Switzerland: determination and enthusiasm at the Third Congress of the RCP

“The crucial task of our generation is to overthrow this system and this Epstein class.” With these words, Sereina from the Executive Committee opened the Third Congress of the Swiss Revolutionary Communist Party.

[Originally published in French and German]

From 14 to 17 May, 317 participants from all across the country and the world gathered to prepare for revolution in Switzerland. That is significantly more than the 210 registrations from the previous year.

Over these four days, we held discussions about global events, the prospects for the class struggle in Switzerland, and how we can build the political leadership that is currently lacking. An enthusiastic visitor from St. Gallen reflected on the quality of the presentations and discussions and the electrifying atmosphere: “I had high expectations, and even those were exceeded. I will definitely be a member of this party by the next congress!” Others felt the same: 10 new people now want to join the party.

Day 1: Perspectives for the World Revolution

“You cannot understand Switzerland without understanding what is happening in the world,” said Niklas from the RCI’s International Secretariat, explaining why we always open by discussing global events. In the current period, every country is interconnected, politically and economically. The war in Iran, the most consequential event of recent months, is a prime example.

Trump has not achieved a single war aim; on the contrary, Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, and the regime has strengthened its support among the Iranian population.

“Iran, together with Russia and China, has shown that it can hold its own against the greatest imperialism in the event of war,” as Caspar from the Swiss Executive Committee explained during the discussion.

Yet the war in Iran is more than a military defeat for US imperialism. It is a symptom and catalyst of the much deeper sicknesses of the capitalist crisis. This was already evident in the 2008 financial crisis, the sovereign debt crisis of the 2010s, the 2020 pandemic and the 2022 war in Ukraine. It was made all the more apparent by Trump’s re-election, which has brought one shock after another. Niklas summed it up:

“Many people look at the world, and it seems as though everyone has gone mad. Why has everyone suddenly lost their minds? Why are these things happening? If you’re not a Marxist, if you don’t understand the crisis of capitalism, then it all looks like madness,”

The discussions – featuring questions and contributions on the relative decline of US imperialism, stagflation, AI, the debt crisis, how Europe is being crushed between the blocs, and Cuba – showed that the current crisis, its wars and horrors, are the death throes of a system that has historically outlived its usefulness. The terminal crisis of capitalism is gripping the whole world, and has finally arrived in Switzerland too.

Day 2: Switzerland in the new world order

The year 2025, with Trump’s tariff offensive, marked a turning point for the Swiss ‘success model’. The days when Swiss capitalists could do business with anyone under the fig leaf of neutrality are decidedly over. This was explained by Martin from the Executive Committee, who introduced the second day of the congress and our discussion of prospects for the class struggle in Switzerland.

The break-up of the Western bloc, protectionism and the general crisis of the global economy are having tangible consequences for export-oriented Switzerland. Export figures are now at their lowest level since 2021. Meanwhile, the capitalists’ predicament is evident from rising energy prices, falling investment in industry, deindustrialisation and job cuts.

The discussion showed that we can finally bury the myth that ‘everyone in Switzerland is doing well’. More than half of the Swiss population considers society unfair. And for good reason: since the pandemic, inflation has led to a loss of real wages, while rents and health insurance premiums have risen, all compounded by the austerity measures of the last 30 years. Today, 50 percent of the Swiss population lives from month to month and is being driven into debt. At the same time, the wealth of the richest 1 percent rose by 18 percent last year. That is why three-quarters of the population say that multi-billionaires are the greatest threat to security. Trust in the government, the media and institutions have all declined sharply over the past year.

Today’s 16- to 18-year-olds know nothing other than the crisis of capitalism. The lack of job prospects after graduation, the humiliation they face in the labour market, the Palestinian genocide, imperialist wars and the Epstein scandal are causing mass radicalisation among young people.

“I was born in 2009 and you’re asking me why I hate capitalism?” These words from two young people from Geneva confirm that anti-capitalism has gone mainstream. Class lines are beginning to force their way into consciousness. A sense of ‘us against them’ is widespread. Examples provided in the discussion demonstrated the fermenting process of radicalisation: for instance, in the struggle against the oppression of women, in the construction, education and health sectors, and in sporadic strike movements in the public sector over the past year.

