Manifesto for Different Europe

Secretary General Tiina Sandberg and chairperson of the Communist Party of Finland JP (Juha-Pekka) Väisänen participate 28.-30.9. in European Left General Assembly, Council of Chairpersons and the Executive Board meetings in Belgium. Meetings will be hold at the European Trade Union Confederation Building in Brussels.  Important decisions about Manifesto on EU elections, statues and enlargement will be made.  Chairperson of the Communist Party of Finland JP (Juha-Pekka) Väisänen sees the collaboration in EU elections remarkable in the struggle against capitalism and imperialism.       

Chairperson of the Communist Party of Finland JP (Juha-Pekka) Väisänen speaks at the European Left chairpersons' councils meeting. Väisänen describes the current situation as a all European Austerity –landscape where parliamentarian and local initiatives are involved with cutting lists and proposals to weaken workers' rights. 

- We have seen openly Facist actions in the streets and in parliamentarian talks. Swedish elections lifted up the Migration issues also in Finland and ruled the debate in the elections in Sweden. Peace and question of Defence issues were in marginal place of discussion in the Swedish elections. Swedish populist right wing party Swedish Democrats is now the third biggest party with 13 new seats in the parliament. Left block with on vote won over the right block, describes Väisänen. 

Spring Elections

Parliamentarian elections are already visible in the Finnish political debate.  

- The National number one newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat made a month ago during SKP 100 years celebration, news in the headlines about the Communist Party of Finland NOT getting any news in their paper concerning the 100 years of the Communist party.  Why the left news like both newspapers form the Social democrat party “Demokraatti” and the Left Alliance newspaper “Kansan Uutiset” categorically do not write news that would be linked in SKP, asks Väisänen. 

- Firstly, our Challange is to make a breakthrough in the media - both bourgeois and left media and then secondly get the first seat in the parliament. It is extremely difficult to do that with almost no budget - but YES it is possible. You will see. Because in political issues we make clear difference as the only party aiming in 2020 socialism as a concrete anti-imperialist and anticapitalistic alternative.

- We also clearly differ from other parties because we reject the right-wing proposal to buy new air fighters. We fully support the peace movements campaign against new air fighters.  We are optimists and try our best to influence citizens and left thinkers to understand the clear fact that a reasonable defence is a situation we at the moment have. Proposed air fighters' basic function is not civil aid but to offer international military cooperation such like EU and NATO military service from the north in a situation of a need to attack, explains Väisänen 

EU elections are even more difficult to a party like SKP.  

- Politically we wish to collaborate with EL parties to create an all European campaign for building a different Europe, like the Manifesto says. The process of constructing the Manifesto has been a very good and inspiring one. I can identify with the current draft even though it does not clearly say our political aim which is to get out of EU and its capitalist structures, says Väisänen 

European Left 2019 Agenda 

The Communist Party of Finland proposes two events for the 2019 EL Agenda.  

- We wish to strengthen the political culture of festivals and propose Tiedonantaja-festival to be hold October 26 th in Jyväskylä. Trade Unionists working group of SKP wishes to organize an international Trade Unionists event.  Workshops and public debate we will gather discussions on issues of high interest of labour movement in Helsinki. Working conditions, shortening of the working hour, Proposal of a 6-hour working day and others will be discussed. This will be an event of gathering for alternative syndicalist activist, European and Finnish actors of different labour movements, shop stewards and workers. We have informed the EL Trade Unionists WG about this draft and are positively waiting for a message to join in the preparations of this event, says chairperson of the Communist Party of Finland JP (Juha-Pekka) Väisänen.