With statements from KKE General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas and the Communist Party of Turkey.
Image from a mass KKE election rally in Athens, June 21
Continuing to build on the momentum of the May vote, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) increased its vote total again in the snap parliamentary elections held June 25.
The KKE's vote climbed from 7.23% in May to 7.69%. This is up from 5.3% in 2019. Unfortunately, due to the government altering the election's rules in a rather undemocratic fashion, despite this increase in vote the KKE's seat total fell from 26 to 20, which is still up significantly from 15 in 2019.
Having changed the rules to ensure a majority (the KKE has called the election "rigged"), the right-wing New Democracy government had its seat total increase by 12 versus May even though their vote declined by .23%. They now have their coveted majority to unleash a program of reactionary, anti-worker "reforms".
Meanwhile the faux left social-democratic SYRIZA -- which capitulated on its promises when in government and lost power in 2019 -- saw its support erode disastrously even further not only versus 2019 but even versus May. They got only 17.84% versus the 20.07% of just a month prior.
According to the KKE of "particular importance is the further growth of the KKE in the working-class and popular districts of Athens, Piraeus, Thessaloniki and other large cities."
On June 26 the KKE an English language translation of the election night statement of Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the KKE:
We salute the thousands of voters who strengthened the KKE with their votes, the people with whom we fought the battle for the electoral strengthening of the KKE in these elections.
The MPs elected by the KKE will be 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 popular forces and the youth.
It is clear from today’s result that the vote for the KKE is not circumstantial or occasional. It proves the existence of 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.
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.
Based on the result, there is an increase in our percentage. Specifically, we won 7.7%, accounting for hundreds of thousands of votes. The decrease in the number of MPs in comparison to the May elections is due to the rigged law of New Democracy that steals our parliamentary seats.
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 has been expressed by a change in the correlation of forces over the years, in dozens of elections of trade unions, federations and labour centres of the working class, the farmers, the self-employed, craftsmen, tradesmen, scientists, students, doctors and teachers.
We hail the working-class and popular neighbourhoods of Athens, Piraeus, West and East Attica, Thessaloniki, Patras; of the entire country.
We particularly hail 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 1st place, as in Ikaria, sometimes 2nd place, as in Aspropyrgos, and sometimes 3rd place, as in Attica, the largest region of the country, and Lesvos, where we regained the parliamentary seat that we lost in May.
The next day will be difficult 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 US 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 launched under the NATO umbrella in Greek-Turkish relations.
The KKE will constantly struggle, both inside and outside the parliament, against all anti-popular bills. It will be the people’s voice against this general negative political correlation of forces.
The KKE will follow and actively participate in the debate that will objectively open up as well as the domestic political developments, following the great rise of New Democracy, which has the absolute majority, the considerable decline of SYRIZA, i.e. one side of the social democratic opposition, and above all the political consensus of all of them, including SYRIZA and PASOK, on the above commitments that the New Democracy government will implement. In this context and based on today’s election result, processes will take place in SYRIZA and perhaps also in PASOK, as well as in other smaller political forces.
The presence of far-right and fascist MPs in Parliament is undoubtedly another negative development of this election. It is once again demonstrated that the roots of fascism-Nazism are to be found in the bourgeois system and state and they are deep; there are various centres and interests supporting them. After all, this decayed exploitative system gives rise to fascism–Nazism.
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. It is a matter for the workers’–people’s movement. The KKE will continue to struggle in this direction, as it has been doing so throughout the previous period.
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. Tonight we call upon all of them for solidarity and joint action.
The answer lies in strengthening the tide of disputing the dominant bourgeois policy, its class character, the parties and governments that serve it and the state of capital, which is not looking for new saviours from the alternation in government; the tide that seeks a solution to today’s problems through organized struggle, participation in the movement, collective action and class struggle.
For our people to smile even broadly, for optimism to grow, for hope to be revived.
Because hope lies in a strong KKE!
We wish strength and health to all! Tomorrow we will meet again in the struggles. We will succeed!
Dear comrades,
We congratulate you, our comrades, for steadily increasing your rate of votes in the elections held on 25 June, giving hope for the class struggle in the coming period. The fact that the Communist Party of Greece achieved an increasing share of the vote in this round of the election shows the strength and permanence of its militant ties in the workplaces, neighbourhoods and universities.
We extend our fraternal greetings to the Greek workers who carried this tie to the electoral platform and voted in favour of their equal and free future. We wish success to the communist deputies they sent to the parliament.
The only exciting result of these elections for the workers of Greece and the world is the success of the KKE. Those who say "our lives" against the profits of the capitalists have succeeded, the KKE, the only real option defending the interests of the working people, is now stronger.
May your success be continuous, comrades.
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