An important expression of this simmering discontent is the Swiss People's Party’s (SVP) current initiative for a ‘10-million-strong Switzerland’ (see here for the Communist position and here for a detailed analysis). The bourgeoisie’s main party is taking up real problems of the working class and channelling its discontent towards foreigners. This demagogic ploy only works because there is no real opposition from the labour movement, pointing the finger at those truly responsible: the capitalists, not the migrants! As Martin put it: “The working class is the vast majority of society, and it is dissatisfied for the right reasons. This could be a golden opportunity for the left. But where is it?”

The Swiss working class still has many traditions to relearn, such as organising, the power of strikes, or the struggle against its own reformist leadership. Yet the crucial point is that it has embarked on the path of radicalisation.

International developments such as the Gen Z revolutions, Bloquons Tout in France, and the general strikes in Italy and Minnesota show that a storm is brewing; a period of class war lies ahead. What is missing is a political leadership that offers a genuine alternative to the crisis of capitalism. As Martin concluded:

“What is needed in every country, including Switzerland, is a revolutionary party capable of leading these struggles to victory – a mass party grounded in Marxism. That is the task of all of us here, and no one will do it for us!”

Day 3: Building the revolutionary party

This raises the central question: how should the leadership that the working class needs be built? We addressed this question on the third day. Dersu, from the Executive Committee, explained in his introduction:

“It is through correct politics, through correct ideas in extremely turbulent times, that we build.”

The growth of the RCP confirms that this works: from 100 members in 10 branches in 2019, the Swiss section of the Revolutionary Communist International has grown to just under 300 comrades in 28 branches in 2026. The section has grown not only quantitatively but also qualitatively, as the reports from the regions and the speeches at the congress showed.

“The history of our growth is the history of our political understanding and our political capabilities,” emphasised Dersu, “and that is the main reason why we place such great value on political education.” It is the responsibility and duty of every comrade to understand how the capitalist system works and how and why the working class moves, based on current and historical examples.

The seriousness and commitment to this task, the thirst for ideas, were reflected in our well-attended bookstall. In total, 350 books and leaflets were sold at the congress for over 6,000 CHF, compared to 4,500 CHF the previous year.

The central task of communists is growth. In a small country like Switzerland, we can begin to intervene in the coming struggles of the working class with 1,000 or 2,000 communists. To this end, the Swiss section has set itself the goal of growing to 400 members by our congress in 2027, in order to become a point of reference in the movements in years to come.

The strategy of the Bolsheviks is to organise the vanguard of the working class, and above all the youth, many of whom are today open to communism and seeking revolutionary answers.

Our newspaper provides every comrade with a tool to convey these ideas to these sections of society, those who are seeking the ideas that can arm them in the class struggle and show the path to a successful revolution. “The newspaper is the bridge between theory and practice. It not only offers a perspective and a way forward; we use it to give people the means to act, to build this party,” as one comrade emphasised.

On revolutionary finances, as Michi from the Executive Committee emphasised:

“Only if everyone pitches in and makes their contribution can we achieve our goals and become a magnet for young people. To do this, we also need to raise funds to build the party and the International, for books, newspapers, posters and stickers.”

Only financial independence makes it possible to build a politically independent organisation to fight against the ruling class. The congress’s fundraising target of CHF 80,000 was far exceeded: a total of CHF 110,000 was raised for the section and for the International! This is an expression and result of the party’s hard-won political understanding of the necessity of building the revolutionary communist world party, and the comrades’ willingness to do everything in their power to achieve this.

This congress demonstrated the comrades’ seriousness and conviction. Our infectious optimism was described in a message from a new member:

“I returned from the congress full of enthusiasm. I am delighted to have encountered this serious organisation, full of energy, which is dedicated to the only real mission.”

As Niklas emphasised at the close of the congress:

“The mask of the ruling class has fallen. We are not in a situation of fascism, but in a period of class struggle.

“We know that capitalism will not collapse of its own accord. For that, the working class needs a party.”

The struggle must be taken up against the ruling classes in every country. For this, the world party of socialist revolution, the Revolutionary Communist International, needs to be built everywhere! The reports from the International confirm that work is being done: the communists are on the rise worldwide, Switzerland included. As Marx put it in the Communist Manifesto:

“Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win.”