Belgium was the first Western European country to develop a significant anti-revisionist communist party, and to closely align itself with China and its polemics against “modern revisionism”.
In 1963, Jacques Grippa, a prominent leader in the pro-Soviet Communist Party of Belgium, was expelled from the Party for his anti-revisionism. Grippa had been active in the Party since the 1930’s, was a hero of the World War II Belgian resistence movement, and had headed its Brussels Federal Committee. In 1964, Grippa and a significant number of his supporters founded an alternative Communist Party of Belgium (PCB) and began publishing a weekly magazine, La Voix du Peuple (The Voice of the People).
With Chinese support, both ideological and financial, Grippa helped organize pro-Chinese anti-revisionist groups in other European countries. With the outbreak of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, however, the PCB underwent a split as supporters of the Cultural revolution clashed with Grippa and his supporters. Many left the PCB to form several new Maoist parties – the Walloon Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) and the Communist Party Marxist-Leninist of Belgium. In 1968, Grippa came out openly in support of Liu Shao-chi, the former Chairman of the People’s Republic of China, deposed during the Cultural Revolution. Thereafter, Grippa’s PCB ceased to play a significant role in the Belgian anti-revisionist movement.
Sketch of organisational developments of anti-revisionism in Belgium
Le P.C.B. et la Scission “Grippiste” de 1963 par Milou (Émile) Rikir
China’s Great Cultural Revolution Has Opened a Channel to Communism by Sidney Rittenberg [Peking Review, April 14, 1967]
A new split in the Maoist party in Belgium by Pascal Lubra
“On a Speech by Sidney Rittenberg” by Hammer & Steel [U.S.A.]
On the Question of Liu Shao-chi by the Progressive Worker [Canada]
Jacques Grippa against the Cultural Revolution by Ylber Marku
Belgian Revisionism [from the Report of the Central Committee of the Marxist-Leninist Organization of Britain on the Role of “Centrist” Revisionism]
The (Reorganized) Communist Party of Belgium Enters the “Centrist” Revisionist Camp [from the Report of the Central Committee of the Marxist-Leninist Organization of Britain on the Role of “Centrist” Revisionism]
Resolutions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belgium
“Theory” and Practice of the Modern Revisionists by Jacques Grippa
Belgian Marxist-Leninists Decide to Rebuild Party [Peking Review, #3, January 17, 1964]
The Revisionists Have Sabotaged the Struggle in Greece [from Vanguard, published by the U.K. Committee to Defeat Revisionism For Communist Unity, Vol. 1, No. 11, December 1964]
What are the Revisionist Leaders of the French Communist Party Getting Mixed Up With? by Rena Raindorf
Apropos the 21st Congress of the CP Netherlands
France – Before the 17th Congress of the CP
Jacques Grippa on Marxist-Leninist Unity
The Extraordinary National Conference of the Belgian Communist Students
Belgian Marxist-Leninists Urged to Unite and Rebuild Communist Party [Peking Review, #15, April 10, 1964]
Jacques Grippa Condemns C.P.S.U. Leadership’s New Splitting Activities [Peking Review, #19, May 8, 1964]
Jacques Grippa’s Speech: International Communist Movement Strengthened in Current Great Debate [Peking Review, #35, August 28, 1964]
Excellent News on the Youth Front by Albert Faust
A controversy over principles against an unfair controversy by Jacques Grippa
Jacques Grippa and Maurice Massoz – the TV broadcast [complete text]
Trotskyists of the “Left” discover Santa Claus by Fernand Lefebvre
The Communists and the trade unions – an open letter to the Members of the Khrushchevist Party by Maurice Delonge
American Imperialism Has Taken Over from Hitler by Jacques Grippa
Castro Speaks of Unity, But Has Chosen a Split [Peking Review, #9, 1966]
Facing the government: worker-student unity
What Does Khrushchov Revisionists’ “United Action” Boil Down to? [Peking Review, #7, 1966]
Your Leaders Are Actively Helping the Fascistization of the Regime by Jacques Grippa
Moscow Meeting Has Nothing in Common With A Congress of the Party of Lenin – Says Jacques Grippa, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belgium [Peking Review, #15, 1966]
Forging, steeping, strengthening the Marxist-Leninist Party by Jacques Grippa
Comrade Grippa Arrives For Visit [Peking Review, #35, 1966]
China’s Great Cultural Revolution Is Chairman Mao’s Magnificent and Great Achievement [Peking Review, #39, 1966]
Jacques Grippa’s Message [on China’s nuclear test] [Peking Review, #45, 1966]
Central Committee of C.P.C. Sends Greetings to Comrade Grippa [Peking Review, April 21, 1967]
Denunciation of Michel Graindorge by the Communist Party of Belgium
Letter by Party Critics of the anti-Maoist line of Grippa
Fire on the General District of False Revolutionaries Within the Central Committee of Our Party! by the Communist Youth Movement
About the “Independent Party” by Mr. Tondeur
Counter-revolutionary plot in the People’s Republic of China by Jacques Grippa
The Communist Party of Belgium on The ’Left’ Neo-Revisionist Clique in China
AMADA – All Power to the Workers – Statutes
Program for Peace, National Independence, People’s Democracy, and Socialism
About the break-up of the Clarté group
Letter to the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
Obituary: Ludo Martens (1946-2011) by Harpal Brar
Belgium’s Party of Labor Founded
The Liquidationist Tendency within the Marxist-Leninist Movement
Concerning Marxist-Leninist Unity by the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Belgium
To Be a Marxist and a Revolutionary in the World of 1988
On certain aspects of the struggle against revisionism: For the unity of all communists, in defence of proletarian internationalism by Ludo Martens
Greetings From Communist Party of Belgium (Marxist-Leninisl) [Peking Review, #22, 1970]
Soviet-U.S. “Disarmament” Hoax [Peking Review, #25, 1973]
Social-lmperialism Is the Enemy of the People [Peking Review, #12, 1974]
Belgium Communist Party (M-L) National Congress [Peking Review, December 19, 1975]
Message from First Secretary Lefebvre of Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Belgium [on the death of Mao] [Peking Review, #40, 1976]
Belgian Party on war and revolution by The Call
Belgium Marxist-Leninist Communist Party: Second Congress [Peking Review, #7, February 11, 1977]
Belgium Communists Send Message of Greetings from The Call
Comrade Li Hsein-nein Meets Delegation of Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Belgium [Peking Review, April 15, 1977]
Lessons in the Struggle for Communist Unity [Concerning Lines of Demarcation]
Belgium communists celebrate by The Call
May Day in Europe: two special reports by The Call