Barcelona hosted, on Friday and Saturday, a global meeting of progressive leaders with the ambition to reinvigorate international coordination in the face of the rise of radical right-wing movements, amidst strong political tensions on a global scale.
Pedro Sánchez, whose international image was strengthened by his opposition to the policies of Netanyahu and Trump, closed the meeting with a call for “peace over war,” echoed by some attendees. The Spanish Prime Minister, regularly targeted by the Spanish right and far-right in a climate of internal political confrontation, had big aspirations for the conclusion of this “global progressive mobilization.” “The time of the right is over,” he declared, promising “a new era of progress.”
Sánchez, the host of the meeting and seen by his supporters as a central figure in a progressive resistance movement, called for a “coordinated response” to defend democratic institutions and reduce inequalities. “We must act together,” he stated.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed their support for this initiative aimed at structuring a progressive space on a global scale. Lula hailed it as “something extraordinary.”
Defense of International Law
Beyond economic and social issues, several leaders emphasized the defense of international law, seen as a common foundation against unilateral dynamics. Claudia Sheinbaum called for “respecting common rules between nations,” while Pedro Sánchez and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva highlighted the importance of a multilateral order based on shared norms.
These statements come in an international context marked by the rise of the far right and what many describe as a hardening of power dynamics, with the return of Donald Trump to the American political scene. They also echo the growth of nationalist movements in several regions of the world.
And Multilateralism
Though not explicitly named, the former American president appeared indirectly in several speeches, interpreted as a response to challenges against multilateral institutions and international law. Pedro Sánchez asserted that these forces “are screaming because they know their time is running out.” Participants stressed the need to strengthen international cooperation, regulate major economic powers, and promote more redistributive policies.
This initiative is presented by its promoters as a first step to attempt to reinvigorate a progressive camp often seen as fragmented and on the defensive. Faced with the rise of the far-right, the President of Catalonia, Salvadore Illa, called for resistance: “Let’s not forget that all waves, no matter how high, eventually crash on the shore.”
A “Bubble” or a “Beginning”?
In the Spanish press, El País describes it as a “consecration” of Pedro Sánchez on the international stage, while El Mundo emphasizes the essentially symbolic nature of the meeting and questions its real impact. This difference in interpretation reflects a highly polarized political and media climate. For now, what unfolded in Barcelona seems to be an attempt to reinvigorate progressivism on a global scale.
In a politically charged context, some speakers suggest, more or less explicitly, a return to confrontational dynamics reminiscent of the 1930s, marked by the rise of nationalisms and the weakening of mechanisms of collective security.
The summit expressed a desire to articulate themes of international law, regulation of economic powers, multilateralism, and democracy as a common political framework. Between critical analysis and enthusiastic interpretation, the meeting oscillates between two perspectives: a “political bubble” with no immediate concrete translation, and a beginning of the recomposition of a still fragmented global progressive space.
