The Central Committee of the PCP, meeting on December 8, 2022, evaluated the developments of the national and international situation; adopted the Resolution on the Commemorations of the 50th. Anniversary of the 25th. of April; defined priorities for the intervention and strengthening of the Party, in order to implement the conclusions of the National Conference.

I. National Conference of the PCP

1. The National Conference of the PCP, held on November 12 and 13, under the motto “Taking the initiative, strengthening the Party, responding to the new demands” – centred on responding to the country's problems, on priorities for intervention and strengthening of the Party and in the affirmation of its project –, was a remarkable success.

2. Following the XXI Party Congress and inseparable from its conclusions and guidelines, the National Conference, whether in its preparatory phase, with the holding of several hundred meetings with thousands of participants, or in the two days of its realisation, represented a strong connection of the Party to the life, problems, aspirations and struggles of the workers and the people and constituted a significant display of unity, determination, strength and confidence.

3. In a context of worsening of the problems of the workers, the people and the country, of an intense anti-democratic campaign with a strong anti-communist bent, of continued effort by the ideological centres of big capital to promote resignation, isolation, individualism and fear, the National Conference constituted a remarkable factor of confidence. Confidence that it is possible to take the initiative, strengthen the Party and advance in the defence and valorisation of rights, in the struggle for the implementation of a patriotic and left-wing alternative – the alternative that holds real solutions to the country’s problems – for an advanced democracy with the values of April in the future of Portugal, for socialism.

4. The Central Committee of the PCP salutes the party collective for the success achieved by the Conference and points out the need to implement its conclusions.

II. International situation

1. The evolution of the international situation continues to be marked by the policy of confrontation and war by the US, NATO and the European Union, in various regions, which, among other serious and dangerous aspects, fosters an escalation of arms and sanctions, increase in prices of energy, food and other essential goods and services, attack on rights, increase in poverty and hunger, deterioration of the living conditions of the overwhelming majority of the world's population, with the growing accumulation and concentration of capital.

Numerous developments in Eastern Europe confirm the pressing need for the US, NATO and the EU to stop instigating and fuelling the war in Ukraine and for negotiation channels to be opened with the other stakeholders, namely the Russian Federation, with a view to reaching a political solution to the conflict, the response to the problems of collective security and disarmament in Europe, compliance with the principles of the UN Charter and the Final Act of the Helsinki Conference.

The recent G20 Summit was marked by the attempt by the US and its allies in this forum to impose its policy of confrontation, within the framework of its strategy for world domination, in contrast to the posture of other countries in defence of détente and normalisation of international relations, respecting the principles of the United Nations and international law, in which the People's Republic of China played an important role.

2. COP27, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, held in November in Egypt, despite including in its conclusions the establishment of a compensation fund for countries affected by extreme weather phenomena – which still lacks clarification on its functioning and funding – highlights the limited nature of the targets for reducing greenhouse gases. This fact cannot be dissociated from the efforts of the more developed capitalist countries to counter the principle of “common but differentiated responsibility”, evading their responsibilities in terms of environmental deterioration imposing mechanisms aimed at accumulation of capital and plunder of natural resources – not solving, and often worsening, environmental problems and enhancing injustices and social inequalities and of development between countries.

3. The recent mid-term elections in the US took place against a background of acute problems, inequalities, social conflicts and contradictions that the biggest capitalist power is struggling with, and whose electoral results and the foreseeable evolution of the economic situation will tend to increase.

4. Facing increasing difficulties and contradictions, which result from its nature and options, including submission to the US, the European Union seeks to further its policies, determined by the interests of the great powers and monopoly groups, as is clear in the proposal of “guidelines for the reform of the economic governance framework of the European Union”, which creates new and increased constraints for countries like Portugal.

5. The Central Committee of the PCP welcomes the struggles that have been carried out in several countries, namely in Europe, against the deterioration of living conditions, for the increase of wages and pensions, for the control of the prices of essential goods and services, in defence of the rights of workers and populations, for public services, for an end to sanctions and war.

Valorising the important victory achieved with the election of Lula da Silva as President of Brazil, the Central Committee of the PCP reaffirms the solidarity of the Portuguese communists with the struggle of Brazilian revolutionary and progressive forces in defence of democracy and for the rights of Brazilian workers and people.

