Hungary-Presentation

International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties

New Delhi, November 20-22, 2009

Contribution by Gyula THÜRMER,

President of the Hungarian Communist Workers’ Party

Dear Comrades,

On behalf of the Hungarian Communist Workers’ Party, I would like to thank the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India for the invitation and for the excellent organisation of our meeting. The communist movement of India plays a very important role in the international workers movement and we should be grateful for their valuable contribution to the anti-capitalist struggle.

Dear comrades,

Last year, in Sao Paulo we came to some new and very important conclusions. We declared, “The world is facing a grave economic and financial crisis of large proportion. The current crisis is an expression of a deeper crisis intrinsic to the capitalist system which demonstrates the capitalism’s historical limits and the need for its revolutionary overthrow.”

We think that our estimation is basically correct, and we should not change it. At the same time we should see that capitalism has many possibilities to defend itself, to manipulate the masses and to avoid – at least now – the socialist revolution.

First, it is the propaganda of capitalist reforms. The forces of capitalism do not deny the existence of serious problems but they try to demonstrate that capitalist reform can solve all problems.

We should convince the working masses that if they want to live better they should overthrow capitalism.

Second, it is the gradual liquidation of communist parties. Capitalist forces support politically and financially the opportunists parties and integrate them into the European systems. Against us they use anticommunism, legal and financial pressure.

We should save our clear ideology, strengthen Marxism-Leninism, improve our cooperation.

Third, it is the use of right extremist forces. In Hungary and in many other countries of Europe the right extremist forces can profit more from the crisis than we do. The right extremist forces have strengthened their positions on the elections to the European Parliament. Why? In Hungary, the ruling classes have adopted the right extremists as a normal factor of political life. They do not like them but they gave them free way to financial circles and media. Second, the right extremist forces use political weapons which we cannot use. These are anti-Semitism and racism, first of all anti-Gypsy emotions.

What is the solution? We should be more radical, more revolutionary, and more anti-capitalist. People should see every day that we are with them.

Comrades,

Hungary is one the weakest elements of contemporary European capitalism. The crisis is far from being solved, and nobody can foresee its consequences. What does it mean?

First, Hungary totally depends on Western capital. Multinational companies produce almost 70 percents of the Hungarian GDP. The European capital tries to solve its own problems at the cost of Hungary.

That is why there are no signs of recovery in the Hungarian economy. This year the GDP will decrease by 7-9% in comparison with the previous year.

Second, people begin to understand more and more what capitalism means. Unemployment is about 10%. People lose their resources, their savings; more and more people live in poverty.

According to the US based Pew Research Centre 20 years ago 80% of the Hungarians supported market economy. Today only 46% say that they are in favour of capitalism.

Under these circumstances, we should not only criticise the capitalist system but we should as well demonstrate to the people the real possibility of establishing a new world. We should demonstrate socialism as a real alternative to existing capitalism.

We understand our international responsibility. If things go to social revolts in Hungary, it will seriously influence Ukraine, Russia, and the countries of Eastern Europe.

Comrades,

The Hungarian Communist Workers’ Party will follow the way of socialist revolution. We should demonstrate that capitalist will never give us better life, never will give us any place in the parliaments. We should get them by consequent and serious fight. However, this way is a realistic way and we can create a new world, socialism.

We consider our main task to prepare the communist party for such a situation. The historical experience shows the real revolutionary situations remain unused if the subjective circumstances do not exist at due time.

We create mobile „combat groups” which can participate in different demonstrations, street-actions, and solidarity-events.

We build up a new youth organisation with young people deeply devoted to idea of revolution.

We began to go directly to the factories to meet the workers. The experiences are very positive.

We are open to all anti-capitalist, antimonopoly initiatives and participate in all social actions, which fight against supermarkets, against neoliberal housing policy, against ejections of those who cannot pay for gas and electricity.

We create a more effective system of alternative media, using the weekly paper Szabadsag, internet and other means. We build up a wide system of homepages of local organisations, using You Tube technology, and other modern internet-technologies.

Comrades,

We fight for a more effective cooperation of communist forces on the international area.

Since our last meeting in Sao Paulo we deeply studied the experience of the communist parties of Greece, Portugal how to organise and stir to greater activity the masses.

We strengthened our relations with the left parties of Brazil, Venezuela and other parties of the Sao Paulo Forum to get impulses from the revolutionary process in Latin America.

We supported the idea to create the International Communist Review and we take an active part in it.

The HCWP has left the European Left Party because we do not agree with the revisionist and opportunist policy of the EL.

We want to liquidate capitalism; the European Left wants to make it better. We are standing on the basis of Marxism-Leninism, theory and practice of the fight of the classes, the principles of proletarian internationalism. The European Left unfortunately is standing on the basis of reformism. The European Left fights against capitalism only in phrases, but in the practice it helps to strengthen the “democratic” image of the European Union, the European Parliament, and the capitalist system generally.

Comrades,

The Hungarian Communist Workers’ Party is now in a very complicated situation. The sympathy of the Hungarian people toward our party is rising. After 20 years of capitalism most of the people begin to understand what capitalist exploitation, unemployment, and social injustice mean. They also realise that the Hungarian Communist Workers’ Party has always stand on their side and fought for their interests.

This is a historical chance. Perhaps we will not have again such for many years. If we can use this chance, we can get in the parliament in 2010.

However, and this is our cardinal problem, we should see that after 20 years of consequent fight our party has exhausted its financial resources. We have a historical chance in our hands but we do not have money to publish materials, prepare our candidates. It can mean, comrades, that we cannot use our historical chance. In this case, the Hungarian communist movement can get into a very grave situation.

However, you can be sure that we will never give up.

We wish you great successes.