CPUSA meets with Communist Party of Vietnam in New York

Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) General Secretary and President To Lam met with CPUSA co-chair Joe Sims and other party leaders in New York on September 21, ahead of the UN General Assembly meeting. To Lam thanked the CPUSA for its congratulations on the CPV’s 14th National Congress and conveyed his gratitude for the support U.S. communists and progressives have given Vietnam, from its independence struggle to its current national construction. He affirmed the importance the CPV places on its historic friendship with the CPUSA and called for increased exchanges.

Sims said the CPUSA is very inspired by the ongoing successes of the CPV and people in building a prosperous and modern society. “Building on 40 years of Doi Moi renewal policies,” he said, “the 14th Congress of the CPV this year set clear goals to insure Vietnam become a robust and prosperous nation by mid-century.

“Thank you for helping shine light for the path and overcoming the very difficult circumstances of the dirty wars waged against your people in the 20th century,” Sims said. “We will never forget our country’s role and will continue our modest efforts to ensure the effects of Agent Orange/Dioxin, which is still affecting the Vietnamese people, are addressed.”

Turkey: TKP condemns moves toward war on Yemen

The Communist Party of Turkey condemned the Turkish government’s intention to involve Turkey in the Saudi-Yemeni conflict, declaring: “You will not drag our country into a war against Yemen alongside Israel, the US and Saudi Arabia!”

The TKP recalled Erdoğan’s 2019 demand that Saudi Arabia “look in the mirror” over Yemen’s devastation, noting the government now appears eager to join that same war. It pointed out the Mecca Agreement was never brought before parliament and insisted any war decision be put to a vote in the Grand National Assembly. The Party warned it would not allow Turkey to become complicit in the crimes committed in Yemen by Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United States.

Portugal: Avante! Festival marks 50 years

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Seixal, Portugal from September 4-6 for the 50th anniversary of the Avante! Festival, organized by the Portuguese Communist Party.

The festival celebrates the 1974 Carnation Revolution, which ended more than 40 years of the fascist Estado Novo regime, and the progressive 1976 Portuguese Constitution. Palestinian solidarity was a major theme this year, with PLO representatives in the international section and Palestinian flags across the grounds.

PCP General Secretary Paulo Raimundo reaffirmed support for Palestine, saying solidarity “comes to you from the people who take to the street worldwide.” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel addressed the closing by video, saluting the PCP’s defense of Cuban sovereignty.

The festival took place amid the rise of Chega, Portugal’s far-right party, as an unstable minority government led by the right-wing PSD party struggles to hold its pro-austerity coalition together. The CGTP, Portugal’s largest trade union federation, has led a series of successful general strikes to combat the government’s attempts to weaken labor laws.

France: Fête de l’Humanité draws 500,000

Over 500,000 people attended the 91st Fête de l’Humanité, held September 11-13, where PCF National Secretary Fabien Roussel declared his candidacy for the 2027 presidency.

The festival recalled the 1936 Popular Front, the anti-fascist coalition that defeated an insurgent far right in France. Roussel, nominated on a line of “communism of conquests,” called for nationalizing key sectors of the economy and emphasized solidarity with Cuba and Palestine.

Speakers addressed France’s militarized economy and the Macron government’s attacks on workers’ rights, including the forced passage of a regressive pension reform in 2023 that sparked mass strikes. The far-right National Rally leads recent polls, prompting many to conclude the necessity of continuing the popular front.

Iran: Tudeh Party on sanctions, repression, and war

The Tudeh Party of Iran described a crisis impacting Iranians defined by “inhuman sanctions by US imperialism, escalating domestic repression, and the risk of a renewed war.”

The Party reported that the minimum monthly cost of living for an average working-class household reached about 90.6 million tomans at the end of July, while a married worker with one child earns roughly 24.9 million tomans — barely a quarter of the household basket. Hundreds of medicines are also in short supply.

The Tudeh Party warned the Trump administration threatens a “big decision” on resuming large-scale attacks while also speaking of a possible deal. It called for diplomacy, opening humanitarian and economic channels, and an agreement preserving Iran’s national security and self-determination. The Party denounced the bankruptcy of U.S. imperialism and Zionism.

Israel: Communists condemn disqualification of Joint List

The Communist Party of Israel and Hadash condemned Israel’s Central Elections Committee’s approval of requests to disqualify the Joint List, its leader Sami Abu Shehadeh, MK Ofer Cassif, and the United Arab List.