The Central Committee of the PCP valorises the holding of the XXII International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP), from October 27 to 29, in Havana, hosted by the Communist Party of Cuba, which constituted an important moment of resumption of the process of International Meetings and an expression of solidarity with Cuba.

The Central Committee of the PCP calls for the development of solidarity with peoples who resist imperialism – as in Cuba, Palestine or Western Sahara – and the struggle against fascism and war, and for peace, friendship and cooperation between peoples.

III. National situation

1. The evolution of the national situation confirms the persistence of deadlocks, deficits and blockages that right-wing governments (PS, PSD and CDS) have imposed on the country, leaving it particularly vulnerable in the face of a complex, difficult and unstable international framework, which confirms the correctness of the guidelines adopted at the National Conference and the need to implement them.

2. The following are characteristic features of the current situation:

• On the economic front, the prospect of a strong slowdown and the high risk of recession, in Portugal and in other countries in the Euro zone and in the EU, a situation inseparable namely from the monetary policy options imposed by the European Central Bank, with the rise in interest rates; the maintenance of strong inflationary tensions, with repercussions in the increase of the price of essential goods and services; the persistence of speculative exploitation by economic groups; the significant reduction of the share of wages in national income – the highest in a single year, since the beginning of the century –, along with the accumulation of profits by economic groups (13 nationally based economic groups achieved, in the first nine months of the year, more than 3 billion euros in profits); a worrying external deficit; the rise of pressure, under the pretext of the deficit and debt, to limit public spending and investment; the preparation of new privatisations (TAP, SATA or Efacec) and Public-Private Partnerships (hospitals, railways or roads); the deterioration of the economic situation of important non-monopoly sectors;
• On the social front, the increase in the cost of living and the combined loss of purchasing power, with the reduction in the real value of wages and pensions, which could be heightened during the next year; the preponderance of job insecurity, which absorbs a large part of the jobs created, and the growth of unemployment; the existence of around two million people living in poverty, including 11% of all workers; the degradation of public services and of the social functions of the State, with the lack of working conditions and workers, specially in the National Health Service (NHS), Public Schools and Social Security – a process which includes the transfer of competences from the Central Administration to the municipalities; the lack of measures by the Government to invert the degradation of the NHS, either by valorising its professionals, or by increasing funding and investment; the persistence of problems in Public Schools, with emphasis on the lack of teachers; the serious situation in housing; the underfunding of culture, which threatens the survival of numerous structures and the free creation and enjoyment of culture;
• On the political front, the action of the PS Government, with its absolute majority, implementing a right-wing policy; the objective convergence between the PS Government's right-wing policy and the projects of the reactionary forces (PSD, CDS, Chega and IL), which do not fail, however, to exploit in a demagogic way the social discontent resulting from the Government's choices, always benefiting from great appearance and promotion in the media; the opening of space for new mutilations to the Constitution; the media exploitation of a succession of cases that – requiring investigation, inquiry and accountability – often aims to hide the fundamental political options that foster them and to discredit and attack the democratic regime; the ideological onslaught aimed at justifying the heightening of exploitation, the attack on rights, freedoms and guarantees.

3. The Central Committee of the PCP draws attention to the fact that the “medium-term agreement for the improvement of income, wages and competitiveness” – signed in the Social Concertation with the opposition of the CGTP-IN – maintains the grievous norms of the labour legislation, not valorising wages and perpetuating the loss of workers' purchasing power. Contrary to what the PS Government claims, this agreement does not move towards a fairer redistribution of wealth, maintaining the accumulation of those who have the most – reinforced with the distribution of benefits to big capital that the agreement provides for – and the impoverishment of workers.

Likewise, the understanding between the Government and UGT Trade Union for Public Administration, by devaluing wages, perpetuates the loss of purchasing power, accelerating the impoverishment of workers, does not respond to any of the problems that affect the functioning of public services and their professionals , weakening them even more.

4. The 2023 State Budget deepened all the options already present in the 2022 budget and extended the benefits for big capital. The necessary response to the problems that affect workers, the people and the country was left out of the Budget. Stands out its purpose of cutting the real value of pensions, devaluation of wages and rights of Public Administration workers; the continued degradation of public services; the marked lack of public investment; at the same time there is an increase of billions of euros of public resources transferred to economic groups, who applauded this Budget.

