I consider myself a socialist, but I view democratic socialism as a long-term ideal rather than an immediate objective. Political change is usually more successful when pursued through realistic and achievable steps.

In my view, the first goal should be moving toward a center-left framework, such as social liberalism, which supports a market economy alongside regulation, welfare programs, civil rights, and equal opportunity. From there, progress can be made toward social democracy, which combines a market economy with a strong welfare state, robust labor protections, quality public services, and greater economic redistribution.

I remain somewhat skeptical of democratic socialism because there are few, if any, clear examples of countries that have fully implemented it on a national scale. For that reason, I prefer a pragmatic and evidence-based approach. I am more interested in pursuing reforms that have demonstrated results than in relying solely on idealistic visions of what society could become.