The Peoples’ Platform Europe 2025 has become a focal point for discussions on global economic instability, rising authoritarianism, and the failures of capitalism, with one of the most anticipated contributions coming from renowned US sociologist William Robinson.
In his speech via a skype connection from USA, Robinson warned that global capitalism has reached a breaking point, stating:
“We’ve entered a stage of absolute violent predation. The system’s extermination impulse is now rising to the surface.”
Robinson identified four fundamental crises plaguing the capitalist system:
1️⃣ Economic stagnation – Describing an era of chronic overaccumulation, Robinson highlighted that global financial capital is highly concentrated, with just 17 financial conglomerates controlling $49 trillion in assets—more than half of the entire global economy. This has led to a stagnating system reliant on war, financial speculation, and repression to sustain itself.
2️⃣ Social disintegration – According to Robinson, 2 billion people globally are now considered “surplus humanity”, while another 2 billion exist in extreme precarity. He described growing state-led violence and mass incarceration systems, including mega-prisons worldwide, as methods of controlling this “disposable” population.
3️⃣ Political crisis – The rise of far-right movements and increasing authoritarianism were key themes of Robinson’s critique. He described 21st-century fascism as a fusion of transnational capital, repressive state power, and reactionary civil society movements, warning that corporate elites are now aligning with openly authoritarian projects.
4️⃣ Ecological collapse – Robinson concluded his analysis by pointing to capitalism’s relentless expansion as a direct threat to the biosphere, stressing that the AI and digital revolutions are accelerating environmental destruction at an unprecedented rate.
Despite his dire warnings, Robinson’s message was not one of despair but of mobilisation. He emphasised the need for grassroots internationalism, urging:
“Global capitalism’s extermination impulse will be restrained only to the extent that we resist. Never has the slogan ‘resist to exist’ been more opportune and appropriate.”
He also praised the radical democratic experiments of Rojava and the Zapatistas as models for bottom-up alternatives to state power.
The Peoples’ Platform Europe 2025, organised by the Academy of Democratic Modernity, has brought together 800 activists, academics, and grassroots organisations for a three-day gathering in Vienna, Austria, aimed at tackling capitalist crises, the rise of the far right, and state repression.
On the second day, the platform has hosted a series of interactive workshops, where participants have engaged in discussions and presentations. The insights and proposals emerging from these sessions will be compiled into a blueprint, which will be presented to the audience on the final day of the conference.
Watch and listen to William Robinson’s full speech here:
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Watch & Listen to his full speech here :
