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 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Merger of | Ex-CPN members VCN |
| Headquarters | Haarlemmerweg 177, Amsterdam |
| Newspaper | Manifest |
| Youth wing | Communist Youth Movement |
| Ideology | Communism Marxism–Leninism |
| Political position | Far-left |
| International affiliation | IMCWP |
| Colours | Red |
| Fryske Marren Municipal Council | 1 / 31 |
| Website | |
| ncpn | |
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 works to preserve the heritage of the dutch communist movement through commemoration, like the February strike. It believes that increasing anti-communist laws in Europe and the normalisation of far-right ideas is erasing that legacy. The party also actively participates in the struggle against discrimination towards women and minorities with a migrant background, and is against homophobia and transphobia.[2]
Though the party does not shun electoral politics, it places greater emphasis on working with mass movements and trade unions. It believes that victories for social conditions can only be achieved through social pressure, and will only participate in elections, local or national, when it is rooted in a popular base.[3]
In 2003, the Communist Youth Movement (CJB) was founded as the NCPN's political youth organization. The CJB contributed to a revival of the party recently in term of membership and younger generations are gradually lowering the average age of a previously ageing membership.[4]
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.
| Year | Lijsttrekker | Votes | % | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Rinze Visser | 11,630 | 0.13% | 0 |
| 1998 | Engel Modderman | 5,620 | 0.07% | 0 |
| 2003 | Alejandro de Mello | 4,860 | 0.05% | 0 |
| 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 | ||||||
| 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 | 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
- NCPN and the CJB competed under banner of 'de Vonk' (the Spark)
- The NCPN was rewarded two seats, but only had one candidate on the list
- One seat was lost when one council member switched to Heiloo2000
- Council member Willem Gomes died on 12 september 2018; his successor joined Gemeentebelangen Heiloo
References
- https://ncpn.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-07-01-7th-Congress-NCPN-Political-decision.pdf
- 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
- https://ncpn.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-10-17-7th-Congress-NCPN-Party-building-summary.pdf
- https://ncpn.nl/en/7th-congress-completed-militant-and-united-for-socialism/
- https://ncpn.nl/en/contribution-of-the-ncpn-to-the-imcwp//
- https://ncpn.nl/dertig-jaar-ncpn-1992-2022-gewapend-met-lessen-uit-het-verleden-strijden-voor-de-toekomst/
