Communist Party of Greece (Interior)

The Communist Party of Greece (Interior) (Greek: Κομμουνιστικό Κόμμα Ελλάδας (Εσωτερικού), Kommounistikó Kómma Elládas (Esoterikoú)), often abbreviated as KKE (Interior), was a Eurocommunist political party in Greece that emerged from a major split within the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) in 1968, during the Greek military junta.

The split was rooted in differing interpretations of Marxist-Leninist ideology and, critically, attitudes towards the Soviet Union's intervention in Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring. KKE (Interior), unlike the orthodox KKE, condemned the intervention and adopted a Eurocommunist stance, emphasizing democratic and pluralistic approaches to socialism, as well as greater independence from Moscow. This stance placed it at odds with the more traditional, pro-Soviet line of the KKE.

The "Interior" designation referred to the fact that the party maintained a presence and operated, albeit often clandestinely, within Greece itself during the junta, in contrast to the KKE which was largely based in exile in the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries. Key figures within KKE (Interior) included Leonidas Kyrkos, a prominent intellectual and politician.

Following the restoration of democracy in Greece in 1974, KKE (Interior) participated in parliamentary elections and played a role in Greek politics, advocating for social reforms and a more democratic and decentralized socialist system. It sought alliances with other left-wing and progressive forces.

Over time, KKE (Interior) experienced internal divisions and declining electoral support. In the late 1980s, the party underwent a series of transformations and mergers. A significant faction merged into Synaspismos (Coalition of the Left and Progress) in 1987, which later became Syriza. Some elements maintained a distinct identity for a period, but the original KKE (Interior) as a distinct political entity eventually dissolved. Its legacy lies in its contribution to the development of Eurocommunism in Greece and its role in shaping the broader landscape of the Greek left.