Global leftist leaders gather in Spain to mobilize against far right

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will spearhead gatherings of the global left in Barcelona today and tomorrow, in a bid to defend multilateralism and mobilize left-wing movements against the far right.

The meetings, organized by Spain and left-wing political networks, come as US President Donald Trump’s swift cuts to humanitarian aid, military interventions and threats to abandon NATO have shaken the status quo of international relations and prompted a rethink of global allegiances.

Borne out of a wake-up call for European socialists after the far-right surge in EU elections in 2024, the aim of the so-called “Global Progressive Mobilization” starting today is to mobilize advocates of left-wing ideas, culminating in a declaration of common actions on goals from defending democracy to the green transition, organizers said.

A second gathering on Saturday — entitled “In defense of democracy” — is organized by the Spanish government and is the fourth installment of a summit launched by Lula and Sanchez in 2024.

Both leaders are harsh critics of Israel and of the Trump administration, with Sanchez having been particularly outspoken over the Iran war, and both face growing far-right challenges in upcoming election races.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has also clashed with Trump and is a staunch critic of Israel, will attend, as will Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, marking the first visit to Spain by a Mexican president since 2018 after years of tension over the legacy of Spanish colonial rule.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.