What Is Eurocommunism?
Eurocommunism was a trend in the 1970s and 1980s within various Western European communist parties, which said they had developed a theory and practice of social transformation more relevant for Western Europe. Part of the Socialist family.
Definition
Eurocommunism was a trend in the 1970s and 1980s within various Western European communist parties, which said they had developed a theory and practice of social transformation more relevant for Western Europe.
Definition quoted from Wikipedia: Eurocommunism (text available under CC BY-SA 4.0; checked October 20, 2026).
Core ideas
- Independence from Moscow.
- Acceptance of multiparty democracy and elections.
- Gradual reform rather than revolution.
Origins
Italian, Spanish and French communist parties in the 1970s.
Associated thinkers and leaders
Enrico Berlinguer, Santiago Carrillo
Core ideas, origins and thinkers: Atlas summary.
Where Eurocommunism sits on the Atlas maps
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 14 | strongly toward collective / planned | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 20 | toward progressive | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 28 | toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 23 | toward cosmopolitan | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 35 | near the center |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 12 | strongly toward collective ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 39 | near the center |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 23 | toward cosmopolitan |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 22 | toward progressive |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 17 | toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 13 | strongly toward egalitarian |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 84 | toward state planning |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 35 | near the center |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 16 | toward secular state |
These positions are estimates on the Atlas’s nine-dimension scale, produced by running the tradition’s core principles through the same questions and scoring used for test-takers. They are interpretations for comparison, not objective measurements. How scores are made.
Estimated positions on key questions
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| A national religious authority should have the power to veto legislation. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Preserving a historic national majority is a legitimate immigration objective. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Society works best when established social hierarchies are respected. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Major industries should be publicly owned rather than privately controlled. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Markets generally distribute goods more effectively than government planners. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
Related ideologies
Main differences from the closest ideologies
- Compared with Democratic Socialism, Eurocommunism sits 7 points further toward intervention on the foreign policy dimension.
- Compared with Luxemburgism, Eurocommunism sits 7 points further toward authoritarian on the authority dimension.
- Compared with Eco-Socialism, Eurocommunism sits 16 points further toward intervention on the foreign policy dimension.
Comparisons
Figures with the closest estimated positions
Closeness of estimated positions only; this does not mean these people identify with Eurocommunism.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Eurocommunism
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Karl Marx
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Socialism
Position last reviewed: not yet reviewed individually.