is currently intensifying activities against other major powers, thereby greatly increasing the risk of armed conflict for control over strategic resources, markets, and commodity transport routes; the statement publicly called to "Say no to NATO! Say no to imperialist war!" [6]
In 2024, foreign Communist Parties continued to vigorously promote extra-parliamentary struggles against capitalism, highlighting their principles and positions through statements and the organization of marches, demonstrations, and protest actions.
First, they strengthened mutual support and conducted an uncompromising struggle against various anti-communist and anti-socialist trends and actions. In 2024, the European Parliament published a report titled European Historical Consciousness, which equated Nazism and Fascism with Communism, and even equated Communism with imperialist oppression and enslavement (colonialism). Communist Parties in many countries launched strong criticisms, arguing that this move was intended to cover up the fact that barbaric capitalism is the only existing totalitarianism, attempting to use flowery rhetoric about so-called "democracy" and "human rights" to hide the anti-human crimes committed and wars initiated by imperialism. [7] Communist Parties worldwide offered strong support to Daniel Jadue, a member of the Communist Party of Chile and former mayor of Recoleta, who was arrested on framed charges, exposing the political conspiracy behind the case and demanding his acquittal. Multiple Communist Parties issued joint statements calling for strengthened solidarity and full support for the leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba and the Cuban people in their efforts to overcome difficulties, advocating for joint action against the US blockade and sanctions on Cuba.
Second, they conducted in-depth struggles against the rightward shift in their respective national policies and developmental trends. The Communist Party of Argentina repeatedly organized and participated in strike actions against the Javier Milei government’s free-market fundamentalism, striving to defend democracy, labor rights, and basic living wage guarantees. The Communist Party of Greece led several demonstrations to defend workers' rights, especially launching national general strikes in November and December 2024 to demand higher wages and pensions and the protection of collective labor agreements. In the United States, following Donald Trump’s victory in the general election, the Communist Party USA conducted an in-depth analysis of the electoral process, once again raising the necessity of building an anti-MAGA (Make America Great Again) alliance and calling for preparedness to struggle against right-wing dictatorial rule.
Third, they vigorously supported the international cause of peace and justice against imperialism and hegemonism. Communist Parties in many countries issued statements in solidarity with the people of Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria devastated by war, while strongly condemning Israel. Leaders of the Communist Parties of Israel and Palestine held in-person and online meetings in July and October 2024, respectively, to discuss the escalating political situation in the region and how to strengthen political struggle and joint action in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, calling for enhanced collective action in a common struggle to stop Israel’s war of aggression and genocide. [8]
Differentiation in Electoral Performance Amidst Changes in the Political Party Landscape
2024 has been called the global "Super Election Year," with approximately 4.2 billion people in 80 countries participating in important elections at various levels. Most foreign Communist Parties currently lack the strength to win elections and take control of state power; therefore, in electoral campaigns that serve as political bellwethers, what is manifested more is the relative recovery or decline of their own strength. At this level, the electoral performance of foreign Communist Parties in 2024 was mixed, showing certain degrees of differentiation.
European countries held the quinquennial European Parliament elections this year. Looking at the results, amidst a general trend where support for center-right and center-left blocs increased, support for centrist blocs dropped significantly, and the radical left bloc remained relatively stable (obtaining 5% of the votes and 36 seats), European Communist Parties overall exhibited three different types of performance.
First, some Communist Parties showed relatively stable performance. For instance, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) obtained 9.3% of the votes. Although the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) in Cyprus ultimately secured only one European Parliament seat (one fewer than the previous election), it still won over 20% support, demonstrating its significant status on the domestic political stage.
Second, some traditional old parties remained in a continuous slump, particularly showing weakness when compared with other domestic radical left parties. While La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) saw support levels near 10%, the French Communist Party (PCF) received less than 3% of the vote. Similarly, in an outcome echoing the March 2024 national elections (where the Portuguese Communist Party received 3.3% support), the alliance led by the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) received only 4.1%. The performance of the Spanish radical left alliance Sumar was also mediocre, securing only 4.7% support and three seats; however, the Communist Party of Spain (PCE), which participated in the alliance as a major force, fared even worse, failing to win any seats at all. This directly led Yolanda Díaz, a PCE member and government Vice President and Labor Minister, to resign as the leader of Sumar.
