Portugal: first congress of the Revolutionary Communist Collective! 

The first congress of the Revolutionary Communist Collective (CCR) took place from 10 to 11 May in Lisbon. Over the weekend, around twenty communists from different regions of Portugal, half a dozen sympathisers, and three international guests participated in the various sessions. After two years of growth and development, the congress elevated the CCR to a higher level, tightening its organisation and raising its level of political understanding.

[Originally published in Portuguese at comunistasrevolucionarios.pt]

The crisis of the system is shattering the foundations of European ‘prosperity’. In Europe, frail Portuguese capitalism represents a weak link. Great struggles are on the horizon, but we can only intervene decisively in them if we build a powerful organisation armed with the right ideas and programme. The congress was a very important step in that direction.

Portugal in the storm

Trotsky defined Marxism as the advantage of foresight over astonishment. Indeed, a revolutionary organisation needs a compass to guide it through the turbulent events of our time: clear perspectives that identify the general trends in the class struggle. But Portugal is a small, dependent country, tied by thousands of threads to the European and international capitalist system. To understand what is going on in our country, it is necessary to first examine the global situation.

Portugal is a small, dependent country, tied by thousands of threads to the European and international capitalist system / Image: CCR

Capitalism is in the greatest crisis in its history. It is mired in insoluble contradictions. What were once its foundations, the free market and the nation-state, have now turned into their opposites: the overwhelming domination of monopolies and the division of the world by a handful of imperialist powers, desperately fighting over a saturated world market, plagued by overproduction. The old tools capitalism used to postpone the crisis, such as credit and the exploitation of new markets, have transformed into the heavy burden of debt and the aggravation of overproduction by the entry of new capitalist powers into the global market.

Protectionism, geopolitical tensions, and proxy wars are a consequence of the intensification of the crisis: the ‘pie’ of the world market is shrinking, and thus, the struggle to divide it is becoming more desperate. This is the backdrop of the conflict between Washington and Beijing, as explained by Jack Halinski-Fitzpatrick from the Revolutionary Communist International. 

The tensions between these two powers are determined by the relative decline of the US and the rise of China. After the fall of the USSR and the restoration of capitalism in China, the US accumulated unprecedented power and extended its tentacles to every corner of the globe. However, its power has long reached its limit. Trump’s partial retreat from Europe and the Middle East to focus on the Americas and the Pacific reflects a recognition of those limits. 

By investing heavily in China, the US turned it into the world’s factory and inadvertently created a powerful adversary. Although capitalist China is also subject to the laws of this crisis-ridden system, it is proving to be a dynamic and vigorous competitor, which is displacing the US in many parts of the world. 

Protectionism, geopolitical tensions, and proxy wars are a consequence of the intensification of the crisis / Image: CCR

The retreat of the most reactionary force on the planet, US imperialism, brings satisfaction to any genuine revolutionary. However, the so-called ‘multipolar’ world that is emerging has nothing progressive about it: intensified inter-imperialist competition will only bring wars, militarism, and protectionism. The conflict goes beyond the US and China. Taking advantage of the clash between these two titans, other lesser powers, such as Russia, and even India and Turkey, are gaining relative autonomy.

The biggest loser in this new situation is Europe. The Ukraine war deprived it of cheap Russian energy. It also ended up strengthening Russia, which, by circumventing sanctions, now emerges as a powerful and ambitious imperialist power. In turn, Trump’s partial retreat will deprive Europe of the US’ military ‘umbrella’. Even more seriously, Europe, fragmented into small countries – mere dwarfs on the international stage, governed by pathetic, selfish, and provincial national capitalist classes – is incapable of competing with the giant US and Chinese monopolies. European capitalism is being overtaken. In a word, the foundations of European prosperity are being pulverised.

The only path the ruling classes of the continent have to escape this hole is to brutally attack the working class to make their industries more ‘competitive’ and to finance rearmament to build their own imperialist muscle. But here they face an obstacle: the powerful European working class, which is highly organised (despite the partial decline in union membership) and attached to its social and democratic gains. 

A perfect storm for class struggle is forming. To prepare for this offensive, the bourgeoisie is attacking democratic rights everywhere, both in countries governed by ‘liberals’ (Macron, Starmer) and those ruled by demagogic right-wing populists (Meloni, Orbán). But if they go too far with these attacks, they risk provoking an explosion.

The backwards Portuguese bourgeoisie has no other path but speculation and the crudest exploitation / Image: CCR

In this context, Portugal is undoubtedly a weak link. As Rui Faustino explained in the discussion of our Portuguese perspectives document – unanimously approved – the backwards Portuguese bourgeoisie has no other path but speculation and the crudest exploitation. They are turning the country into a Disneyland and making life impossible for millions of working-class and even middle-class people who are drowning in the cost-of-living and housing crises. But in doing so, the bourgeoisie is destroying the social balance that has for five decades underpinned bourgeois democracy in our country. Permanent political instability, even with majority governments, is a consequence of the enormous tensions accumulating within Portuguese society. As the Portuguese singer José Mário Branco said, beneath the calm waters lies a volcano which is about to erupt.

At this moment, the great discontent accumulating in society is finding a highly distorted political expression. After the resounding failure of the reformist left in the last decade (Portugal’s ‘geringonça’, SYRIZA, Podemos, Corbyn, etc.), many people, including a significant section of the working class, are turning to new right-wing formations that exploit the anger in society in a completely demagogic way, scapegoating migrants or hypocritically denouncing corruption. 

