Speech of Neoklis Sylikiotis, member of the Political Bureau of the C.C. of AKEL Cyprus and AKEL Member of the European Parliament at European Communist Meeting 2017
Speech of Neoklis Sylikiotis, member of the Political Bureau of the C.C. of AKEL Cyprus and AKEL Member of the European Parliament at European Communist Meeting 2017 on the theme:
“100 years since the Great October Socialist Revolution. Capitalism – monopolies – EU bring only crises, wars, and poverty. Socialism is timely and necessary”
Monday, 23rd January 2017, Brussels
Comrades,
On behalf of the Central Committee of AKEL Cyprus, permit me to express our thanks to KKE for its invitation to participate in today’s meeting. We also express our warmest comradely greetings to all the Communist and Workers Parties of Europe that are represented here today.
2017 marks the completion of one century since the historical event of global importance which lit and is lighting up History, the struggle for the liberation of the peoples of the world from class oppression and exploitation. This anniversary is an opportunity to once again reflect on lessons, conclusions and duties. On our part, we would like to focus on certain specific aspects.
Firstly. The October Revolution proved that socialism is both just and feasible. It showed that it can solve great social, economic and national problems; that it can set free enormous productive forces for growth; that it can achieve unprecedented steps forward in the people’s living standards; that it can safeguard to working people the feeling of security about the future and to do away with the uncertainty of whether they have a job, a house, education and health; that it can turn the page of human history as regards the relations between the two sexes and the position of women; that it can create a new type of international relations based on peace and solidarity.
Secondly. As the title of today’s seminar states, capitalism, the EU and the monopolies are reproducing crises, poverty and wars. The tens of war hotbeds and the danger of a generalized war breaking out, the environmental threat to the existence of the planet, the explosive inequalities, the intensification of the exploitation of the working class, poverty, hunger, destitution and unemployment for billions of people, the vicious circle of loaning which is indeed undermining the very sovereignty of tens of states, the crisis of the bourgeois political system in the developed capitalist countries, the rekindling of nationalisms and fascism are confirming the structural deadlocks of capitalism and showing again the necessity and timeliness of socialism as the new step in the History of humanity.
Thirdly. The dissolution of the Soviet Union and of the socialist community do not prove, as certain circles and forces are claiming, that socialism can’t be implemented and that it is doomed to collapse. The opposite is being proved. The socialist camp made great achievements as long as its course was in line with the ideals, goals and principles of Socialist Revolution. The basic cause of the defeat and negative outcome must be looked for in the gradual distancing from socialist values and the distortion of communist principles that took place under the Soviet leadership in whose ranks were also those who deliberately changed course. In addition, we must not forget that History is full of such setbacks and ups and downs. The capitalist system itself and bourgeois democracy were consolidated at the forefront of History during the last centuries after such periodic defeats and temporary ups and downs. Even more so, the dissolution of the socialist states did not vindicate capitalism, not did it verify its apologists. Quite the opposite. The comparison between the achievements of socialism that was constructed in the 20th century and the deadlocks of capitalism is damming for the system that is based on wage slavery and that reproduces poverty, inequalities, crises and wars.
Fourthly. In our opinion, a most important duty the Communist and Workers Parties of the world have is to defend the gains and contribution of the socialist system towards the peoples of the world; a duty that is combined with the waging of an ideological/political struggle against anti-communism, – which in the case of the EU assumes an institutional character – through the equation of socialism with fascism, the distortion and revision of the history of the Second World War and the Soviet Union’s contribution. The Soviet Union’s contribution to the crushing defeat of Hitler fascism, the collapse of the colonialist system, the containing of imperialism’s military aggressions, the growth of the workers movement in capitalist countries, the support rendered to the struggling peoples throughout the world, among them of course Cyprus too, is unquestionable. The new generations must learn about the historical truth, which demonstrates of course the superiority of the ideology that guided the Revolution.
Fifthly. This year’s anniversary recalls a great and timeless lesson of Leninism. The revolutionary party moves forward when it offers answers to the questions of its era. The Great October Socialist Revolution was the Bolshevik’s answer to the duties and questions raised by the era itself and the existing problems troubling the people. The unending human massacre of the First World War, the question of land, the pending national issues in Tsarist Russia’s internal front, poverty and destitution were the challenges of that specific period. And the Bolsheviks had answers to these questions, not by issuing slogans, declarations, theories and hollow wishes, but rather radical solutions that became possible through the Revolution.
Sixthly. The path and experience of the Revolution lights the depth and wisdom of Leninist dialectics with regards manoeuvres, compromises and the formulation of alliances that are demanded each time in the fire of real life and struggle. Life is a great deal more complex than theory and books. Even more so, when it concerns a Revolution. The Bolsheviks showed before, during and after the Revolution that communists do not reject compromises in general, but distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable compromises. In actual fact Lenin characterized as slanderous the view that the Bolsheviks do not make any kind of compromises with no one and never. Quite the opposite is true. The duty of a truly revolutionary party is that it knows how to maintain through all these compromises, to the degree they are not unavoidable, its faith in its principles, class and its revolutionary duty.
Seventh. The experience of socialist construction in the 20th century, the negative elaborations and exchange of views within the international communist movement lead, in our opinion, to the rejection of any blue prints of models regarding the path towards socialism and its construction. National peculiarities, international and regional circumstances and the experiences gained in the steel of struggles by the working class and Communist Party of each country formulate the peculiar characteristics of socialism in every country. However, at the same time as models of socialism cannot exist, there cannot but exist basic principles about the socialism we are envisaging. The vanguard role of the working class, the social ownership on the basic means of production, a national strategic plan for economic production, the rule of law and openness/transparency are indispensable characteristics of a qualitively advanced socio-economic system we envisage.
Eighth. We know that within the international communist movement there are small and big differences and disagreements on issues of theory, strategy and tactics. AKEL strongly believes that these disagreements can and must be discussed in a spirit mutual respect and comradeship. At the same time we consider even with these differences we must maintain and strengthen the joint action of Communist and Workers Parties, our solidarity towards the struggles which each party is waging in its country.
Ninth. In Cyprus, AKEEL has for some decades determined that the essential precondition for setting the goal of the socialist transformation of Cypriot society is the liberation from the foreign occupation so that the Cypriot people is reunited, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. The vision of socialism in Cyprus cannot but be the goal that concerns the whole of the Cypriot people and the entire island. The solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of principles is the way that will enable the path of waging common struggles to begin again on our island that was violently and bloodily interrupted by the imperialist interventions, the occupation and nationalisms. To fulfil this goal, Cyprus must be liberated from the occupation troops and foreign “guardians” and the people, the territory and the society of Cyprus must be reunified through the transformation of the Republic of Cyprus to a federal state. This solution is urgent because the status quo on the island is a quicksand in which our homeland is slipping into. This is the reason why AKEL supports the ongoing negotiation procedure. This is the reason why AKEL and the class-based trade union movement of Cyprus is leading the way and is at the forefront of bicommunal popular mass mobilizations in favour of peace and reunification.
With these thoughts n mind, we affirm our belief in the socialist future of humanity, in the world of peace, solidarity and social equality. We again express our thanks and congratulations towards KKE for organizing today’s meeting.