Third, some Communist Parties showed clear signs of revival. The "STAČILO!" (Enough!) alliance, based on the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM), obtained 9.6% support and two European Parliament seats, ranking fourth domestically in the Czech Republic; the party’s chairwoman, Kateřina Konečná, was elected for a third term. In Austrian municipal elections, the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) continued to perform "miracles" seen in previous local elections, winning 10 seats in the Salzburg City Council—a significant increase from its previous single seat. In the European Parliament elections, although the KPÖ did not win any seats, its vote share more than quadrupled (from 0.8% in 2019 to 3%), drawing an encouraging 10% support from young people under 30. In the "three-in-one" elections for the Belgian federal, regional, and European parliaments held on June 9, 2024, the Workers’ Party of Belgium (PTB/PVDA) secured 15 seats in the Chamber of Representatives (an increase of three); contested in a total of 67 cities (up from 61 in 2018), winning 197 seats (up from 138 in 2018); and in 10 provincial council elections, increased its seats from 11 to 18. Its support in the European Parliament elections was 10.7%, with seats increasing from one to two. While some European Communist Parties achieved remarkable results, some studies point out that "the success of a minority of parties cannot hide the continued defensive posture of the European left and the existential crisis of individual parties." [9]
Similar to the European elections, the performance of Communist Parties in other regions at various levels of government was also characterized by wide disparities. On one hand, Communist Parties in countries such as Turkey, Serbia, Sri Lanka, and Uruguay performed impressively, adding a bright spot to the development of the world socialist movement in 2024. In the local elections held in March 2024, the Communist Party of Turkey’s (TKP) vote count doubled compared to 2023, winning a total of 10 municipal council seats and one provincial council seat, and receiving over 1% of the vote in 32 districts and many small towns. [10] In the June 2024 Serbian local elections, Aleksander Đenić, Executive Secretary of the New Communist Party of Yugoslavia (NKPJ), was elected to the Zemun City Council, marking the party's first councillor in Serbia since 1996. In the September 2024 Sri Lankan presidential election, Marxist Anura Kumara Dissanayake emerged victorious to become the new President. In November, the National People’s Power (NPP)—a left-wing alliance led by Dissanayake’s Marxist party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)—achieved a historic victory, winning 159 seats (over a two-thirds majority) in the parliamentary elections. In the Uruguayan bicameral and presidential elections held from October to November 2024, the opposition alliance Frente Amplio (Broad Front) won across the board. As a key participant in the Broad Front, the Communist Party of Uruguay (PCU) secured two out of 30 seats in the Senate and five out of 99 seats in the House of Representatives; PCU member Ana Olivera became Speaker of the House, and the party is expected to secure four minister/deputy minister positions in the new government.
On the other hand, the support rates for the majority of Communist Parties remained largely stable overall, with only slight upward or downward fluctuations. In June 2024, in the largest Indian general election in history with over 600 million actual voters, the results for various Indian Communist Parties showed a slight improvement. Among them, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) won 4 seats—an increase of one seat from 2019—while the Communist Party of India won 2 seats, consistent with the previous election. In the Russian regional parliamentary elections held in September 2024, the United Russia party occupied the majority of seats across all levels of parliaments; however, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) secured seats in 12 regional parliaments, ranking second. The CPRF claimed that this election preserved its core electorate and consolidated its positions in several regions, but noted that some Communists were excluded from the election for various reasons and that the use of electronic voting limited the CPRF’s ability to achieve better results. [16] In the Japanese House of Representatives election held in October 2024, the Japanese Communist Party (JCP)—campaigning on a platform of "Five Changes" including cleaning up corruption, opposing the Japan-U.S. military alliance, prioritizing livelihoods, environmental protection, and gender equality—won a total of 8 seats, a decrease of 2 seats compared to the 2022 election. Faced with this electoral setback, the JCP emphasized that the fundamental cause lay in the decline of the party's own strength. It called on the entire party to maintain confidence in its policies, platform, and scientific socialism, and to set about strengthening party building to prepare for the 2025 House of Councillors and other relevant elections. [17]
Furthermore, the support rates for Communist Parties in some countries experienced significant declines. In the Brazilian municipal elections, the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) won only 19 mayoral positions, a decrease of 27 from 2020, and its number of local councilors dropped from 707 in 2020 to 354. In the Chilean local elections, the Communist Party of Chile only retained mayoral positions in Lo Espejo and Recoleta, lost its governing power in the city of Santiago, and secured only 12 regional councilor and 97 municipal councilor seats, a substantial decrease from previous elections. Other Communist Parties faced dilemmas regarding the choice of campaign partners. For example, in the 2024 South African general election, the South African Communist Party (SACP) continued to participate through the "Tripartite Alliance" formed with the African National Congress (ANC). However, the ANC lost its majority for the first time in 30 years of governance and was forced to reach a compromise with the right-wing Democratic Alliance to form a multi-party "Government of National Unity." Although the SACP expressed respect for the ANC’s choice, it also resolutely opposed cooperation between left and right-wing parties and clearly stated it would break away from the ANC to run independently in the 2026 local elections.
