The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) successfully held the 5th International Theoretical Conference themed Fascism in the 21st Century in the Imperialist Heartlands. It was held on November 28-29 in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

The conference was attended by 125 individuals from 71 communist parties and mass organizations. It discussed contributions submitted by 20 of these parties and groups. The NDFP dedicated the conference to the memory of Ka Louie Jalandoni, proletarian internationalist and martyr of the Philippine revolution.

The two-day conference built upon the theoretical and historical understanding of fascism from the contributions of Lenin, Stalin, and Mao. Participants affirmed the definition of fascism along the concept of Georgi Dimitrov, the Bulgarian communist who led the Communist International in the 1930s. Dimitrov described fascism’s class character as an “open terrorist dictatorship of the most reactionary, most chauvinistic, and most imperialist elements of finance capital.” Monopoly capitalism in crisis is by nature anti-communist, ultra-reactionary, and violently suppresses the working class.

The conference tackled fascism’s resurgence from the global capitalist crisis, particularly after the 2008-2009 financial crisis. They identified the manifestations of fascism and fascisation in imperialist countries centered on: 1) fascisation of the bourgeois state; 2) use of AI (artificial intelligence) and advanced technology to repress and further exploit the working class; 3) heightening chauvinism and reactionary ideologies; and 4) rise of fascist mass movements.

Fascisation of the bourgeois state unmasks bourgeois liberal democracy and exposes more authoritarian, repressive measures toward open terror rule.

Lively exchanges covered fascism’s interaction in imperialist countries and neocolonies, where the state is characterized as inherently fascist. Semicolonies serve as laboratories where imperialism first experiments and implements state terrorism through counterinsurgency programs, military aid, manipulation, and violent repression of peoples.

Specific discussions highlighted Ireland’s experience as a capitalist semicolony and Palestine as an occupied country, where their liberation movements fuse anti-fascist and anti-imperialist struggles.

The conference pointed to building “fighting organizations” as the proletariat’s immediate task to counter the “fighting organizations” of fascist movements. Comrades from imperialist countries shared concrete anti-fascist resistance examples.

They presented lessons from mass work, advocacy, self-defense, and organizing in unions, parties, organizations, and movements. They emphasized building a broad anti-fascist united front of workers and democratic sectors. They said forming this alliance rejects sectarianism and conservatism while guarding against social democrats and opportunists. They are aware that proletarian leadership in this front is integral to mass struggles in uprooting fascisation and is crucial to dismantling monopoly capitalism and bourgeois dictatorship.

Participants from imperialist countries affirmed the need for stable workers’ parties. Revolutionaries should conduct clandestine operations combined with legal work to withstand fascist attacks and win victories for the working-class. They called for expanding unity in struggles between imperialist heartlands and semicolonies.

The conference ended with a short cultural program themed “From Palestine to the Philippines, stop the US war machine,” marking the International Day of Solidarity with the People of Palestine.