International left convenes in Spain
Left-wing politicians from across the globe gathered at a meeting in Barcelona at the weekend to pledge their joint commitment to the defence of democracy. Under the banner of Global Progressive Mobilisation (GPM), the heads of state and government and ministers of dozens of countries travelled to the event at the invitation of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Shake off lethargy
The Madrid correspondent of the taz, Reiner Wandler, is impressed:
“The success of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez speaks for itself: the future belongs to the courageous. ... By hosting this summit for progressive leaders, Sánchez, who has long been a figurehead of sorts for the European left, is galvanising a movement that has what it takes to shake off the growing resignation in the face of the rise of the Trumps, big and small, of this world. The right is not winning because it is doing a better job of things, but because it has managed to wrongfoot the progressive camp, leaving them watching from the sidelines instead of putting forward ideas about how to respond. German Social Democrats should look to Sánchez and learn.”
Lacking coherence and consensus
Policy expert Astrid Barrio points to contradictions in Sánchez's foreign policy in El Periódico de Catalunya:
“Pedro Sánchez's visit to China and the summit in Barcelona [in the same week] suggest an agenda that is not entirely coherent. ... In Barcelona the government presented itself as the defender of democracy, multilateralism and opposition to Donald Trump, although this slightly jars with the inclusion of governments such as Mexico's, whose commitment to democratic standards is limited. ... Then there's the lack of internal and European consensus. All this reduces Sánchez's credibility and, with it, his chances of being able to make a real impact.”
No monopoly on democracy
Arrogance will get the left nowhere, warns La Vanguardia:
“It is not enough to stoke fears of the far right and make inflammatory speeches against Trump and his ilk. They must admit that the current situation is largely the result of their own mistakes and of claiming the moral high ground. An alternative of real substance is needed – and is sorely lacking – one that helps to change people's lives and mobilises the electorate. ... And the left must also bear in mind that it cannot claim a monopoly on the right to defend democracy, because this goes beyond ideologies and concerns us all.”