Developing Strategies Based on National Realities
In 2024, Communist Parties governing socialist countries formulated strategies based on their specific national conditions to prevent risks, ensure stability, promote development, and steadily advance economic and social construction. Vietnam’s political landscape saw significant changes, with senior leaders including State President Vo Van Thuong and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue resigning under the "Blazing Furnace" [6] anti-corruption campaign. In July, Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), passed away while in office due to illness. After taking over, State President To Lam stated he would continue to adhere to the governance thinking of previous generations of Vietnamese leaders, especially that of Nguyen Phu Trong. In September, the CPV held the 10th Plenary Session of the 13th Central Committee, affirming that the successful completion of the resolutions of the 13th National Congress is the highest goal for the entire party, people, and army in 2025. It pledged to mobilize all resources with the highest determination, greatest effort, and strong measures to achieve or even exceed the established goals. Laos's politics and economy progressed steadily in 2024, but also faced certain risks and tests. The 8th Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, held in December, confirmed a slight decline in economic growth for 2024, viewing this as a reflection of the continuous challenges Laos faces amid global economic instability. The meeting emphasized: first, the urgent need to reform currently underperforming state-owned enterprises; and second, the need to prioritize educational issues, especially high dropout rates and low education levels, proposing increased investment in education to narrow the gap in educational opportunities between urban and rural areas. [18] To solve national economic difficulties and the development gap between the capital and provinces, and between cities and the countryside, the Workers' Party of Korea vigorously promoted the "Regional Development 20×10 Policy" in 2024. This policy involves building modern provincial industrial factories in 20 cities and counties every year, with the aim of raising the basic material and cultural standard of living for all cities, counties, and the entire population to a higher level within 10 years. Facing a grim economic and social situation, the Communist Party of Cuba held the 9th Plenary Session of its 8th Central Committee in December 2024. The meeting focused on evaluating economic and social development, discussed proposals for the national economy and the 2025 budget plan, analyzed the issue of shareholders in state and non-state sectors, and proposed that in 2025, priority will be given to four tasks: strengthening national unity, improving political-ideological work, correcting economic distortions, and resolving social deviations. [19]
In 2024, Communist Parties in several countries held national congresses to summarize lessons learned from party development and to map out blueprints for future growth. In January, the Japanese Communist Party held its 4th-day-long 29th National Congress in Shizuoka Prefecture, attended by 648 delegates from across the country. The meeting focused on draft resolutions, conducting in-depth discussions on the international situation, domestic politics, party building, the contradictions of world capitalism, the value of scientific socialism, and the study of the JCP’s centenary history. It emphasized building a stronger JCP, striving to increase the number of party members by 30% from current levels by the end of 2028, and doubling the number of members among youth and workers. The congress elected a new Central Committee, with Tomoko Tamura elected as Chairperson, while former Chairperson Kazuo Shii was appointed as Chair of the Party’s Central Committee. [20]
The Communist Party USA (CPUSA) held its 32nd National Convention in Chicago from June 7-9, 2024. To fully mobilize the enthusiasm of its approximately 15,000 members, the CPUSA organized extensive pre-convention discussions through club meetings and district conventions. During the convention, CPUSA Co-Chair Joe Sims delivered the convention report, elaborating on the CPUSA's views and propositions regarding the analysis of the current U.S. political situation, the conduct of anti-fascist struggles, the strengthening of party organizational building, and the intensification of collective struggle forces. He emphasized that today's fascism is a unique product of capitalism developing into the stage of imperialism, characterized by a specific form of class rule. He noted that anti-fascism will be a long and difficult struggle, and true change can only be achieved through a mass movement led by the working class. The report proposed that the CPUSA’s most important current task is to rebuild the party within the working class and trade union movements, which will make these movements more united, thereby raising the struggle against racism, anti-immigrant discrimination, and sexism to a new level. [21]
The 14th Congress of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) was held on September 7-8, 2024, with nearly 400 delegates from across the country attending under the slogan "Grow to Fulfill Revolutionary Tasks, Advance toward Revolution and Socialism." The meeting discussed in depth the Israel-Palestine conflict, Turkey's foreign policy under the Ukraine crisis, immigration issues, the transformation of the Turkish economy and class struggle, and the revolutionary tasks of the TKP. It reaffirmed that the TKP will continue to oppose capitalism, NATO, and imperialist wars, and will struggle for the establishment of a secular social order. [22]
(On December 16, 2023, in Athens, Greece, members of the Communist Party of Greece participated in the vote on the 2024 Greek draft budget.)
