The far-right parties in Europe gathered in Milan on Saturday, April 18th. Meanwhile, progressives from around the world convened in Barcelona for a forum called “In Defense of Democracy,” described by Politico Europe as an “anti-Trump meeting,” despite not directly mentioning the American president.
Leaders like Claudia Sheinbaum, Lula, Gustavo Petro, and Cyril Ramaphosa traveled to Catalonia to join around 6,000 other participants. The local star of the event was Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish Prime Minister.
Sánchez emerged as a progressive hero according to The New York Times, with positions on immigration, the environment, and US foreign policy that differ from those of Donald Trump, whom he considers a political “savior.” Sánchez vowed to challenge the untouchables, such as billionaires, and accused them of exploiting people’s homes.
Various topics were addressed by the leaders, including concerns about Cuba. Leaders from Brazil, Spain, and Mexico expressed worries about the situation in Cuba and pledged to coordinate their humanitarian response.
In Chile, Gabriel Boric warned against the weakening of multilateralism, misinformation, and the rise of authoritarian projects. He also supported the nomination of Michelle Bachelet as the UN Secretary-General, a move also backed by Sánchez.
At the same time in Madrid, María Corina Machado, opposed to the Venezuelan government and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, chose not to meet with Pedro Sánchez and instead engaged with members of the traditional Spanish right-wing party and far-right groups.
These interactions in Catalonia shed light on why it was deemed inappropriate to engage with the Spanish Prime Minister.
