The 8th meeting of European Communist Youth Organisations met at the European Parliament in Brussels under the slogan ‘The struggle of young communists against the capitalist barbarism and anticommunism; for socialism’.

Delegates were welcomed by Yiorgos Toussas, MEP and member of the CC of the KKE (Greek Communist Party). He announced that within the European Union, 23 million were unemployed and 80 million lived below the poverty line, that the EU and bourgeois governments are ‘generalising their assault on Europe’s working classes’. This takes the form of flexible methods of employment, low wages and cutbacks in health and in education. The youth are particularly targeted, as education is being transformed into a mere learning of skills to provide a workforce that will make yet more profits for the monopolies. During a period where many young people are questioning the European Union’s policies, anti-communism is being accelerated, distorting history to equate communism with fascism. Yiorgos Toussas declared that ‘we need an escalation of activity to stand up against this barbarism’. ‘We need a popular economy, where the needs of workers and young people will be met’.

Tiago Vieira, president of the Word Federation of Democratic Youth, warned that ‘the international crisis reveals the contradictions of capitalism; the threat of war arises as the imperialists need new resources and markets’. In Europe, this crisis will be utilised to deepen neo-liberal processes, precarious work and obstacles for access to universal health and education. Vieira also spoke of US intervention in Africa and Latin America, and the increase in bases, taking over entire countries such as Haiti, in order to threaten popular governments such as Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador. Tiago Vieira outlined the importance of organising for the 17th World festival of Youth and Students. The festival is to be held in South Africa in December and is an opportunity for all anti-imperialist organisations to reinforce the struggle, in their nations and internationally, to denounce the crimes of imperialism. Concluding, Vieira affirmed ‘an attack to one is an attack to all, a victory for one is a victory for all’.

The first session of the meeting: “our struggle against the capitalist crisis and the attack on young people’s rights” was introduced by Yiannis Protoulis, secretary of the CC of KNE (Communist Youth of Greece). Yiannis spoke of the struggles across Europe and the need to coordinate resistance on a European wide basis. However, he stated that we ‘cannot inspire young people to organise with opportunistic view of ‘ethical’ capitalism, we need to stand against capitulation to capitalism and for socialism with a scientific basis.’ The crisis is ‘typical of the capitalist mode of production and accumulation’, it demonstrates that ‘capitalism can offer no solution’ and the crisis ‘reveals the historical limits’ of capitalism. ‘We need the socialisation of production, central planning and worker’s control to liberate people from the fear of financial and social problems’ he said. Debt is ‘not a Greek phenomenon, it is seen everywhere across Europe’. The implications of choosing between borrowing off the IMF or the Eurozone are ‘a trap’. Yiannis warned against opportunist defeatism. ‘Social Democrats manipulate situations and fool people’ into ‘negotiating with the government about the implementation of anti-popular measures’. Yiannis felt that the KKE and KNE had been vindicated for refusing to compromise with the reformists as their illusions had been proved incorrect in the face of the government’s anti-popular measures. Yiannis outlined how young Communists are organising young people in Greece, young workers in KNE have been on the frontline with the All militant worker’s front (PAME) and defied the government in declaring a general strike. KNE has also mobilised students against anti-popular education policy of the EU by forming the Student’s militant front (MAS). Yiannis outlined our duty to confront anti-communism and analyse the causes of capitalism to impress upon the working class and youth the necessity of socialism. Despite the money and press coverage, the celebrations of the fall of the Berlin wall ‘did not resonate with young people’ because the ‘old rhetoric has grown tired’. He concluded ‘our future is the new world, socialism’. Delegates from KNE and JCP (Portuguese Communist Youth) shared their experiences recent industrial upheaval in their respective countries.

That evening delegates enjoyed a social event at the international centre of the Worker’s Party of Belgium organised by their youth movement COMAC, where they were addressed by Worker’s party of Belgium President Peter Mertens.

The next day, the session: “Youth’s consciousness; the main target of the anticommunist aggression. The response of you communists” attacked the rise of anticommunism across Europe. Delegates from the Spain and Russia and other places spoke of the repression communists face, particularly Milan Krajea from the Czech Communist Youth Union (KSM)