MAILING LISTThe Democratic Socialist Project aims to investigate the practice of democratic socialism in the twenty-first century, and to undertake a global survey of its strength and prospects.

We start with a significant challenge. “A consistent theory of DS […] does not yet exist.” ¹ In fact, definitions of the term vary so widely² that some analysts have argued it has no practical application. To make matters worse, 'democratic' and 'socialist' are both contentious terms in their own right.

We have opted for a realist/materialist solution here. Rather than trying to weave disparate strands together, we have begun with a working definition derived from the practice of two organizations that identify as democratic socialist: the Democratic Socialists of America and Die Linke in Germany. Profiles of these and other organizations are available here, and more will be added over the course of the survey.

Taken together, these three things mean that democratic socialist groups can develop dynamically as circumstances change. However, such adaptability can also make these groups difficult to classify, and easy to misrepresent.

The Survey

Over the course of 2026, the Democratic Socialist Project is intending to survey more than 170 organizations around the world that self-identify (or are popularly identified) as democratic socialist. Where possible we will also generate a profile for each of these organizations. The list includes:

Important:
This list was last substantially revised in January 2026.
Please note that we do not intend to survey mainstream social democratic organizations (ie not socialist), nor autocratic/patrimonial organizations (ie not democratic). Nor will we look at coalitions or groups that have dissolved into electoral alliances. In most cases we exclude groups whose membership is restricted by region, religion or cultural identity. If you can help us with corrections or updates, we'd love to hear from you! Contact form.

Regional and international bodies

As well as the national bodies listed above, there are also various regional and international alliances on the democratic/left spectrum. None of these identifies specifically as democratic socialist, however several of them include a high proportion of democratic socialist members, most notably:

Progressive International
“We are workers, peasants, and peoples of the world rising up against the reactionary forces of authoritarian oligarchy. Our aim is international organization: to combine forces across borders in order to reclaim the planet as our own.”
Member organisations are listed here: https://progressive.international/members

Global Ecosocialist Network
"The Global Ecosocialist Network is an international association of socialists formed in response to the catastrophic ecological crisis rapidly engulfing our world."
Member organisations are listed here: http://www.globalecosocialistnetwork.net/category/affiliatedgroups/

International People's Assembly
The International Peoples' Assembly is a global network of people's organizations, social movements, political parties, and trade unions.
Member organisations are listed here: https://ipa-aip.org/who-we-are/

Party of the European Left
“...we stand united with grassroots organizations, left wing and progressives parties, trade unions and of course – you. With your support, we’re determined to reshape European policy. We’re carving a path toward a Europe that’s peaceful, socially just, environmentally conscious, feminist, and anti-racist.”
Member organisations are listed here: https://www.european-left.org/about-us/our-parties/

Now the People (Europe only)
“Together with popular movements, we fight for social and climate justice, solidarity, equality and democracy in Europe. We embody the main counter force to austerity and liberal policies imposed by the right-wing for decades. We fight for a Europe that puts people’s needs before the interests of multinationals.”
Member organisations are listed here: https://nowthepeople.eu/

The European Left Alliance
“A project for economic and social justice in which everyone would contribute according to their income and where wealth is redistributed. A project to really combat global warming and its severe consequences and to protect nature while supporting working-people in the transition.”
Member organisations are listed here: https://leftalliance.eu/news/a-new-left-european-political-party-to-better-resist-act-and-hope/

The São Paulo Forum (mostly Latin American and Caribbean countries)
Participants in this conference include democratic socialist and social-democratic parties, left-wing grassroots labor and social movements, ethnic and environmentalist groups, anti-imperialist and nationalist organizations and communist parties, united in struggle against neoliberalism. Most participants are based in Latin America or the Caribbean.
Member organisations are listed here: https://forodesaopaulo.org/partidos-4/

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