Comrades and friends,

It is in the link with the masses, the knowledge of the concrete reality and the ability to intervene and transform it that the Party's social, political, ideological and electoral influence depends on.

The link with the masses is both an objective of the Party's action and the source of its strength.

The link with the workers, the population, the youth, other strata and sectors, comprises various lines of work that require the effort and commitment of the Party's organisations and militants, with the discussion and taking of concrete measures, including, among others:

• Stimulating the individual action of each Party member, in contact with others, (Talking) about the Party in their daily lives, projecting its action, stands, proposals, analyses and project, with confidence in its heritage of action and struggle, as we are doing in the thousands of contacts we are now making in the collection of signatures for the Wage and Pension Increase;

• The development of unitary political work with thousands of independents and other democrats and patriots, including contact with the many independents who are in the CDU;

• The development of action to strengthen unitary mass organisations and movements, in which the role of communists is essential.

• The development of the Party's own political initiative, with the expansion of its action among the workers and the masses;

• The action to strengthen the unitary mass organisations and movements in which the role of communists is essential.

Comrades,

Following the conclusions of the National Conference “Taking the initiative, strengthening the Party, responding to new demands” and now the conclusions of the XXII Party Congress, the Party, its organisations and militants are faced with the need to broaden, deepen and intensify mass work in all its dimensions with courage and determination.

It is necessary to ensure that each Party organisation is aware of the reality in which it operates, of the problems that exist, that it promotes the clarification, organisation, agitation and mobilisation of others and that it intervenes in the struggle to resolve them, an intervention that promotes struggle, organised force and unitary action.

The Party's organisation plays a decisive role in the link with the masses, in getting to know their problems and aspirations, in boosting and organising the struggle, guaranteeing its consequent and transformative character based on the concrete problems that are most felt.

A strong, active organisation with initiative is crucial to strengthen the Party's influence. It is the organisation - inseparable from the class nature and revolutionary project of the PCP - that gives material strength to the Party's ideas, proposals and objectives.

Experience shows that it's in connecting with the masses and energising the struggle that those who stand out most are known and recruited to the Party.

Despite the progress that has been made, there are still organisations where difficulties need to be overcome. We need to overcome situations in which organisations are too closed within themselves, or which only pay attention to aspects of the Party's internal life.

Comrades,

In the Party’s link to the masses, communist militants play an important role in organisations, mass movements and other unitary structures, which must be developed and supported, acting according to the Party's guidelines, in defence of the interests of members and the masses.

In the trade union movement, in the organisations of other sectors, in the peasant movement, in the movement of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, in pensioners, in women, in the youth movement, in the associative and popular movement, in community groups and associations, in user committees, in immigrant and emigrant structures, in the areas of culture, in the anti-fascist struggle, in the fight against racism, in the defence of peace and in so many others, as the draft Political Resolution mentions.

In each and every one, the increasingly active and committed participation of the communists is essential to ensure the strengthening of their action and organisation, their specific dynamics and the valorisation of their role, their coherent role and their unitary character, the promotion of unity and convergence, countering divisive actions.

It is important to get to know the members of the Party who are involved in them and to define objectives and lines of work to broaden this participation, to ensure their inclusion in party work and collective work and in their action.

At the present time, comrades, besides broader objectives, it is essential to energise the struggle for concrete objectives - for a general increase in wages; for the promotion of the rights of children and parents; for the rights, dreams and aspirations of the youth; for the valorisation of pensions and the right to age with quality of life; for equality and women's rights; for the defence and enhancement of the social functions of the State, for the defence of the national health service; for the defence of culture; for the increase of national production; for the defence of the environment and access to water; for the right to housing, mobility and public transport; for the defence of the democratic regime and the values of April; for peace and solidarity with the peoples - contributing to break with the right-wing policy and build the strength and the path towards the construction of an alternative patriotic and left-wing policy.

And paving the way for the affirmation of an advanced democracy with the values of April in the future of Portugal, for socialism.

Long live the XXII Congress!

Long live the JCP!

Long live the PCP!