kommunisterna

Kommunisterna is a Swedish term meaning “the Communists,” used to describe members of communist ideologies and, more commonly, to refer to various small political organizations in Sweden that identified themselves as communist. The label has been applied in media and scholarly writing to several distinct groups at different times, rather than to a single enduring organization. In the postwar period, several left-wing factions formed around Marxist-Leninist or Maoist lines, and some used the name Kommunisterna in their publications or as a public shorthand.

These groups typically emphasized international solidarity, workers’ rights, and anti-imperialist viewpoints, while organizing around adherence to a specific interpretation of communism. Their activities often included publishing party papers, organizing demonstrations, and attempting to influence unions and student movements. Because they operated as smaller, fringe groups, they generally held limited electoral impact and relied on grassroots organizing and propaganda rather than attempts at broad political power.

During the late 20th century, many of these organizations dissolved, splintered, or merged with other left-wing currents as political circumstances changed and the broader collapse of certain communist regimes altered the international movement. Today, references to Kommunisterna are largely historical, used to describe past factions rather than active political actors. See also: Left Party (Vänsterpartiet), communist movements in Sweden, and related historical left-wing organizations.