It should be noted that more than 400 amendment proposals to the Budget made by the PCP were rejected with the PS voting against, alone, or accompanied by PSD, Chega and IL. Proposals that not only respond to immediate problems, but also represent a different course and progress for the country.

5. The Central Committee of the PCP reaffirms that the process of Constitutional Amendment to which the PS opened doors, taking into account the goals set out by all the reactionary forces and the previous experiences of concertation between PS and PSD, with a view to mutilation and subversion of important aspects of the constitutional text, is cause for concern. Among the various projects presented, the intention to attack the democratic regime and fundamental rights and to give constitutional cover to right-wing policies can be clearly identified.

The Central Committee of the PCP considers that, in the current circumstances of the life of the country, what is decisive is the compliance with the Constitution and not its hasty amendment, without an urgent need to determine it, rather motivated by the clear interest of the decision-making centres of capital in removing this important obstacle to their reactionary projects. Now that the amendment process has been opened, the PCP will intervene, based on its own initiative, in the sense of defending the values of April and deepening the project for the future that the Constitution of the Republic enshrines, giving firm combat to anti-democratic conceptions that aim the imposition of setbacks and liquidation of rights at the constitutional level.

6. Given the situation in the country and its developments, the PCP asserts itself as the bearer of an alternative policy and project, which opposes the course imposed by the absolute majority of the PS and the projects of the reactionary forces (PSD, CDS, Chega and IL), to which it is necessary to give a firm and determined fight instead of opening doors to them, as the PS Government has been doing.

7. In the context of the broader guidelines adopted at the National Conference, the Central Committee of the PCP insists on the need for more urgent and immediate measures to stop and revert the deterioration of the economic and social situation, among which the following stand out:

• The general increase in wages, with an increase never below 100 euros, the valorisation of careers and professions and the setting of the National Minimum Wage at 850 euros in January 2023;
• The valorisation of pensions with an update of 8% in January and an increase of not less than 50 euros;
• Price control of essential goods and services, namely energy (fuels, gas and electricity), food and housing;
• The guarantee of free daycare centres for all children and the creation of a public network of daycare centres, increasing the number of vacancies by one hundred thousand;
• The defence of the social functions of the State and public services, namely the NHS, with the State providing means and conditions to respond effectively, ensuring quality services and of proximity to the population, respecting the rights and valorising the socio-economic conditions of workers, namely their careers;
• Special taxation on the profits of economic groups, in order to combat speculation and ensure that these resources are earmarked to satisfy the needs of the people and the country;
• Limit updating of rents to 0.43%, including for new leases; the setting of a maximum spread of 0.25% to be practiced by Caixa Geral de Depósitos, effecting a general cut in bank spreads, along with other measures that immediately curb the increase in charges on mortgage loans, by reflecting, first, the rise in interest rates cutting the profits of banks; a suspension of foreclosures and evictions;
• The increase in the public transport offer, in terms of quality and quantity, and a cut in the price of monthly, metropolitan and regional passes, with prices set at 20 euros starting in January;
• The promotion of national production and the diversification of economic activity.

IV. Mass struggle

1. The Central Committee of the PCP values the struggle movement in response to the continued deterioration of the economic and social situation, which had the working class and workers as its driving force, but which relied on its own actions with the participation of the population, youth and students or retirees and pensioners.

Workers' struggle that develops, with great dynamism, in plenary sessions, concentrations, petitions, demonstrations or strikes on wage increases, for the reduction of working hours and against their deregulation, in defence of collective bargaining, against precariousness, for rights and for better working conditions.

A struggle that faces the offensive that seeks to encourage conformism in the face of worsening inequalities and exploitation, promote acceptance of wage devaluation as inevitable, instil fear to paralyse mass action, prevent the free exercise of trade union activity and divide the workers.

