Communist Workers' Party of Sweden ( sv, Sveriges Kommunistiska Arbetarparti, SKA), initially called SKP (ml), was a
communist party
A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...
in Sweden, formed in 1980 after a split from the pro-People's Republic of China
Communist Party of Sweden The name Communist Party of Sweden ( sv, Sveriges Kommunistiska Parti, link=no, abbreviated SKP) has been used by several political parties in Sweden:
* Left Party (Sweden), known as the Communist Party of Sweden from 1921 to 1967
** Communist Part ...
(SKP). The party was dissolved in 1993.
Formation
In 1980 when a leftist minority (approx. 15% of party cadre) was expelled from the Communist Party of Sweden (SKP), the expellees founded the Communist Party of Sweden (marxist-leninists) (''Sveriges Kommunistiska Parti (marxist-leninisterna)'') on November 1–2. The group that formed SKP (ml) was critical of the new leadership of the People's Republic of China, effectively under
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping (22 August 1904 – 19 February 1997) was a Chinese revolutionary leader, military commander and statesman who served as the paramount leader of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from December 1978 to November 1989. After CC ...
. Per-Åke Lindblom became the chairman of SKP (ml). SKP (ml) began publishing the magazine ''Kommunistiska Arbetartidningen'' in January 1981.
Name change
At a party congress on Penecoastal 1981, the name of SKP (ml) was changed to Communist Workers' Party of Sweden (''Sveriges Kommunistiska Arbetarparti'', SKA). The party motivated the change by three reasons: 1. The name SKP (ml) was easily confused with SKP, 2. SKA was a shorter and more direct name and 3. SKA was more in line with the name of their publication. The congress also adopted a resolution titled 'Build a front against the Super Powers'.
Dissolution
In 1993 SKA as well as the pro-
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
n
KPS were dissolved in favor of an informal network. ''Kommunistiska Arbetartidningen'' and the KPS mouthpiece ''Kommunisten'' merged into ''Nya Arbetartidningen'' on May 16, 1993. ''Nya Arbetartidningen'' was published in paper until 2009 and still exists as an internet magazine
Electoral politics
SKP (ml)/SKA did not run in elections, but promoted
blank vote
A protest vote (also called a blank, null, spoiled, or " none of the above" vote) is a vote cast in an election to demonstrate dissatisfaction with the choice of candidates or the current political system. Protest voting takes a variety of forms ...
s. It did not find it reasonable to vote for
VPK, as VPK had publicly promised never to bring down a
Social Democratic
Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soci ...
government. Moreover it opposed VPKs ties to the Soviet bloc.
[''Kommunistiska Arbetartidningen'' 5/1982, p. 14-15]
International relations
SKP (ml)/SKA never had direct contacts with the
Communist Party of China
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil ...
nor the
Party of Labour of Albania
The Party of Labour of Albania ( sq, Partia e Punës e Shqipërisë, PPSh), sometimes referred to as the Albanian Workers' Party (AWP), was the ruling and sole legal party of Albania during the communist period (1945–1991). It was founded o ...
. It had bilateral contacts with other
maoist
Maoism, officially called Mao Zedong Thought by the Chinese Communist Party, is a variety of Marxism–Leninism that Mao Zedong developed to realise a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the Republic of Ch ...
groups such as
MLPD (Germany),
AKP (m-l) (Norway) and KFML (Denmark). It participated in international conferences organized by
MLPD.
SKP (ml)/SKA considered USA and the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
as equal threats to the revolutionary forces. It supported the
Solidarity
''Solidarity'' is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It is based on class collaboration.''Merriam Webster'', http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictio ...
movement in Poland, the
mujahedin
''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
struggle in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
and opposed
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
ese intervention in
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
.
References
External links
Nya Arbetartidningen
{{Authority control
Political parties established in 1980
Defunct communist parties in Sweden
Political parties disestablished in 1993
1980 establishments in Sweden
1993 disestablishments in Sweden