Denmark: Revolution Festival 2025 – nothing can stop an idea whose time has come

Danish politicians live on another planet. They busy themselves taking selfies, slinging mud at each other and propagandising ahead of the local elections.

[Originally published in Danish at marxist.dk]

Meanwhile, 240 communists gathered at the Revolution Festival over the weekend to discuss the abysmal crisis of capitalism and how we can actually change the world.

People from all over the country travelled to Copenhagen to participate in the festival. The atmosphere over the weekend was nothing short of electric. Participants' descriptions of the festival consistently mentioned that they encountered revolutionary optimism, coherent responses to the world's problems and real solutions that can’t be found elsewhere.

Educating communists for a revolutionary epoch

The festival was marked by the realisation that our perspective – that the crisis of the system is pushing young people and workers everywhere to take action – is by no means a distant prospect. It is being confirmed right now. That is precisely why the festival opened on Friday evening with a presentation by leading comrade of the Revolutionary Communist Party (RKP) in Denmark, Marie Frederiksen, who discussed the inspiring ‘Gen Z’ revolutions, and the mass movements and general strikes that have occurred around the world in recent months. She explained that the crises that are driving young people and workers from Indonesia to Italy to take to the streets also exist in Denmark. Here, the youth have never known stability under capitalism.

At the end of her presentation, Marie explained:

“Young people know what they are against, what they don't want. But it's another thing to know what you are for and what to put in place when you have overthrown a regime.”

If the fight against corruption, genocide and cuts is to succeed, a revolutionary party on a solid Marxist foundation must be built, one that has learned from the experiences of the working class, and understands the system we are up against and the necessity of socialism.

That is precisely why 15 presentations and discussions were held over the weekend, offering ample opportunity to delve into the treasure trove of Marxism. The talks covered a wide range of topics, including how we fight for a free Palestine and why capitalism stifles science. But all of them had in common the fact that they were not simply for the sake of theoretical discussion, but a means to understand the struggles and issues we face today.

If you wanted to understand why economic crises are not just due to chance, but rather to the inherent contradictions of capitalism, you could’ve attended the presentation on Marxist economics. If you were doubtful whether revolution and class struggle are possible in Denmark, you could listen to presentations on the Easter strike of 1985, or on the working class' resistance to the Nazis during World War II, when Denmark was on the brink of revolution.

All of the presentations were recorded and will be published on our podcast: Revolutionær Kommunistisk Podcast.

Build the RKP!

The enthusiasm for Marxist ideas was evident not only in the energetic breaktime conversations and in the number of visitors to the merch and book stalls. It was also obvious from the fundraising campaign that branches from Aalborg to Odense organised in the run-up to the festival. In total, over 212,000 Danish kroner [£25,000] was collected. Undoubtedly, this was an expression of the serious and dedicated attitude all the members of the RKP have towards building a revolutionary party; the tool necessary for the working class to fundamentally change the world.

The festival ended on Sunday with a presentation by Rasmus Jeppesen from the RKP's leadership, who tied up the festival and focused on the political crisis in Denmark, the local elections and the tasks of communists in the coming period. He made it clear that young people and workers are fed up with politicians who do nothing but make empty promises and inflict cuts. He explained that something completely different is needed on the left: namely, a revolutionary party that challenges the system itself and organises workers and young people for a common struggle.

The festival ended with a standing ovation, after which the Internationale rang out through the hall. People stood shoulder to shoulder with their comrades, united by a common goal. The conclusion that everyone took away from the event was that the conditions for building a revolutionary communist party in Denmark have never been better than they are now. It was clear that, in the words of Victor Hugo, “nothing can stop an idea whose time has come”.