The 28th National Congress of the Communist Party of Argentina was held from September 20-21, 2024. The congress passed a political resolution that deeply analyzed the cycles of popular movements in Latin America and the scope and limitations of different processes. It emphasized that, given the current domestic and international political situation of Argentina, the party's role is to propose a socialist alternative and promote the development of a revolutionary, feminist, Latin Americanist, and anti-imperialist left. It aims to continue strengthening unity at different levels and promote programmatic agreements with a view toward forming a National and Social Liberation Front in Argentina. To promote this goal, the party reaffirmed the importance of Leninist organizational forms. The meeting elected Jorge Alberto Kreyness to succeed General Secretary Victor Kot, who passed away earlier in the year.
Persistent Contradictions and Divergences Hinder the Progress of World Socialism
In 2024, contradictions and divergences among foreign Communist Parties became more prominent, hindering the unity and progress of the world socialist movement.
Several new Communist Parties were established worldwide this year. In March 2024, the Communist Organization (Germany) was established and held its first Party Building Congress from June 21-23, formally designating the party's name as the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), proposing to advance party building by better focusing on strategic issues over the next three years. On October 12, the American Communist Party (ACP) [7] held its first national congress in Chicago, emphasizing itself as the "formal reorganization and successor to the historic Communist Party USA," advocating for and building a society of, by, and for the American people. On November 9, the anniversary of the German November Revolution of 1918, the Revolutionary Party of Austria held its founding congress and organized a demonstration in Vienna. The meeting criticized the Austrian left for falling into pessimism and cynicism, emphasizing the need to revive the revolutionary tradition of the Austrian workers' movement, overthrow capitalism, and build a society free from exploitation, misery, and oppression. [23] The establishment of these new parties reflects, on one hand, the trend of diversification and pluralization in world socialism; on the other hand, it reflects the further intensification of divergences within the international communist movement based on different principles and goals of struggle, with the fragmentation and split of the movement continuing to expand.
