The NCPN was founded in 1992 by the former members of the Communist Party of the Netherlands to oppose CPN's merger into the left-wing GroenLinks.

[2] The NCPN claims to work to preserve the heritage of the Dutch communist movement through commemoration of events like the February strike, holding that anti-communist laws in Europe and the normalisation of far-right ideas are erasing this legacy.

[3] Although the party only has limited electoral successes to date, it claims not to shun elections and instead purports to work with trade unions and other similar organisations to advance its agenda.

According to a party report, "the NCPN participates in elections to the best of its ability" and views "bourgeois representative bodies" as platforms to promote its agenda.

According to a statement from the NCPN after its 7th conference, the CJB contributed to a revival of the party in terms of membership and lowered the average age of its members.