New Communist Party of the Netherlands

The New Communist Party of the Netherlands (Dutch: Nieuwe Communistische Partij Nederland, NCPN) is a communist party in the Netherlands. The NCPN was founded in 1992 by the former members of the Communist Party of the Netherlands to oppose CPN's merger into the left-wing GroenLinks. These members have been known as "the Horizontals". Through the Stichting HOC (Foundation HOC), the NCPN releases the monthly newspaper Manifest.

New Communist Party of the Netherlands
Nieuwe Communistische Partij Nederland
AbbreviationNCPN
Founded1992 (1992)
Merger ofEx-CPN members
VCN
HeadquartersHaarlemmerweg 177, Amsterdam
NewspaperManifest
Youth wingCommunist Youth Movement
IdeologyCommunism
Marxism–Leninism
Euroscepticism
Political positionFar-left
International affiliationIMCWP
ColoursRed
Fryske Marren Municipal Council
1 / 31
Website
ncpn.nl

The NCPN actively supports the socialist government of Cuba. The party opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq and is against Dutch military intervention through NATO or other military alliances. The party considers itself anti-capitalist, anti-fascist and anti-imperialist. It opposes both the active intervention of the EU and NATO in Ukraine but also the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It believes that a Leninist view of anti-imperialism is not choosing sides in a inter-imperialist conflict.[1]

The NCPN claims to work to preserve the heritage of the Dutch communist movement through commemoration of events like the February strike, holding that anti-communist laws in Europe and the normalisation of far-right ideas are erasing this legacy. The party also participates in the struggle against discrimination towards women and minorities with a migrant background, and is against homophobia and transphobia.[2]

Although the party only has limited electoral successes to date, it claims not to shun elections and instead purports to work with trade unions and other similar organisations to advance its agenda. According to a party report, "the NCPN participates in elections to the best of its ability" and views "bourgeois representative bodies" as platforms to promote its agenda.[3]

In 2003, the Communist Youth Movement (CJB) was founded as the NCPN's political youth organization. According to a statement from the NCPN after its 7th conference, the CJB contributed to a revival of the party in terms of membership and lowered the average age of its members.[4]

NCPN at a demonstration, 1 May 2014 in Amsterdam.

History

In 1982 a group of members of the Communist Party of the Netherlands founded the newspaper Manifest, out of discontent with the CPN leadership. In 1984 this group founded the League of Communists in the Netherlands (VCN). The CPN dissolved in 1992 in order to make place for a new political party, GreenLeft, an alliance in which the CPN had participated since the 1980s. Subsequently, the VCN, together with many former members of the CPN, founded the NCPN.

In 1999 the local branch of the NCPN in the municipality of Scheemda split from the party and continued as the United Communist Party (VCP), which has since won city council seats in Oldambt and Pekela.

Elections

The NCPN has participated in elections to the Tweede Kamer, Provinciale Staten and gemeenteraden, but never in elections to the European Parliament. In the period between 1994 and 2002 the NCPN was part of the governing majority coalition in the municipality of Reiderland.

Tweede Kamer
YearLijsttrekkerVotes%Seats
1994Rinze Visser11,6300.13%0
1998Engel Modderman5,6200.07%0
2003Alejandro de Mello4,8600.05%0
Provinciale Staten
Province 1995 1999 2003 2007
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
Groningen 2,955 1.3% 0 3,246 1.4% 0 2,057 0.8% 0 1,230 0.5% 0
Friesland 1,293 0.5% 0 820 0.3% 0
Overijssel 530 0.1% 0 835 0.2% 0
North Holland 2,397 0.3% 0 1,302 0.2% 0
Gemeenteraadsverkiezingen
Municipality 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
Amersfoort 679 1.4% 0 242 0.4% 0 137 0.2% 0
Amsterdam 3,017 1.0% 0 968 0.4% 0 819 0.3% 0 511 0.2% 0
Bergen op Zoom[lower-alpha 1] 501 1.9% 0
Breda 183 0.3% 0
Enschede 589 0.9% 0 316 0.5% 0 482 0.9% 0 291 0.5% 0 282 0.5% 0
Groningen 501 0.6% 0 866 1.0% 0 539 0.6% 0
Heiloo 143 1.2% 0 534 4.6% 0 1,025 9.2% 1[lower-alpha 2] 811 7.4% 1 1,164 10.4% 2[lower-alpha 3] 882 7.4% 1[lower-alpha 4]
Hoorn 417 1.5% 0 210 0.9% 0
Lemsterland 900 14.8% 2 738 12.7% 2 907 15.1% 2 1,038 16.3% 3 947 15.8% 2 Municipality merged to become De Fryske Marren
De Fryske Marren Municipality did not exist 1,174 5.7% 1 1,462 6.3% 2 1,168 4.9% 1
Middelburg 135 0.8% 0
Opsterland 311 2.1% 0
Reiderland 2,052 50.2% 7 1,303 35.7% 5 1,150 34.1% 5 621 18.3% 2 Municipalities merged to become Oldambt
Scheemda 695 8.9% 1 1,002 12.9% 2 110 1.5% 0
Winschoten 390 4.0% 0
Oldambt Municipality did not exist 310 2.3% 0
The Hague 203 0.1% 0
Total 8,554 10 5,995 9 4,868 7 3,229 5 2,678 3 2,338 3 2,344 3 1,168 1

International activity

The NCPN has participated in the annual International Communist Seminar and the annual International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties.[5] The NCPN also often cooperates with fraternal parties like the Communist Party of Greece, Communist Party of Turkey, Communist Party of Cuba, Communist Party of Belgium, German Communist Party and the Communist Party of Luxembourg.[6]

Notes
  1. NCPN and the CJB competed under banner of 'de Vonk' (the Spark)
  2. The NCPN was rewarded two seats, but only had one candidate on the list
  3. One seat was lost when one council member switched to Heiloo2000
  4. Council member Willem Gomes died on 12 september 2018; his successor joined Gemeentebelangen Heiloo

References
  1. https://ncpn.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-07-01-7th-Congress-NCPN-Political-decision.pdf
  2. That the root causes of discrimination against women, against people from migrant backgrounds, against people with non-heterosexual orientation, against intersex and transgender people and against other minorities can be removed. This is the society for which the NCPN, together with the CJB, and as part of the international communist movement, is fighting." 7th Congress NCPN – Political Decision (English), Page 39
  3. https://ncpn.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-10-17-7th-Congress-NCPN-Party-building-summary.pdf
  4. "7th Congress completed: Militant and united for socialism! | New Communist Party of the Netherlands". 8 June 2022.
  5. "Contribution of the NCPN to the IMCWP | Nieuwe Communistische Partij van Nederland". 2 November 2022.
  6. "Dertig jaar NCPN (1992-2022): Gewapend met lessen uit het verleden, strijden voor de toekomst | Nieuwe Communistische Partij van Nederland". 14 November 2022.
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