Reformisme

Reformisme, the term used in French and many Romance languages, is a political doctrine within socialist and social-democratic movements that advocates achieving socialist aims through gradual, democratic reform within existing political and economic institutions, rather than through a revolutionary overthrow. It emphasizes parliamentary participation, union strength, and social legislation to improve workers' rights and living standards, eventually leading to a transition to socialism by reformist means or through the transformation of capitalism into a welfare state.

Historically, reformism emerged in the late 19th century as a challenge to orthodox Marxist calls for immediate revolutionary change. Eduard Bernstein and the revisionist current argued that capitalism could be humanized and that the working class could gain power through reforms, elections, and party politics. The term “revisionism” was used by opponents to criticize this accommodation to capitalism. In many countries, reformist currents gave rise to social-democratic parties and labor movements that participated in government and negotiated welfare-state reforms, especially after World War II.

Key features include belief in gradual change, utilization of parliamentary means, negotiation with capital and existing institutions, expansion of social welfare programs, labor rights, progressive taxation, and universal public services. Reformisme often coexists with pluralist democracy and respects civil liberties.

Critics, from communists and anarchists to liberal-market theorists, argue that reformism does not abolish capitalism and risks reform fatigue or co-option. Nevertheless, reformist currents have shaped many European social-democratic parties and welfare policies, influencing debates on how to achieve socialist or social-democratic goals within democratic frameworks.