Communist Party of Greece

Also known as Greek Communist Party

political party in Greece

Key facts

Abbreviation: KKE
General secretary: Dimitris Koutsoumpas
Founders: List Demosthenes Ligdopoulos , Stamatis Kokkinos, Michael Sideris, Nikos Demetratos, Nikos Giannios, Avraam Benaroya , Michael Oikonomou, Spyros Komiotis , Giorgos Pispinis, Aristos Arvanitis
Founded: 17 November 1918 [ O.S. 4 November ] as "SEKE"
Legalised: 1974 ; 52 years ago ( 1974 )
Banned: 1936 ; 90 years ago ( 1936 )
Headquarters: 145 Leof. Irakliou, 142 31 Athens ( Nea Ionia )
Newspaper: Rizospastis
Student wing: Panspoudastiki
Youth wing: Communist Youth of Greece
Trade union wing: All-Workers Militant Front
Ideology

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Article

The Communist Party of Greece is a Marxist–Leninist political party in Greece. It was founded in 1918 as the Socialist Workers' Party of Greece (SEKE) and adopted its current name in November 1924. It is the oldest political party in modern Greek politics.

The party was banned in 1936, but played a significant role in the Greek resistance and the Greek Civil War, and its membership peaked in the mid-1940s. Legalization of the KKE was restored following the fall of the Greek Junta in 1974. The party has achieved appointing MPs in all elections since its restoration in 1974, and took part in a coalition government in 1989 when it got more than 13% of the vote. Ever since the 13th Congress of the KKE in 1991, the party has rejected "participation in and support of bourgeois governments", claiming the restoration of its revolutionary characteristics and denouncing the coalition government of 1989.