2. The Central Committee of the PCP underlines, among many others, the struggle of workers from large retail groups; retail shops in Lisbon; trade and large retail in Terceira Island; of the Inditex Group; from Emel; from WeMob; from Promoters; from Caetano Auto and Caetano Formula; from Euroresins; from Schnellecke; from Faurecia; from Vanpro; from Autoeuropa; from Exide Technologies; from Sicman/Siemens; from Arsenal do Alfeite; from EDA; from Águas de Portugal Group; from EPAL; from Madeira Water and Waste; from Ambilal; from the textile and footwear industry; of the CTT; from Transtejo; from Metropolitano de Lisboa; from TAP; from Alsa/Todi; the Infraestruturas de Portugal group and CP; of port and pilotage pilots; from Altice; from COFACO; from Cerealis; Silos of Leixões; Chaves Casino; from NH Rallye Portugal and Mimnor hotels; canteens, cafeterias and service areas; the canteens of Santo Tirso Schools; from WT Play; from Randstad and Adecco; Social, Mercies and Mutuality workers; the Santas Casas da Misericórdia of Serpa and Lisbon; workers in the insurance sector; Loures Hospital; of nurses; of teachers and educators; security forces professionals; of prison guards; of the military; of court officials. Particularly noteworthy are the national demonstrations in Lisbon and Porto, on October 15, the national public administration strike on November 18 and the demonstration in front of the Assembly of the Republic, on November 25, for the combativeness, the level of participation, the diversity of workers and the claims they expressed.

A struggle that will now continue with the Week of Struggle from December10 to 17, promoted by the CGTP-IN, in which the communists must engage themselves.

3. The Central Committee of the PCP emphasises the various actions of struggle, denunciation and protest carried out by retirees and pensioners, claiming pension increases to restore lost purchasing power.

The Central Committee of the PCP values the struggle of the people in defence of public services, with particular emphasis on the National Health Service, with meetings, public forums, marches and other initiatives, but also against the closure of CGD branches, for the improvement of public transport or against tolls, as well as youth and student struggles, from Secondary Education and Higher Education, in defence of Public Education, or the environment.

Also to be highlighted is the dimension of the struggle of the populations against the increase in the cost of living, with a significant participation, as well as the various actions in defence of Peace and solidarity with the peoples.

The Central Committee of the PCP salutes and highlights the success of the XIV National Congress of Persons with Disabilities, promoted by CNOD on October 15, of the XXIII National Meeting of Workers Committees and Sub-Committees, on October 21, of the 11th. Congress of the MDM, on October 29, of the 9th. Congress of the CNA, on November 6, and of the National Meeting of MUSP, on November 26.

4. This important set of actions constitutes a response that needs to be broadened to face the scale of the attack on rights and to demand a better life. A response that will be all the more effective the stronger the mass unitary organisations are, and in particular the Unitary Trade Union Movement, which requires the commitment of the entire party collective in that direction, assuming objectives of unionisation and strengthening of the trade union structure, firstly with the election and accountability of shop stewards.

5. The Central Committee stresses the centrality of action, unity, organisation and mobilisation of the working class and workers and of the popular masses, raising social and political awareness, to ensure the defence and achievement of rights, to defeat right-wing policies and the reactionary projects of big capital, which aim to deepen it, and for the materialisation of the necessary political alternative for the Country.

V. The Party

1. The National Conference “Taking the initiative, strengthening the Party, responding to the new demands” – a great success assured on the basis of the participation and contribution of the militants – together with the general action of the Party, the political initiative, the institutional action, the intervention on the problems of workers and populations and stimulus to their struggle, mark an intense political intervention by the Party. In this intervention, important initiatives stand out, including the Action of PCP’s MPs in the European Parliament “With you every day. Your voice in the European Parliament”, the hearing of the Parliamentary Group of the PCP in the Assembly of the Republic on “Changes to Labour Legislation. Defend workers' rights", the Public Session "More strength for workers – conquer rights, transform dreams into life", marking the 109th. birthday of Álvaro Cunhal, the initiatives within the scope of the Centenary of José Saramago, as well as the rallies, public sessions and assemblies of Party organisations.

2. The Central Committee of the PCP, in accordance with the guidelines and priorities decided at the National Conference, reaffirms the need to boost Party action which, in an integrated manner, involves a broad political initiative to respond to the pressing problems of the workers and people and affirm the patriotic and left-wing alternative policy, the stimulus to the development of the struggle of the workers and populations, the strengthening of organisations and mass movements, the work with democrats and patriots, institutional intervention, the strengthening of the Party.

