The Dilemma of Socialism or Barbarity: Dimitris Koutsoumbas

At the 52nd KNE (Communist Youth) - “Odigitis” festival in Athens -- image via the KKE

In his speech at the 52nd KNE (Communist Youth) - “Odigitis” festival, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), pointed out, amongst other things:

We are well aware that there are those who foster the view: “what the KKE says sounds good, but it can’t be put into practice anywhere.” It would certainly be helpful if they could show us where, exactly, the things they themselves say and promise are actually happening.

Where, after all, does this “healthy capitalism” with its “peaceful international relations” exist?

Where does this “fair capitalist development” exist, from which supposedly everyone benefits?

They know the answer, and there is only one: nowhere. It does not exist, has never existed and will never exist in the way they pretend.

What does exist are the insurmountable dead-ends of the system, which are becoming ever deeper, and as long as it does not change radically, as long as it is not overthrown, will constantly be transformed into suffering for the peoples.

That is why the dilemma socialism or barbarity does not only concern the great moments of the past or some great moments in an undefined future. It is about today. It is about now. It is about the lives of us all and the ongoing struggle between our lives and their profits.

And the system itself knows this better than anyone. That is why it does everything it can to revive the sinful social democracy, and channel the people’s justified dissatisfaction into the familiar illusions of a government alternation—like giving the same old system a new coat of paint.

That is why it promotes the rebranding of Mr. Tsipras who, in turn, wherever he goes and whenever he gets the opportunity, proclaims that he has the recipe for helping the system avoid “unpleasant situations”, as he calls popular uprisings. In other words, he makes it perfectly clear that he is available to do the dirty work for the system once again, just as he did the last time.

For the same reason, the system also spreads the poison of anti-communism and propagates the unhistorical “theory of the two extremes”, which is also the official ideology of the rotten EU. Now it is unleashing its watchdogs once again —the infamous fascist forces it controls and deploys at will. The system uses them as boogeymen, allowing its other parties —the supposedly “centrist” and “democratic” ones, which have also crushed the people— to be whitewashed through the well-known logic of the “lesser evil”. But they are also kept as a reserve force, channeling young people’s anti-system sentiment straight back into the system itself. And, of course, as a pretext for enacting repressive measures that ultimately target the system’s real opponent: the people’s movement, the radical forces, the communists.

That is just how useful these fascists are to the system. Take, for example, the criminal[1] who was recently released from prison after serving only half of his sentence for leading the criminal organization that murdered Pavlos Fissas and Shehzad Luqman, and carried out a murderous attack on communists trade unionists in Perama.

The system was supposedly so terrified by his return that all the established media gave him live coverage, as if they were covering a head of state, as he addressed a handful of marginal fascists outside the prison.

However, the people's struggle will crush them once again, just as their predecessors were crushed by the Red Army when the hammer and sickle was driven into the heart of the Nazi beast at the Reichstag!

In the face of assigned roles and converging positions of all kinds of system servants, every young man and woman should ask themselves: what solution to the dilemma do they envisage? What cause do they want to devote their lives to?

Young people should not compromise on their dreams or accept that there is nothing they can do about the way things are.

Bold, innovative thinking and the courage to fight for what they want is what befits them. They should want and demand everything that is rightfully theirs. After all, whenever and wherever something has been won - whether it's a working-class family saving their home, a Collective Bargaining Agreement being signed or an anti-popular law being blocked in practice - it has only happened through confrontation and by directly challenging their false dilemmas and convergences.

Had the people and the youth been persuaded to take these things for granted and beyond question, or to tremble before the system's instability or wait for saviours, they would have achieved nothing.

In all these struggles, which were the only real opponent of the Mitsotakis government, the forces of the KKE and KNE have always been at the forefront. With consistency, steadfastness, and selflessness; with the organizational capacity and perspective that only the KKE can offer to the movement, precisely because it has a programme for radical change, for the real overthrow of this injustice and barbarity.

With an open hand extended to each and every person who is willing to struggle side by side with those who are going through the same hardships, so that together they can change their lives.

Because this is how we believe things change. With the people and the youth at the forefront, not standing idly on the sidelines.

In these struggles, we have got together with many men and women, and tomorrow we can get together with many more —people who will overcome their reservations and hesitations and take their rightful place in the movement. This will be a giant step forward.

That is why it will be a huge gain for the people and the youth to have an even stronger KKE in the upcoming electoral battle, so as to confront from a stronger position all the anti-popular plans concocted against the interests of our people.

This is the political choice that complements our struggles and gives them greater impetus, whereas any other choice nullifies them and puts obstacles in their way. This will also be the best preparation for the people against new hardships that are on the horizon.

We move ever forward, keeping firmly in mind the message conveyed by the heroic history of our people. The same people who thrived when, instead of submitting to a negative balance of power, against an adversary who might have seemed invincible, took the great decision to stand firm on its own two feet, to join forces with the communists and to devote all their energy to the struggle for their just cause.

This is confirmed by the heroic history of the National Liberation Front (EAM), whose founding 85 years ago we commemorate tomorrow.

This is powerfully captured in the deeply moving photographic documents of the execution of the 200 communist heroes of Kaisariani. These images have moved thousands of young people, just as they moved all of us when we saw them on display at the Festival over the past few days.

This is also evident from the three-year heroic struggle of the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE), which we are honouring this year on the 80th anniversary of its creation. Even when the people suffered temporary defeats in some of these battles, the gains were all the greater, because they kept the flame burning and paved the way for the even greater struggles of tomorrow.

We continue to follow the paths that previous generations paved for us.

We hold firmly to the torch that has been passed down to us, until the final victory of our people, which will build “the great, the beautiful and utterly amazing"!

With a more powerful KKE, steadfast in every trial, ready to answer history’s call!

We call on all of you —all those who, regardless of particular disagreements and differing views, understand today that a much stronger KKE will be a source of strength for the people, for progress, and for the future of this country, its people and its youth— to join hands and walk this path together.

Let us stop stand idly by and watch and become the protagonists of history in the making. Let us break the routine. Let us dream with our eyes wide open, so that we can fight to make all our dreams come true…

We are forging ahead! Strength and good health to all! Onward to new struggles!

[1] This refers to Ilias Kasidiaris, a prominent member of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party. He was convicted in 2020 of leading a criminal organisation and was sentenced to 13½ years in prison. He was released on 15 September 2026 after serving part of his sentence. Upon his release, he declared his intention to return to politics, supporting the recently formed far-right Alliance of Greeks. He has stated that this party will be contesting the next Greek parliamentary elections, scheduled for spring 2027.