From International Press Correspondence, Vol. 3 No. 2, 5 January 1923, pp. 26–27.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Marxists’ Internet Archive.
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive (2021). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.
We have at present two Communist Parties in Denmark, and both have appealed to this Congress. On the ground of these appeals the Presidium has drawn up a resolution on which I would like to make a short report:
The Danish Communist movement originates from two sources: the opposition wing of the Social-Democratic Youth Movement and the Revolutionary Wing of the Syndicalists. It was most fortunate for the Communist movement in Denmark that it was able to enlist the greater number of the Syndicalists on its side; it must however be said that the leading Danish comrades, who came from the Youth Movement, were not capable of fulfilling the tasks which confronted them. These comrades formed the small original Communist Party, and under this leadership the revolutionary wing of the Syndicalists was attached to the party in the form of a Federation.
About a year ago the Communist International Executive ordered the Party to combine this new organisation of two semi-autonomous wings into one united party. We were almost certain that there would really be a genuine unity in Denmark when we suddenly discovered that a severe split had just taken place and that during the period when the greatest battle of the class struggle which Denmark has so far seen, the general strike of last February – the Communist movement, whose power at best was limited, and which needed all its power for the struggle with the employers, was split asunder through internal disagreement. The Executive could not regard this passively. It demanded of both sides immediate union. It then founded a Scandinavian Unity Committee, composed of members of the Swedish and Norwegian parties, besides comrades from the two Danish factions, under the chairmanship of the Finnish comrade Manner. Against the votes of the original small group of leaders of the Danish Communist Party, this Committee demanded that unity be accomplished, and drew up a proposition to which the Danish organisations should consent. This meant a general vote on unity. The result of this was that nearly all the members of the so-called New Party voted for the proposal of the Scandinavian Commission. As for the so-called “Old” party, both parties were at this time of equal size, I believe the majority in it voted against the proposal, but there was an important minority in favour of it.
Then, last August representatives of both sides came here to Moscow. The Executive of the Communist International stood by its demand for unity. It demanded the formation ot the United Party and gave special directions to both of the parties towards this end. The representatives of both sides, then here in Moscow, declared that they would fulfil these directions. In spite of this, this proposal of the Executive was not fully carried out but was at first only partially accomplished. The new party loyally obeyed the directions of the Executive. A portion of the old party also joined them. A Unity Congress took place, according to the orders of the Communist International Executive; so there is now a United Communist Party in Denmark. But a part of the old party was opposed to this unity and remained outside of the recently unified party. Thia section now appeals to the Fourth Congress. What proposal does it make? It appears before us with the rather remarkable proposal that, for the time being, the Cougress shall not recognise either of these parties. Now, the Presidium is of the opinion that Denmark u far too small a country to possess two communist parties and that we must recognise the United Party which has loyally carried out the recommendations of the International.
However, this Congress should now issue a call to all those organisations which still stand outside the ranks of the Danish united Communist Party, instructing them to join the United Party, within the next three months. There should be no humiliating conditions attached to this. We do not ask that the members of those sections which have not yet joined the United Party must join as individuals only. They should be permitted to join in as a body. But there is one condition which we must impose: that they will loyally carry out the directions of the Party and of the Communist International. Unless this condition is fulfilled, no real unity can be brought about.
We trust that most of the organisations which remain outside the Party will unite with their communist comrades of the United Party.
The new United Party has already done much to justify its existence through its recent activities. We must, of course, expect much more from the Party in the future. The Danish Party is very small, but its tasks are great. So far, the Party has not become a mass party. It must still travel a long way before it establishes living contact with the broad masses. We must not forget that Social Democracy is very strongly organised in Denmark, perhaps stronger, comparatively, than in any other country. The Social Democratic Party, controls the Labour Unions. It may be said that it represents the organised workers of Denmark. In many important branches of industry, 95% of the workers are organised in unions. There are of course, opposition tendencies and movements in the Trade Union Movement; but our communist comrades have not yet understood how to make use of this situation, and have not yet established connection with the opposition element.
This is one of the main tasks for the Danish Party in the near future.
The resolution is quite short, and contains two points. I shall now read it to you:
Such organisations and members of the so-called old party, who, within the next three months decide in favour of this United Communist Party and declare themselves as prepared loyally to execute all directions of this party and its central organs, and of the Communist International, shall be received into the United Party without further conditions. The proposal is unanimously adopted.
Last updated on 8 July 2021