The statement called the decision “a blatant trampling on the most basic rules of democratic competition.” The Party expressed pride in MK Cassif, a member of its leadership who has faced previous exclusion attempts “without bowing his head,” and affirmed support for Abu Shehadeh. It called for a broad protest campaign against political persecution, culminating in higher voter turnout among Arab citizens and democratic forces. The CPI continues to fight against fascist forces and for Palestinian freedom and self-determination.

Germany: DKP on election results

The German Communist Party assessed the far-right AfD’s first-place finish in Saxony-Anhalt as well as the victory of democratic socialists, Die Linke, in the Berlin elections. They noted that the status quo parties, CDU and SPD, are rapidly falling out of favor with the German people.

DKP leader Patrick Köbele argued the fascistic AfD has been strengthened by the war and crisis policies of the CDU, SPD, Greens, and FDP. The cost of living crisis continues to impact many Germans, especially those in the former GDR (East Germany).

“Anyone who wants to rightfully and consistently combat the rise of the AfD must fight the root causes of this political movement, not the majority of AfD voters,” he said.

The Party emphasized the slogan “Never again war – never again fascism” and called for mobilization around the September 25 school strike and October 3 peace demonstrations.

In Berlin, the DKP noted the SPD’s worst-ever result, a consequence of prioritizing real estate corporations over its own resolutions. Progressive policies on rent and housing were a big reason that Die Linke placed so well in the municipal elections, but the DKP criticized them for not drawing the connections between the rising cost of living and the militarization of Germany and the EU.

Cyprus: AKEL marks centenary

AKEL marked the centenary of the Communist Party of Cyprus, founded August 15, 1926, with a programme of political, cultural, and educational activities.

An important event is set for November 6, followed by an international symposium, “The Left in the Contemporary World,” on November 7. The program will include an academic volume on 100 years of the Cypriot left and a project to digitize the Party’s archives.

AKEL General Secretary Stefanos Stefanou linked the centenary to preparations for the 2028 presidential election, saying the objective was to build a broad social majority for progressive change. In the latest elections, AKEL placed higher than it has in recent years, signaling a growing demand for pro-worker and pro-peace policies among the Cypriot working class.

South Africa: SACP’s Red Caravan expands

The South African Communist Party’s People’s Red Caravan moved to Harold Molobela District in Mpumalanga from September 23-26, continuing a nationwide initiative focused on food security, cooperatives, water projects, and community organisation.

By late August, the SACP had established community farms and drilled boreholes in six provinces, including a 160-metre borehole in Qunu. The Red Caravan has gained prominence as the SACP prepares to contest the 2026 local elections independently of the ANC for the first time, with more than 4,000 candidates.

Canada: CP condemns ‘Investment Summit’

The Communist Party of Canada condemned the Carney government’s Investment Summit as “a brazen auction of Canada’s public assets, natural resources, and infrastructure to the highest bidder.”

The Party noted the government holds a majority with only 27 percent of eligible voters, yet pursues privatization, deregulation, and militarization — committing $150 billion annually to military spending while cutting 40,000 public sector jobs.

Many projects are on Indigenous territories, the Party noted, raising concerns about the right to free, prior, and informed consent. The CP called for Canada’s withdrawal from the USMCA, for the nationalization of key industries, including auto, and to abandon the NATO and NORAD military alliances.

Chile: Communists commemorate 53rd Anniversary of Fascist Coup

The Communist Party of Chile marked the 53rd anniversary of the 1973 coup with a ceremony at Salvador Allende’s mausoleum and a floral offering at his monument in the Plaza de la Constitución. Party President Lautaro Carmona highlighted Allende’s legacy of nationalizing copper, international solidarity, and anti-imperialist policy.

She emphasized the Popular Unity experience was not defeated but “temporarily paralysed by a coup d’état,” concluding: “With Allende as our example, we will triumph a thousand times over.”

Images: CPUSA co-chair Joe Sims (left) meets with CPV General Secretary and President To Lam (right) in New York. CPUSA; Fête de l’Humanité. Luke Rotello, People’s World; AKEL demonstrates outside the Cyprus Ministry of Finance. AKEL; Drew Garvie, leader of the Communist Party of Canada (left), and Adrien Welsh, national secretary of the Communist Party of Quebec, speak on television about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s militarization of the economy. CPAC.