On the (non) distinctiveness of Marxism-Leninism: The Portuguese and Greek communist parties compared

Abstract

The study of parties that label themselves as Marxist-Leninist has, for the most part been subsumed in the exploration of the broader radical (or, far) left tradition in the post-1989 period. In an attempt to bridge this gap in the recent literature on radical left parties, this article attempts to uncover the (non) distinctiveness of Marxism-Leninism by studying empirically two European parties that are self-labelled as Marxist-Leninist — the Greek (KKE) and Portuguese (PCP) Communist parties. The central question we explore is whether there are significant similarities between these parties, so as to allow us to speak of Marxism-Leninism’s distinctiveness today. Overall, the two parties studied here have enough in common to testify to Marxism-Leninism’s ongoing distinctiveness with several qualifications, especially concerning ideology.

Studying European Radical Left Parties since the Fall of the Berlin Wall (1990–2019): A Scoping Review

“…In terms of the programmatic and ideological dimension (36% of articles), studies have focused on specific features of RLPs, such as Euroscepticism and populism (e.g. Charalambous, 2011; Rooduijn & Akkerman, 2017), or else analyzed their programmatic and ideological profile more generally (Gomez et al, 2016; Keith & Charalambous, 2016). Other themes explored are the radical left (and right) ideology and their programmatic evolution (Coffé & Plassa, 2010; Fagerholm, 2018a, 2018b).…”

Societal Responses to the Post-2008 Economic Crisis among South European and Irish Radical Left Parties: Continuity or Change and Why?

“…The Greek Communist Party and Portuguese Communist Party are strictly anti-capitalist, orthodox communist parties, oriented towards a root-and-branch transformation of capitalism, critical of liberal democracy and rejectionist of the eurozone and the EU. Still, it should be noted that the Greek Communist Party has been classified as particularly orthodox, even compared with the Portuguese Communist Party, on various components of Marxist-Leninist ideology – for example, on teleology, the method for socialism and rhetoric on the EU (Keith and Charalambous 2013). There are also differences between the two parties on post-materialist and environmental issues, with the Greeks having a clearly more materialist perspective (see also Benoit and Laver 2006: 262, 280).…”

“…In this way, these parties become even more accustomed to the lack of internal formalization and more dependent on unstable linkages, contingent on cycles of protests (Poguntke 2002: 22). On the other hand, the Greek Communist Party continues to follow a strategy of avoiding alliances that might dilute the centrality of working-class individuals in its constituencies (Keith and Charalambous 2013). Evidently, during the crisis, the party has not shifted focus from that section of society that it diachronically targeted.…”

“…Divergence between the six parties is also shown in their organizational legacy. The orthodox communists appear to be more similar than different; the Greek Communist Party and Portuguese Communist Party have a bureaucratic organization, with little real input to decision-making by ordinary members, routinized procedures, internal recruitment filters and strict career paths, and mass ancillary structures with large activist bases (Bosco 2001; Keith and Charalambous 2013). However, Keith and Charalambous (2013) also find noticeable differences in terms of the two parties’ external relations and that the Greek Communist Party enforces more discipline on its members.…”