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Ideology · Socialism

Trotskyism

The Permanent Revolutionary

«A revolution for everyone, or no revolution at all.»

Revolutionary, internationalist Marxism: the revolution must spread worldwide, and workers' democracy must be defended from the bureaucratic degeneration of communist regimes.

In short

On the traditional scale, this ideology sits in the far left camp. The clearest positions are on economy: strongly towards “equality”; sovereignty: strongly towards “integration”; religion: strongly towards “secularism”; method: strongly towards “rupture”. On environment it stays balanced. Among the other ideologies, the closest is council communism (95%).

Read more on Wikipedia ↗

Principles

The revolution must spread to the whole world, with a workers' democracy that keeps bureaucracy in check.

Common criticisms

Eternal utopiaIt criticizes every real-world experiment without ever building a lasting one of its own.
Endless splitsThe movement has broken up into dozens of rival groups.
A revolution without the peopleIn Western democracies it has won very little electoral support.

Where it comes from

Named after Leon Trotsky, who lost to Stalin in the 1920s and lived in exile until his assassination in 1940.

Key figures: Leon Trotsky, Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Marx

Further reading: The Permanent Revolution — Leon Trotsky; The Revolution Betrayed — Leon Trotsky

Position on the 13 axes

Economy→ MarketState→ AuthoritySociety→ TraditionSovereignty← IntegrationReligion← SecularismEnvironment→ GrowthTechnology→ AccelerationForeign policy→ InterventionismJustice→ Tough on crimeDemocracy→ TechnocracyMethod→ RuptureDevolution→ FederalismImmigration→ ControlEconomyStateSocietySovereigntyReligionEnvironmentTechnologyForeign pol.JusticeDemocracyMethodDevolutionImmigration

Similar ideologies

Council communismThe Shop Steward95%Anarcho-syndicalismThe Revolutionary Unionist93%Democratic socialismThe Tribune91%

Closest parties in Europe

RazemPoland88%Die LinkeGermany88%PodemosSpain87%Bloco de EsquerdaPortugal86%

Closest figures

Rosa LuxemburgMarxist theorist96%Simone de BeauvoirPhilosopher94%Yanis VaroufakisEconomist92%Karl MarxPhilosopher and economist90%Friedrich EngelsPhilosopher90%
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Positions are estimates based on documented ideas, platforms and actions, updated to October 2026.