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| International Marxist Tendency | |
|---|---|
| Name | International Marxist Tendency |
| Founded | 1992 (reconstituted) |
| Predecessor | Committee for a Workers' International |
| Ideology | Marxism, Trotskyism |
| Position | Far-left |
| International | International Marxist Tendency |
International Marxist Tendency
The International Marxist Tendency is a Trotskyist international organization that traces organizational and theoretical lineage to Leon Trotsky, the Russian Revolution of 1917, and the tradition of the Fourth International. Founded in its contemporary form in the early 1990s after splits within the Committee for a Workers' International, the group situates itself within the history of Marxism, Leninism, and debates over the legacy of the Soviet Union, the Stalinist counter-revolution, and tendencies represented by the Spanish Civil War and the 1930s Popular Fronts.
The tendency emerged from conflicts following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the realignment of Trotskyist currents in Europe, with origins linked to activists expelled from the Committee for a Workers' International and influences from supporters of the Militant tendency in the United Kingdom, cadres with roots in the United Secretariat of the Fourth International, and traditions associated with the Lambertist and Shachtmanite debates. Early leaders and theoreticians drew on writings by Tony Cliff, Ted Grant, Ernest Mandel, and archival material related to James P. Cannon and the American Trotskyist movement, while engaging with events such as the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, the Yugoslav Wars, and the Zapatista uprising for tactical reassessment. The organization expanded through the 1990s and 2000s into sections active in Argentina, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Nigeria, South Africa, Pakistan, and elsewhere, interacting with trade unions like the Unite (trade union) and social movements around the Anti-globalization protests and the 2008 global financial crisis.
The tendency upholds a program rooted in Marxist theory, Trotskyist strategy, and a revolutionary socialist perspective informed by the writings of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin, and Leon Trotsky. It emphasizes working-class independence, permanent revolution, and criticism of Stalinism, drawing on polemics against Pabloism and Kautskyism, and engaging with theoretical debates sparked by works such as The Revolution Betrayed and The Permanent Revolution. The program advocates for socialist nationalization, workers' democracy, and transitional demands linked to the traditions of the Labour Party (UK), Socialist Workers Party (UK), and Latin American currents associated with Hugo Chávez and Evo Morales only to critique reformist limitations. In policy terms the tendency addresses issues like austerity following the European sovereign debt crisis, neoliberalism typified by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, and global capitalism as evidenced by corporations like Walmart and financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund.
The international character is organized through a central leadership that coordinates national sections, publishing organs, and youth networks; structural references include models from the Fourth International and historical norms exemplified by the Bolshevik Party and Socialist International debates. Sections maintain formal relations through congresses and conferences similar to practices of the Communist Party of Great Britain and the Socialist Party (France), with internal roles comparable to those in the Militant (British group) and the Revolutionary Communist Party (UK). Publications and theoretical journals link to traditions of the International Socialism tendency and pamphleteering reminiscent of October (journal) and the New Left Review. The organization operates with branches in universities, trade union workplaces linked to unions like the National Union of Teachers and COSATU, and youth wings mirroring structures of groups such as the Young Communist League.
Sections run electoral campaigns inspired by precedents set by the Militant tendency in the 1980s, workplace campaigns in the style of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, anti-war mobilizations against interventions like the Iraq War (2003) and the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, and solidarity efforts for movements such as the Arab Spring, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the Syriza coalition in Greece. The tendency organizes study schools, publishes analyses of crises like the 2008 financial crisis and the Eurozone crisis, and coordinates solidarity for strikes in sectors influenced by corporations like Amazon and airline disputes reminiscent of those involving British Airways. International conferences draw delegates from activist networks connected to organizations like Die Linke, La France Insoumise, Podemos, and various labor federations.
The organization maintains national sections across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia, with notable presences in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Pakistan, South Africa, and Philippines. These sections engage with regional currents including the Sinn Féin-adjacent debates in Ireland, the Peronism tradition in Argentina, and the aftermath of movements like Solidarity (Polish trade union) and the Zapatista Army of National Liberation. Affiliations and fraternal relations include contacts with Trotskyist groups deriving from the Fourth International, historical links to the Socialist Labour League tradition, and competitive relations with organizations such as the Socialist Workers Party (UK), International Socialist Organization (US), and the Workers' Party (Brazil).
Critics have accused the tendency of entryism echoing controversies surrounding the Militant tendency within the Labour Party (UK), of sectarianism paralleling splits in the Fourth International, and of rigid doctrinal positions similar to disputes involving Ernest Mandel and Michel Pablo. Debates have arisen over responses to political projects like Chavismo, attitudes toward the Soviet Union legacy, handling of internal dissent as seen in other Trotskyist ruptures, and relations with unions and parliamentary formations such as Syriza and Die Linke. Controversies have included expulsions, branding disputes with rival internationals like the Committee for a Workers' International, and public disagreements over strategy during events like the 2008 financial crisis and the 2011–2012 Greek protests.
Category:Trotskyist organizations