Progressive Party of Working People

Progressive Party of Working People Ανορθωτικό Κόμμα Εργαζόμενου Λαού
Abbreviation	AKEL
General Secretary	Stefanos Stefanou
Founded	15 August 1926
Headquarters	Nicosia
Newspaper	Haravgi
Student wing	KKF Progressive
Youth wing	EDON
Women's wing	POGO
Labour wing	PEO
Political orientation	Communism
European affiliation	Party of the European Left (observer)
International affiliation	IMCWP
European Parliament group	The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL
Website
akel.org.cy

The Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) is a communist party in Cyprus. AKEL is one of the two major political parties in Cyprus, making it unique among modern European communist parties. The party also previously held the presidency, with Demetris Christofias serving from 2008 to 2013, making him the only communist head of state in the European Union (EU) to ever be in power.

History

On August 15, 1926 the party was founded as the Communist Party of Cyprus (CPC) after a founding congress. The party aimed to struggle against exploitation and British colonial control of Cyprus, and set up trade unions and performed struggles for better economic conditions. The CPC also attempted to run in bourgeois elections to spread its influence but struggled due to anti-democratic laws.

Since its founding the communist party was targeted by the British and the comprador bourgeoisie, due to the threat it posed to its rule. In 1931 the Cyprus Revolt broke out against colonial rule, during this the CPC attempted to build a united front with the nationalists and the Turkish Cypriots. The revolt was violently repressed, and the British clamped down on communist activity, banning the CPC and exiling its leaders, Charalambos Vatiliotis and Costas Christodoulides.

AKEL joined the European United Left-Nordic Green Left in 2004 when Cyprus joined the EU.

Stefanos Stefanou became General Secretary of the party in July of 2021.