The first congress of Révolution Permanente (RP), which is part of the La Izquierda Diariointernational network and a member of the Trotskyist Fraction for the reconstruction of the Fourth International, ended on February 2nd after three days of intense debate. The event reflected the evolution of RP over the past two years. Over 500 people participated in the congress, compared to 300 in 2022 during the founding congress. The social composition of the organization has also changed, as more than half of the delegates are workers from various sectors, from petrochemicals to health, food, retail, and aeronautics.

Among the membership are several labor leaders who have participated in some of the most important struggles in recent years in France, such as Christian Porta. In 2024, together with his colleagues, Porta won a victory against union busting – they fought against the bosses of the agri-food giant, InVivo, and won his reinstatement after a six-month struggle.The lessons from this experience were discussed in several speeches at the congress, in relation to the fight against the influence of the Far Right within the working class.

A large number of youth from French universities also participated in the congress, including activists with Le Poing Levé (The Raised Fist). Le Poing Levé is the student organization of RP and is currently active at 18 educational institutions across France. Among the activists of Le Poing Levé, the comrades from the grouping in Bordeaux were present. These students recently held a large demonstration after forming an action committee against the Far Right in Bordeaux Montaigne University, which helped to drive out the small right-wing groups that were intimidating students at the university.

The International Situation and the Need for Internationalism 

The international situation and the need for “organic” internationalism were at the center of the debates on the first day of the congress. Trump’s election and his series of offensives in recent weeks mark the beginning of a new era, in which the tendencies toward crisis and war are set to increase. At a time when Elon Musk openly declares his support for the Far Right internationally, and in particular in Germany before the parliamentary elections, the challenge of confronting the Far Right is urgent for workers and oppressed sectors around the world.

This debate on the new trends in the international situation was led by the delegations of our international tendency, Trotskyist Fraction–Fourth International (TF-FI), from Spain, Italy, and Germany. The militants of Revolutionäre Internationalistische Organisation (RIO, Germany) shared the recent experience of their revolutionary campaign in the legislative elections in Berlin and Munich, together with Revolutionary Socialist Organisation (RSO) . The fight against all forms of nationalism, and in particular against protectionism, which is being supported by the Far Right but also by sectors of the Left, emerged as an important question. At a time when the French employers’ association wants to put pressure on the government to defend its national interests more offensively, and in the face of international regroupings of reactionary currents, the congress voted to organize a major international event in the coming months.

A large number of worker-activists also participated in the international section of the congress, stressing the importance of an internationalist perspective in their political and trade union activities. They insisted on the need to give life to internationalist principles in every struggle, and to build movements independent of the capitalists and the state to defend employment against the bosses’ plans.

In the labor movement, “it is not by allying ourselves with [the French billionaire] Bernard Arnault against American, Chinese, and Senegalese workers that we can hope to defend the interests of workers in the coming years,” said one worker at the congress. Prominent labor delegates included Gaëtan Gracia, an aeronautical activist, Vincent Duse, a retired car worker, and Adrien Cornet, a refinery worker, all of whom have been involved in struggles against layoffs in recent years.

The first day of the congress coincided with the acquittal of Hicham and Mayes in Nanterre, who were prosecuted for their solidarity with Palestine at a basketball game. In that sense, the discussions in the congress also addressed the need to organize a broad international campaign in support of two members of Révolution Permanente, including Anasse Kazib, who is a worker and public figure who will be tried on June 18th for showing solidarity with Palestine, alongside other activists targeted for their support of the Palestinian cause.

The Need for a Revolutionary Response to the Crisis of the Fifth Republic

At the national level, debates focused on the outcomes of the major struggles of recent years, including the fight against the rise of the Far Right in the working class, a central task of the labor movement, and the crisis of the Fifth Republic. François Bayrou, France’s prime minister, is imposing his austerity budget by force using the anti-democratic Article 49.3 of the Constitution (which allows the prime minister to impose a law without a vote in parliament). The political crisis has been responded to by the government by fostering more authoritarian and racist features of the Fifth Republic regime, as illustrated by the rhetoric around “a flood of immigrants” (an expression used by Bayrou, taken from the Far Right).

In recent years, many left groups in France have fostered illusions in working alongside the institutions of the regime, betting on electoral solutions, and forming alliances with parties like the Socialist Party. However, the outcome of the recent experience with the Popular Front, have once again exposed how this strategy is a dead end.

At a time when the ruling class is tightening its grip, the delegates at the Congress took on the challenge of proposing an alternative way to oppose the authoritarian offensive. One of the key resolutions was to launch a major campaign advocating for radical democratic demands: against the Fifth Republic, and for the abolition of the presidency, the senate, and all anti-democratic institutions.

While certain political forces, particularly La France Insoumise, claim to defend “democracy,” taking this struggle seriously requires using class-struggle methods rather than those of the regime. A concrete proposal put forward was the establishment of a single assembly that would concentrate both executive and legislative powers, with representatives elected by the entire population, regardless of nationality. These representatives would receive an average workers’ salary and remain subject to recall by their constituents.

In the immediate political crisis, the congress emphasized the need to denounce and challenge the requirement for presidential candidates to get 500 signatures from elected officials, a mechanism that has proven to be a major obstacle preventing radical forces from participating. 

Rebuilding the Revolutionary Left and Strengthening Electoral Fronts

The congress highlighted the leap forward made by Révolution Permanente in terms of membership growth, influence, and leadership within the far-left spectrum. The success of its recent fundraising campaign, which raised over 580,000 euros, along with its role in key struggles of recent years, underscored the momentum available to further advance its political project in the face of escalating national and international crises. 

Rebuilding a truly revolutionary organization in France — one that can make its voice heard, present its program, and influence future struggles — is crucial to offering an alternative to the capitalist system. This organization must consolidate its strongholds within the labor movement and among youth, deepen its commitments to anti-racist and feminist struggles, and expand its ideological and editorial work — especially in promoting communist theory. The successful 2024 initiatives marking the centenary of Lenin’s death and the event “Putting Revolution Back on the Agenda” were significant steps in this direction.

This task must be pursued from an internationalist perspective, in line with the efforts of the TF-FI to rebuild the Fourth International, while also engaging in discussion and debate with other far-left organizations. Given the deteriorating social conditions — rising unemployment, mass layoffs, and growing instability — the congress discussed the importance of reaching out to self-proclaimed revolutionary organizations, particularly Lutte Ouvrière and the NPA-R, to foster political exchanges, launch joint campaigns, and build electoral fronts. These efforts would amplify the voice of revolutionary communists, particularly in upcoming elections.Without sweeping our disagreements under the rug — which were expressed most recently on the question of Palestine — such an initiative would be a significant step toward bringing a working-class, revolutionary, and internationalist perspective to national politics. The example of Argentina, where the Workers Left Front–Unity (FIT-U) has brought together major far-left organizations, gaining legislative positions to represent a workers’ and revolutionary voice against the far-right government of Javier Milei, offers valuable lessons for France.