Barcelona hosted a global meeting of progressive leaders on Friday and Saturday with the ambition to revive international coordination in the face of the rise of radical right-wing movements, amidst strong political tensions globally.
Pedro Sánchez, whose international image was bolstered after opposing the policies of Netanyahu and Trump, concluded the meeting with a call for “peace not 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 high ambitions at the close of this “global progressive mobilization.” “The time of the right is over,” he declared, promising “a new era of progress.”
Sánchez, host of the meeting and seen by his supporters as a central figure in a recomposing progressive resistance, urged 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 to structure a global progressive space. Lula praised it as “something extraordinary.”
Defense of international law: Beyond economic and social issues, several leaders emphasized the defense of international law 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 at a time marked by the rise of the far-right and what many describe as a hardening of power dynamics, with Donald Trump’s return to the American political scene. They also reflect the growth of nationalist movements in various regions of the world.
And multilateralism: While not explicitly named, the former American president appears indirectly in several speeches, interpreted as a response to challenges to multilateral institutions and international law. Pedro Sánchez asserted that these forces “cry out because they know their time is coming to an end.” 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 in an attempt to reinvigorate a progressive camp often described as fragmented and on the defensive. Facing the rise of the far-right, President of Catalonia Salvadore Illa called for resistance: “Let us 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. These differing interpretations reflect a highly polarized political and media climate. For now, what unfolded in Barcelona appears to be an attempt to mobilize progressivism on a global scale.
In a politically charged context, some participants mention, more or less explicitly, a return to confrontational dynamics reminiscent of the 1930s, marked by the rise of nationalism and the weakening of collective security mechanisms.
The summit expressed a willingness to articulate themes of international law, regulation of economic powers, and multilateralism, as well as democracy as a common political framework. Between critical analysis and enthusiastic outlook, the meeting oscillates between two interpretations: that of a “political bubble” without immediate concrete translation, and that of the beginning of a recomposition of a still fragmented global progressive space.