Taking into account the defined priorities, and underlining the importance of the work already under way, we have to emphasise the need for all organisations and sectors to draw up their action plans, bearing in mind the reality in which they operate.

3. The Central Committee of the PCP underlines the importance of the Party, at various levels, in its political intervention, with audacity, taking the initiative to solve the most pressing problems that the workers and the people are confronted with, namely regarding the general increase in wages; affirming the rights of children and parents; the rights, dreams and aspirations of the youth; valorising pensions and the right to age with quality of life; the social functions of the State and public services; culture; national production; the environment and access to water; the right to housing, public transport and mobility; the development of action for peace and solidarity with peoples; the defence of the democratic regime and the values of April.

4. The Central Committee of the PCP highlights the importance of intervening in the problems and encouraging the struggle of the workers and popular masses; of working to strengthen organisations and mass unitary movements, with the definition of priorities and programming of action; the deepening of dialogue and convergence with democrats and patriots, which includes the development of a wide range of contacts and the holding of meetings with independents in Porto and Lisbon; the intervention of the communists in the institutions, giving expression to the commitment assumed with the workers and the people.

The Central Committee of the PCP, in this framework of intervention and implementation of initiatives, emphasises:

• The development of the action “Draw from injustices, the strength to fight – More wages and pensions, healthcare and housing”, running until February 2023. An action of contact with the workers and populations, of affirmation of their rights and demands for the improvement of their living conditions;
• An action to demand compliance with the rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, against negative changes and the subversion of the principles that shape it, in order to defend the values of April and affirm the project for the future that it entails;
• The already scheduled initiatives centred on the valorisation of work and workers, the public postal service, GALP and energy policy, food sovereignty, science and technology, maternal and child health, aging with quality of life, defence and valorisation of the NHS, the right to housing, culture, social support and the situation of the Social Welfare Institutions, the youth and environmental protection, the denunciation of fascism, colonialism, racism, xenophobia, namely with the evocation of Amílcar Cabral on the passing of 50 years since his murder;
• The importance of the actions included on March 8, International Women's Day, on March 24 and 28, the student and youth days, on the 25th. of April and on May Day;
• The holding of initiatives within the scope of the 92nd.anniversary of Avante! and the 102nd.anniversary of the Party, the preparation of the Avante! Festival, which takes place on September 1, 2 and 3.

5. The Central Committee of the PCP, analysing and valorising the action of strengthening the Party, reaffirms the need to intensify it and, with this objective, highlights the priorities decided by the National Conference:

• The accountability and training of new cadres, as of now, within the scope of the objective of making 1000 comrades responsible for regular tasks and Party organisations, by the end of 2024, along with holding of assemblies of the organisations;
• The recruitment and integration of new militants, stimulating contact with those who stand out, by implementing the ongoing national campaign;
• The strengthening of the Party's organisation and intervention with the working class and all workers, with the dynamization and creation of company and workplace cells, the regular functioning of organisations for trade union work and the development of the national action “More strength to the workers", starting in February and culminating in a national initiative at the end of May 2023;
• The dynamization of local organisations, the reinforcement of leadership, their functioning, centred on actions with the population, giving expression to the motto “Living better in our land”, and actions with specific strata and sectors, namely with the youth and in support to the JCP;
• The dynamization of the party press and propaganda;
• The guarantee of the Party's financial independence, which requires an increase in its own revenues, in particular the updating of the value of dues and their regular payment, a strict standard for expenses and efficient financial control, to ensure financial balance.

6. The Central Committee of the PCP highlighted the importance and adopted the Resolution on the commemorations of the 50th. Anniversary of the 25th. of April.

★★★

The Central Committee of the PCP, at a particularly demanding moment for the Portuguese workers and people, reaffirms the importance of carrying out the conclusions of the National Conference, contributing to the dynamism of the initiative and strengthening of the Party, in a confident perspective of the future, giving more strength to the fight for the solution of national problems, for the patriotic and left-wing alternative, for an advanced democracy inspired by the values of April, for socialism and communism.