Denmark: largest congress in the RKP’s history – “There has never been a better time to be a revolutionary”

On the weekend of 20–22 March, the Revolutionary Communist Party (RKP) held its second congress. 230 communists from across the country gathered in Copenhagen to discuss the political situation and how we can build the communist movement in Denmark.

[Originally published in Danish at marxist.dk]

The congress comes on the heels of a period in which the RKP has gained many new members, held inspiring events for International Working Women’s Day on 8 March, and established new branches across the country. This development was reflected at the congress, with many new comrades attending for the first time. Everyone left the congress with an even greater dedication to overthrowing the crisis-ridden system under which we live.

The world on fire

On Saturday morning, we discussed the world situation and the war in the Middle East. Niklas Albin Svensson, who attended as a representative of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International (RCI), explained that the war comes at a time when capitalism is in its deepest crisis ever. The war has sent oil prices soaring and shaken the already unstable world market.

The day before, it was reported that the Danish government, along with 19 other western countries, had declared itself ready to become involved in the US war against Iran. As communists in the West, our most important task is to expose western imperialism as the most destructive and reactionary force on Earth. The congress therefore unanimously adopted a statement condemning Danish participation in a war in which the working class has no interest.

Revolutionary events are implicit in the situation. This year we have already witnessed an uprising in Minneapolis in the US, and across the globe the class struggle is simmering. The same social explosions will also come to Denmark.

In her presentation on the situation in Denmark, Marie Frederiksen from the RKP’s Executive Committee explained that we are entering into a period in Denmark where the working class and the remnants of the welfare state will be subjected to fierce attacks. The collapse of the old, US-dominated world order is accelerating the crisis of Danish capitalism.

Already, a growing layer of young people can see that capitalism cannot offer a future for the vast majority. A school student from Høje Taastrup spoke of her friend, who described her feeling that “young people are pawns in a game of chess, which the elite move around as they please.” Anecdotes like this about the mood among young people permeated the congress, and linked our perspective on the situation in Denmark with the tasks of building the RKP.

It is these thousands of revolutionary young people and workers that we in the RKP are orienting ourselves towards, in order to build the backbone of a future revolutionary mass party. The next step for the RKP is to reach 500 organised communists, a target adopted by the congress.

Hunger for theory

Our success over the past years stems from Marxist ideas, which can explain developments in the world. An understanding of the world is the prerequisite for us to be able to change it. This hunger for ideas was reflected at the congress in the sale of political material at the stalls, which brought in a staggering 27,079 kroner, beating last year’s record of 17,000 kroner. Comrades left the congress with their arms full of Marxist theory. There was particular interest in Lenin’s Imperialism: the Highest Stage of Capitalism, which is an essential work for understanding the world today.

The comrades’ seriousness and dedication to the struggle for revolution were also clearly reflected in our congress fundraising. In the months leading up to the congress, the party’s branches across the country had been raising funds, culminating in the RKP’s largest ever collection: over 600,000 kroner was raised to build the party that is essential for a future revolution to triumph!

“There has never been a better time to be a revolutionary”

At a time when the world is characterised by war, crisis and instability, it is easy to become pessimistic about the future. But as Andreas Nørgaard from the RKP’s Executive Committee said in his closing speech on Sunday afternoon, that is not the mood prevailing within the RKP.

“As well as professionalism, the congress has been characterised by optimism,” he said. “For there has never been a better time to be a revolutionary than this, when more and more people are becoming revolutionaries with every passing day. We have a world to win and nothing to lose but our chains!”