Comrades,
The Party's work in unity with other democrats and patriots has always been a priority of our action. This was the case during fascism, when the unity and struggle of the working class, with concrete goals, propelled the democratic forces’ unity. It was so during the revolution, with the People/MFA Alliance. It is the same today, as we state in the Draft Political Resolution currently under discussion: "The construction of the patriotic and left-wing political alternative, which has April and its values and achievements as its main reference, is a path that requires, in an articulated and dialectical manner, the development of the struggle, the participation of the masses, strengthening the organization of the workers and popular masses, and the convergence of democrats and patriots around this mobilizing goal. A path that is inseparable from strengthening and asserting PCP – an indispensable and irreplaceable force – along with its distinctive project, proposals, and values."
We thus see the need for convergence with democrats and patriots as a central issue in achieving the change that our country needs.
It is not only the communists who feel and live the problems that we rigorously identified in the Theses. The situation does not only affect the working class and the workers. It impacts all classes, strata, and anti-monopoly sectors, including sectors of the small and medium bourgeoisie. As the ongoing national action demonstrates, it is hard to find someone who does not experience problems related to wages, pensions, healthcare, education, and housing; who does not fear for the future of their children and young people; who does not fear war.
The question is how we structure the mass work to involve them, going as far as is truly possible. There are millions of people in our country who agree with the analyses that we make. We need to open up prospects for solutions, giving them the confidence to fight for them and for the future.
Communists have the significant advantage of collective debate, organization, and of our Party’s class independence of analysis, action, intervention and resources. But we do not know everything, nor will we change the world on our own. Unity is a permanent construction that requires a bold and clear political appeal, yes, but also needs diligent grassroots work.
It is a work of individual contact, face-to-face. With colleagues at work and school, with friends, neighbors, people who are with us in the trade union, in associations, in public services, in moments of leisure and in the struggle.
It is a work of collective contact, led by the Party organizations whether in the workplace cell or the local organization. To identify those who stand out in collective life, whose opinions, energy, and knowledge are needed, from culture to science, from sports to community movements.
This work will have a high-water mark in the forthcoming local elections, broadening and asserting CDU as the big left-wing force in local government, involving thousands of people with no political affiliation in our candidate lists across the country, in an effort of contacts that should be accelerated immediately.
A mass work that connects and roots the Party even further, strengthening the organizations of workers and of the communities, as well as their democratic and broad-based character.
In all circumstances, it is necessary that these contacts can enlighten, provide correct and truthful information, assist in assessing and in critical thinking, with openness and respect, always learning from the opinions and experiences of others. But it is also essential to engage them in public, organized intervention, for the struggle. To instill courage and confidence. To show that we are not alone.
Times are very difficult and lives are complicated. But everything will be worse if each person isolates themselves. The Theses indicate that the confrontation between those who want more April in their lives and those who want to end the counter-revolutionary process will mark and determine the evolution of the country in the coming times. Our task is to call on all democrats and patriots who want to defend April and make it advance, bringing them to this struggle.
Long live the Portuguese Communist Youth!
Long live the Portuguese Communist Party!
