Sánchez Hosts 4 Progressive Leaders in Barcelona as Spain Casts Itself Against the Far Right
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 12
Sánchez Hosts 4 Progressive Leaders in Barcelona as Spain Casts Itself Against the Far Right
4 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 12
Barcelona drew Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Claudia Sheinbaum, Cyril Ramaphosa and other progressive leaders in April for a gathering hosted by Pedro Sánchez backing democracy and multilateralism.
Sánchez has turned the meeting into a broader display of resistance to Donald Trump, after publicly challenging Washington on issues from Iran to NATO spending and Palestinian statehood.
That profile has helped make Spain a rare center-left holdout in Europe, where Sánchez has survived repeated political crises and framed his government as proof that progressive policies can still win.
His domestic record underpins that pitch: Spain raised the minimum wage 61% between 2018 and 2025, and The Economist called it the world's best-performing rich economy in 2024.
Can Spain's progressive alliance counter US policy without weakening crucial Western partnerships?
With Spain's economy praised, why do nearly half its non-EU immigrants now face poverty?