Translated "Avante!" article by Albano Nunes, Member of the Secretariat of the CC

The 15th International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties which took place in Lisbon, on the 8,9 and 10th November last, with the presence of 75 delegations, from 63 countries, approved a whole of Guidelines of Common or Convergent Action, of major importance. Owing to two fundamental reasons. The first, not forgetting the Communist parties’ popular backing and struggle amid their own countries is irreplaceable, internationalist cooperation, both among itself and the revolutionary and progressive forces worldwide, ought to restrain and defeat the violent and organized imperialism offensive against workers and peoples. The second, as history shows, the Communist parties cooperation, in action and for action is important, in order to forge reciprocal understanding bounds, respect, friendship and solidarity, indispensable for the communist movement unity and the strengthening of its unique role, in the struggle to liberate Humanity from the Capital scourge.

The communist and revolutionary movement strengthens, not through sterile “ideological” discussions and public polemics, but instead, turning decidedly unto the masses and the struggle in the defence of their most heartfelt interests and desires. “Rejecting - as underlined by the PCP’s Central Committee, during its meeting in December last - the different forms of opportunism, both adapting to the system or instead, dogmatic and sectarian”. Recognizing differences according to the situations and opinion, even divergences, many the time serious - as it happened during the 15th Meeting, making it impossible to achieve a Final Statement- but appraising what unites and persisting in common or convergent action against the class enemy, with the assurance that, in the articulation with the open and fraternal problems’ analysing , also the way to approach positions, both in the political and ideological level.

All lines of action decided during the 15th Meeting are of major importance, but attention must be paid to all that refers the struggle against racism, xenophobia, far right-wing, which underline the importance of the ideological struggle against anti-communism and History forgeries, proposing the intention of the beginning of World War I (1914/18) and World War II (1939/45), both the 100th and 75th anniversaries, ought to be considered an occasion to fight historical revisionism, highlight Fascism and war class roots, and demonstrate the Communists and the USSR’s important role in the defeat of Nazi-Fascism and the link between the struggle for peace and the struggle towards socialism.

The opportunity and importance of these decisions is obvious. The capitalist crisis development , unleashed five years ago, following the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, confirming it is the expression of a deeper, structural and systemic capitalist crisis, being followed by authoritarian tendencies and repressive measures which configures the bourgeois states and international institutions of imperialist articulation conception and practice, such as the European Union, of dangerous Fascist contours. This statement might seem to be excessive, but not if one observes the deceptive manner, before the popular struggle and the revolutionary threat towards its power development, the dominant classes have imposed the most cruel dictatorships and developed the most bloody wars. Opening this path, there go outlaws, racists, nationalists and anti-communists, which raise their heads throughout Europe and, along with the crisis social consequences and the capitalist integration supra-national oppression, seem to be spreading more and more.

And owing to all in progress, the communist parties consider the need to reinforce the struggle, before it is too late.