Progressive International
Left-wing international organization
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Origins
The Progressive International was formally inaugurated in November 2018 via an open call by the Democracy in Europe Movement (DiEM25) and the Sanders Institute and launched in May 2020 for progressive forces to form a unified front. The open call echoed two twinned appeals which were published in 2018 by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and former Greek minister of finance Yanis Varoufakis to form an international movement to combat the rise of authoritarianism represented by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The founding was supported by a council of over 40 advisors including Ece Temelkuran, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Yanis Varoufakis, Carola Rackete, Nick Estes, Vanessa Nakate, Noam Chomsky, Arundhati Roy, Naomi Klein, Niki Ashton, Rafael Correa, Fernando Haddad, Celso Amorim, and Alvaro Garcia Linera.
The International claims to counter what it calls the resurgence of authoritarian nationalism worldwide as well as the rise of disaster capitalism. As its mission, the Progressive International aims to "unite, organize and mobilize the world's progressive forces."
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Governance
The Progressive International is guided by an advisory Council that sets the organisation's political and strategic direction. The Secretariat, which includes translators, web developers, graphic designers, policy analysts, and community organisers oversees the day-to-day organisational operations, separated into several thematic areas: Movement, Blueprint, Wire, and Observatory.
The Cabinet serves as the main executive organ responsible for development, planning, and staffing decisions. The Cabinet draws its membership from the other two bodies, consisting of eight Council members: Srećko Horvat, Aruna Roy, Pierre Sané, Fatima Diallo, Rachmi Hertanti, Julian Aguon, Renata Ávila and Scott Ludlum, as well as general coordinators David Adler and Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla.
Activities and projects
Observatory
In October 2020, Progressive International said that it was "particularly concerned about the integrity of the presidential elections in Bolivia" and sent an observer group made up of Members of Parliament from around Europe to observe the election.
On 15 November 2021, the Progressive International launched their global observatory "as attacks on democracy escalate across the world" and "authoritarian leaders are getting organised to capture the courts, criminalise opposition, and rig the rules to hold onto power," said General Coordinator David Adler in a statement.
The founding was endorsed by Noam Chomsky, Rafael Correa, Ertuğrul Kürkçü, Guillaume Long, Celso Amorim, Fernando Haddad, Jeremy Corbyn, Aruna Roy, Aída García-Naranjo and Andrés Arauz according to the Brazilian daily paper Folha de S.Paulo. The same article included a statement from Adler which singled out Narendra Modi in India and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil as being part of a wider network of authoritarian threats.
Belmarsh Tribunal
On 2 October 2020, Progressive International launched the Belmarsh Tribunal to convene groups of legal experts and Julian Assange supporters. In the first year guests included Lula da Silva, Srećko Horvat, M.I.A. and Slavoj Žižek. The hearings claimed that the charges against Assange were an "ongoing attack on press freedom." The tribunal was modeled after the 1966 Russell–Sartre Tribunal, which investigated American involvement in the Vietnam War. In 2022, the third tribunal, which took place at the People's Forum in New York City, coincided with the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Jeremy Corbyn and the Peace & Justice Project participated in the 4th Belmarsh Tribunal in Washington, D.C., in 2023.
Hague Group
Positions
Blockade of Cuba
The Progressive International has been critical of the United States embargo against Cuba. Progressive International is an organizer of the Nuestra América Flotilla, which will attempt to break the US blockade and provide humanitarian aid to Cuba during the 2026 Cuban crisis.
Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 4 March 2022, the Cabinet of the Progressive International issued a statement denouncing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and calling for an "immediate diplomatic solution" and for the dismantlement of NATO. On 9 March 2022, Progressive International organised their first Forum for Peace, in response to the "brutal invasion of Ukraine" and its escalation "toward intercontinental war."
On 13 May 2022 a joint press conference hosted by Jeremy Corbyn, Ece Temelkuran and Yanis Varoufakis on behalf of the Progressive International, DiEM25, and MeRA25, presented the Athens Declaration, which stated: "The war on Ukraine calls for support for victims of war and a new non-aligned movement." The statement demanded an immediate ceasefire and respect for international law, and opposed "military blocs" and what it called "a New Cold War."
Gaza war
The Progressive International has been critical of the Gaza war and characterizes Israel's actions in Gaza as a genocide. In early 2025, it prompted the creation of the Hague Group, an alliance of states with the aim of upholding international humanitarian law; the group hosted an emergency conference in July 2025 to take concrete measures in order to stop the genocide.
China
On September 4, 2024, Council members of the Progressive International published a collective statement opposing the "Cold War" against China by the United States.
Iran
The Cabinet of the Progressive International denounced Israel's bombing of Iran in June 2026, stating "A war on Iran threatens to have catastrophic consequences for the peoples of the region — and the world."
Members
Progressive International is made up of member organizations that are political parties or movements. Member media organizations participate in the wire service.