Market socialism

The Cooperator

«Yes to the market, but companies belong to those who work there.»

Keeps the market as a means of exchange but changes who owns businesses: cooperatives, worker-owned firms and public funds instead of big private shareholders.

In short

On the traditional scale, this ideology sits in the center-left camp. The clearest positions are on democracy: strongly towards “direct democracy”; economy: fairly towards “equality”; religion: fairly towards “secularism”; devolution: fairly towards “federalism”. Among the other ideologies, the closest is liberal socialism (96%).

Principles

Cooperative and worker-owned businesses
A market without capitalists
Social dividend

Cooperative or public enterprises competing on the market, with no big private capitalists.

Common criticisms

Few examplesApart from Yugoslavia and some cooperatives, it has rarely been tried.

Hard to raise capitalCooperatives struggle to attract the investment they need to grow.

Neither fish nor fowlLiberals find it too socialist, Marxists too capitalist.

Where it comes from

Already debated in the 1930s by Oskar Lange; tried in Yugoslav self-management and today in large cooperatives like Mondragón.

Key figures: Adriano Olivetti, Carlo Rosselli

Further reading: A Future for Socialism — John Roemer; Market Socialism — Pranab Bardhan and John Roemer

Position on the 13 axes

Similar ideologies

Liberal socialismThe Actionist96%Libertarian socialismThe Self-Manager95%Democratic socialismThe Tribune94%

Closest parties in Europe

Plefsi EleftheriasGreece97%

Social DemocratsIreland97%

ELASGreece95%

SumarSpain95%

Closest figures

Sandro PertiniPresident of Italy97%

Jagmeet SinghFormer NDP leader96%

José MujicaPresident of Uruguay96%

Carlo RosselliAnti-fascist theorist95%

Pedro SánchezSpanish Prime Minister95%

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Positions are estimates based on documented ideas, platforms and actions, updated to October 2026.