Contribution of the New Communist Party of the Netherlands (NCPN) to the 20^th IMCWP

We would like to thank the KKE for hosting the 20^th IMCWP. We would also like to congratulate our comrades from the KKE for their 100^th anniversary.

We would like to take the opportunity to sketch the economic and political situation in our country. The Netherlands is currently undergoing a phase of capitalist recovery. This recovery was onlypossible because the capitalist class abolished many rights the workers and other layers of the population had previously fought for. For the young working class in particular, the increasing “flexibilisation” of the labour market has reduced their chances to find proper work and has demolished much of the security they had. On the other hand, taxes for large companies are being abolished and companies are strengthened in their ability to increase the rate of exploitation in various ways. The bourgeois government actively promotes the mantra of capitalist economic growth as “good for all”.

This all happens while the contradictions of capitalism are intensifying, and various imperialist blocs compete for whom gets the most profits and who dominates the markets, owns natural resources, transportation routes, and so on. The bourgeois government of the Netherlands actively intervenes to defend the position of the capitalist class, and plays a particularly vicious role in preparing the people for a potential war with its imperialist competitors, particularly capitalist Russia. The Netherlands is high up in the imperialist hierarchy, and plays a big part in the imperialist unions, the European Union and NATO.

The attack of the capitalists on the worker’s and people’s rights have guaranteed, for now, the profits for the capitalists, but has increased social unrest, which the bourgeois political system attempts to deflect so that it does not get blamed for the worsened situation the people have found themselves in. New reactionary bourgeois political parties that promote further destruction of workers’ rights and attempt to deflect popular anger at immigrants, at fellow workers with different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds are dressed up as “new” or “rebellious”. Openly fascist ideas are once again being allowed to flourish in order to defend the system. At the same time, the existence of a “left” social democratic party hinders and impedes the development of our party, and plays a negative role in promoting reformism and what Lenin called “tail politics”, denouncing “ideology” and focusing merely on immediate struggles and following the masses instead of leading them.Traditional social democracy and a newer “green left” party which is promoted as a “left alternative” also muddle the bourgeois political landscape. Politically, the contradiction between imperialist powers can also be seen in the sections of the bourgeoisie which have more to gain by a protectionist line, and those who are more in favour of “free trade”.

The task of the communist party in our country is to avoid “taking sides” in these increasing contradictions amongst the bourgeoisie and amongst imperialist blocs. Our task is to educate our members, strengthen our ideological base and our grasp of Marxism-Leninism, whilst at the same time directing our members to become active in the struggle in their own workplace, in their own environment, to actively espouse the party line and struggle to form it, to enrich it with their practical experiences. Our main focus is on organizing the workers, fighting alongside them in and outside of the trade unions and mass movement, lead them, and recruit from the working class the best, most steadfast elements for the party.It is the duty of the party to lead the masses and connect with those that sympathise with the party, read our newspaper, and others that join us in the struggle.

Unfortunately, communist activity, the activity of the NCPN in this field, is still lacking. Many of our members fail to act as communists in the trade union movement, are inactive in their daily lives and fail to take part in the struggle. Our main task is currently to change this. Trade union activity in our country is decreasing, but the workers increasingly understand that organizing is the only way out. The increase of clashes between the workers and the bosses in various sectors prompts us to heighten our political activity. The party cannot merely be active in the economic sphere, but must link these with the political and ideological spheres, which are linked firmly. We must organize resistance against the reformist line in the trade union which is spreading apathy and slavish compromises with the capitalists. We must actively defend the line of class struggle. We must develop the struggle against imperialism, against imperialist wars and fight for the only solution: the overthrow of capitalism and the construction of socialism.

On behalf of the Political Bureau and the International Secretary of the New Communist Party of the Netherlands