The National Fund-raising Campaign «More space more Festival. Future with April», initiated on October 2014, with the objective of facing the expenses following the acquisition of the Quinta do Cabo in order the widen and value the Avante! Festival and offer better conditions to its visitors, constituted an important political success, a testament to the determination, initiative and creativity of the organizations and militants, a proof of the recognised support and identification of many democrats and friends of the Festival, with all that it represents of unmatched cultural and political realization.

Built with the participation of the Party organization, the broad commitment of many militants and friends of the Party and Festival, the success of the Fund-raising Campaign demonstrates the roots of the Festival among the youth, workers and Portuguese people and the ample aspiration that constitutes building a larger and better Avante! Festival to be lived and enjoyed by all those that visit and make it their own. But it is mostly an affirmation of confidence in the future. Only a party with ties to the masses, confident in the fairness of its project and objectives, secure in the vitality of the values of April and their future projection would dare to undertake, within the framework of the complex situation of the country, a campaign aimed towards raising the amount neces
sary to aquire the new space that is now added to and enriches the Avante! Festival.

The success of the National Fund-raising Campaign in a period marked by the economic and social consequences of the application of the Pact of Aggression is only possible because, despite the hardships that afflicted the workers and people, thousands and thousands of people, by identifying with the role and project of PCP or valuing the Avante! Festival, felt the need to contribute financially, often with modest amounts, as modest as their capability, but of enormous significance in the society in which we live.

Having raised an amount higher than one million and two hundred thousand euros is an important demonstration, as is the Avante! Festival, of the ability of the party collective. But beyond its financial expression, it is also an element of great political significance in what it represents in terms of political and ideological independence.

Contributing to the Party is a natural act. The Portuguese Communist Party is a necessary and irreplaceable force to the lives of the workers, people and the Country, not a disposable or occasional element. The Portuguese Communist party, by its class nature, essential trait of its identity, is a Party that exists for the workers and people, whose strength, mobilization and capacity to intervene springs from the workers and people, that does not depend nor wants to depend on the State or economic groups, that is an independent Party. Independent politically, ideologically and in its organization. With its press, means of propaganda, work centers, and other means of intervention. An independence and strength grounded upon the role of the militants, organizations of the Party a
nd JCP, on the great Party collective.

The success of the National Fund-raising Campaign constitutes a stimulus to proceed the work of increasing the financial capacity of PCP and continue to guarantee its financial independence.

But the success of the National Fund-raising Campaign, demonstrated by the amount achieved and the significant number of contributions collected, by the support of workers and democrats, supports a reinforced confidence in the success of the editions of the Festival that from this year onwards will have more space.

The Secretariat of the Central Committee of PCP salutes the party collective and all those that in way or another contributed towards the success of the National Fund-raising Campaign and appeals that all engage in the construction of the Avante! Festival, starting with its promotion and sale of the Entrance Tickets, and its construction with the participations in the Work Days that begin on June 4th.

The 40th Avante! Festival, that this year will take place on September 2nd, 3rd and 4th will count on the full use of the Quinta do Cabe, that this year will be incorporated in the Festival grounds.

A Festival that will continue to be, as those that preceded it, a moment to mark the presence of the role and intervention of the Portuguese Communist Party in the struggle for a patriotic and left-wing policy, for its program of advanced democracy – the values of April in the future of Portugal, for its ideal and project of building socialism and communism.