However, this phenomenon will prove temporary, as explained by comrades Noemi Giardielho and Rui Cardoso. Contrary to what much of the left claims, these movements are not fascist. They are not mass movements, organising the reactionary petty bourgeoisie into paramilitary groups to impose iron-fisted dictatorships, but extremely heterogeneous movements that would be incapable of imposing stable authoritarian regimes even if they wanted to. The great expectations generated by the Venturas, Le Pens, and Farages will turn into great disappointments, and this ‘shift to the right’ will provoke future ‘shifts to the left’.

What is missing in this equation is a revolutionary organisation that channels the brewing discontent against its source, the capitalist system / Image: CCR

The main problem, however, is that while the system is sinking, the leaders of the reformist left – including the Left Bloc (BE) and Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) – cling to it desperately. By exaggerating the ‘fascist danger’, they end up defending the corrupt and hated bourgeois democratic regime, which means they are identified in the eyes of the population with the status quo. 

What is missing in this equation is a revolutionary organisation that channels the brewing discontent against its source, the capitalist system. Our task is to build it.

A revolutionary programme

In the second session of the congress, we discussed and agreed on the principles and programme of the CCR.

As comrade Arturo Rodríguez explained, our programme is quite modest. We want everyone to have a roof over their head, clothes in their wardrobe, and warm food on their plate. We want decent work and time for leisure and rest. We want quality education for children and youth, pensions for the elderly, and care for the sick. We want access to culture, art, and sports. We want to live without fear of violence and oppression, without fear of wars and natural disasters.

Our programme is not like other programmes. It is not a litany to deceive the masses in elections. Nor does it seek to prop up the decrepit capitalist system / Image: CCR

The capitalists and their defenders tell us this program is utopian. It is, indeed, utopian under capitalism. Humanity has the resources, technology, and technical capacity to guarantee a dignified life for all. The problem is that this wealth is in the hands of a handful of parasites. 

Our goals are not only incompatible with capitalism but also with the bourgeois state. Democracy under capitalism is merely a mask to cover the dictatorship of the rich. Ultimately, the working class will have to sweep away the bourgeois state. In the heat of battle, it will create its own organs of workers’ power, infinitely more representative than any bourgeois democracy, as they will serve the interests of the vast majority.

However, the socialist revolution will not happen overnight. It will be the culmination of a series of struggles. The working class will not start out by calling for the complete overthrow of capitalism, but, in response to the crisis, will raise concrete political and economic demands which aim at symptoms and aspects of the system. We must respond to these demands and, above all, learn how to link them to the general struggle against capitalism. 

Our programme is not like other programmes. It is not a litany to deceive the masses in elections. Nor does it seek to prop up the decrepit capitalist system. It is a lever for action. The programme seeks to build a bridge between the immediate problems of the proletariat and the revolution.

A new level

On the second day of the congress, we discussed our concrete tasks as revolutionaries. This organisational discussion was not disconnected from our discussion of political perspectives. On the contrary, the main conclusion of our analysis of the situation is that the main ingredient missing for a successful revolution in Portugal is a mass revolutionary party. We are still far from occupying that position. At best, we are an embryo of the future revolutionary communist party. That is why we must work with a certain urgency.

The main ingredient missing for a successful revolution in Portugal is a mass revolutionary party / Image: CCR

In the last two years, we have gone from being a small circle of comrades called the Marxist Collective to a much larger and more active organisation. Since then, we have created two branches in Lisbon and one in Coimbra, and changed our name to the Revolutionary Communist Collective. Our growth also increased our capacity for intervening in the movement: we launched our newspaper in January 2024 and have participated in numerous struggles and mobilisations. 

Despite these successes, our structure and methods reflected the informal environment of the former Marxist Collective, which necessarily began more as a discussion club. Therefore, the main organisational task set by the congress was professionalisation. We need more disciplined and cohesive branches, with an efficient division of labour where all comrades have responsibilities and feel like an indispensable part of the work. As Jack Halinski-Fitzpatrick explained, one of Lenin’s virtues was making every Bolshevik, even the newest militant, feel like a necessary cog in the machine. 

It was agreed that the branch is a living organism where comrades must train and grow politically, constantly sharpen and update their understanding of Marxist ideas and perspectives, and gain energy and inspiration. To coordinate the work of the branches, we need a formal national leadership that not only executes the congress’s decisions but also inspires, excites, and guides. To that end, the congress elected a central committee and an executive committee as well as resolving to end informality and professionalise the work.

The future is ours!

By applying these decisions, we will pave the way for the further development of the Revolutionary Communist Collective. Our immediate goal is to reach 50 comrades, which will give us a much greater capacity for intervening in the class struggle. 

Our immediate goal is to reach 50 comrades, which will give us a much greater capacity for intervening in the class struggle / Image: CCR

Fortunately, we already have the other ingredient we need to achieve this goal: enthusiasm. This enthusiasm was reflected in the congress collection, where we raised nearly €1,500, an extraordinary amount for a new organisation composed mainly of students and youth in a poor country like Portugal. The comrades’ excitement set the tone for the entire congress, including the Saturday night party, where political discussions continued in a more informal and relaxed atmosphere. This enthusiasm stems from our revolutionary ideas and the understanding that our communist militancy is necessary.

We are still a small organisation. We do not have many resources or the apparatus of the big parties in Portugal. But by definition, revolutionaries will always be a minority in the beginning. Being a revolutionary means precisely that you understand the needs of the era before others do. A small revolutionary organisation, however, can develop rapidly if the conditions are right and if it has the correct political line. 

We are entering a turbulent historical period where we will have many opportunities. We will be tested individually and collectively. Our organisation demands and will demand a lot from its members. In return, it will give them the satisfaction of fighting on the frontlines of the battles of our time, of not being passive observers but active agents of history, of investing their energy in the most beautiful and important of causes. It will give them a great idea to fight for. And nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come.