Following the split of the "Initiative of Communist and Workers' Parties" in Europe in 2023 and the subsequent establishment of the "World Anti-Imperialist Platform" and the "European Communist Action," these two organizations have carried out activities separately, gradually forming their own "circles of friends," with differences in positions and viewpoints becoming increasingly marked. "European Communist Action" has continued to adhere to and manifest the positions and propositions of its member parties through meetings and joint statements. On February 17, 2024, on the second anniversary of the Ukraine crisis, "European Communist Action" held a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, for deep reflection. Kemal Okuyan, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Turkey, delivered the opening speech. The meeting concluded with a joint statement arguing that the root cause of the Ukraine crisis lies in the competition and contradictions within the entire imperialist system, and that the protagonists of the conflict are the bourgeoisies of the two countries rather than the people. It emphasized the importance of analyzing the war from a class perspective, warning that a non-class perspective could lead some countries within the imperialist system to mistakenly side with the bourgeoisie. The statement declared that the relevant parties would continue to represent the working people in promoting peace, social justice, and socialism, while opposing nationalism, racism, fascism, and militarism. [24]
Correspondingly, the "World Anti-Imperialist Platform" held two international conferences in Washington, D.C., and Dakar, Senegal, in May and October 2024, respectively. Among them, the Dakar International Conference was the largest since the platform's inception, with approximately 50 political parties from Africa and around the world in attendance. The theme of the conference was "Pan-Africanism and Anti-Imperialism," and it issued the "Dakar Declaration" titled "We Must Strengthen the Anti-Imperialist Front." The declaration analyzed the current world situation, criticized the imperialist camp for prolonging the Ukraine crisis and intensifying wars in West Asia (Middle East), and further pushing for wars in East Asia and the Western Pacific, suggesting the world is falling into a Third World War. To this end, the meeting proposed three major action goals: strengthening the mass anti-imperialist struggle, strengthening the ideological struggle against pro-imperialist ideas, and striving to make the communist movement the core of the genuine anti-imperialist struggle. [25]
Against this background, the unity of the international communist movement faces severe tests in 2024. Two newly established organizations, the "World Anti-Imperialist Platform" and the "European Communist Action," represent two different positions and trends; mutual criticism and accusations between them have continuously intensified. Following sustained attacks on the "World Anti-Imperialist Platform" throughout 2023, the "European Communist Action" has repeatedly recycled these old arguments in 2024. In February, the 6th Congress of the Party of Labour of Austria was held. Its resolutions explicitly pointed out that the current international communist movement is undergoing differentiation, criticized the "World Anti-Imperialist Platform" as having an anti-communist nature, and argued that its role is to balance various forces within the imperialist world system and weaken the revolutionary communist forces of socialism. The Party of Labour of Austria believes that only by strengthening the Marxist-Leninist pole can the working class and the cause of the revolutionary struggle for socialism be turned back toward the offensive. [28] Simultaneously, within individual countries, the trend of mutual attacks and criticism among different proletarian parties has become increasingly public and widespread. For example, the Revolutionary Communist Party of France accused the French Communist Party's understanding of contemporary capitalism and its positions on alliances of being "Neo-Kautskyite" views, thereby sowing the seeds for further differentiation and division within the international communist movement.
The constant merging and splitting of communist parties in Nepal is also a difficult riddle for unity and cooperation in today's international communist movement. In 2017, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) achieved a merger and won the election. However, halfway through their five-year term, the partnership between the two parties withered due to internal power struggles. After the 2022 Nepalese general election, the two parties set aside their past grievances to form a new alliance and joint government once more. Yet after only two months, the cooperation collapsed again, and the CPN (Maoist Centre) turned to rebuild a coalition government with the Nepali Congress and other parties. In March 2024, the two parties joined forces once again, but the cooperation terminated after only four months. The CPN (Unified Marxist-Leninist) instead joined with the Nepali Congress to form a new government, with party chairman Oli serving as the Prime Minister of Nepal for a third time. The road to alliance for Nepalese communist parties has been full of twists and turns, reflecting deep-seated internal differences that are difficult to bridge.
Conclusion
The year 2024 has witnessed the persistent and indomitable struggle of foreign communist parties to realize the revival of world socialism. The striking performance of several communist parties in this "Super Election Year" has boosted confidence and strengthened the foundation for this struggle. The world is undergoing great changes unseen in a century [8], which presents both challenges and opportunities. It provides immense room for development, especially for those communist parties capable of organically combining adherence to principles with the maintenance of flexibility, allowing them to be reborn and revived in the face of adversity and achieve an "against-all-odds" breakthrough. The development of foreign communist parties in 2024 also proves once again the importance of unity and cooperation. World socialism can only forge ahead through the unity and cooperation of socialist forces. The current practice of foreign communist parties profoundly demonstrates that only by fully recognizing the importance of unity, better bridging differences on the basis of common goals, and establishing consensus, can they more effectively rally the people, pool their strength, and promote the increasing revitalization of world socialism.
(Author's affiliation: Institute of Marxism Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences) (Grant: This is a periodic result of the Major Project of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Marxist Theory Research and Development Project, "New Developments of Foreign Socialism under the Great Changes in the World" [Project No. 2019mgczd003])
Online Editor: Tong Xin Source: Contemporary World, Issue 1, 2025