The Global Progressive Mobilisation (GPM) will hold its first meeting on April 17 and 18, 2026, in Barcelona, at the Fira Gran Via venue. The meeting will bring together political leaders, activists, and progressive representatives from around the world with the aim of coordinating common responses to global challenges and the “far-right international”, the organizers emphasize.
The event arises in a context of “profound instability”, marked by the increase in inequality, climate crises, pressure on democracies and the advance of conservative and far-right forces. Faced with this scenario, the promoters defend that “there is another path: a progressive path”.
With about 3,000 registered participants and the participation of more than 100 parties from the five continents, the summit aims to consolidate itself as a space for international cooperation and to launch a global message of “no to war”, with a vocation for continuity as a starting point for future mobilizations.
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What is it?
The Global Progressive Mobilisation is an international platform of coordination among progressive forces that seeks “to convert shared values into joint actions” and to strengthen political cooperation beyond borders.
The project is proposed as the beginning of “a new phase of international progressive coordination” and as a long-term process to build “lasting cooperation and shared capacity among progressive forces worldwide.”
For two days, more than one hundred activities will be held, including panels, workshops, bilateral meetings and plenary sessions, with the aim of “transforming conviction into action and ambition into results”.
Who promotes her?
The initiative was promoted by the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, in his capacity as president of the Socialist International, together with the president of the Party of European Socialists (PES), Stefan Löfven.
The Global Progressive Mobilisation is promoted by three major platforms: the Party of European Socialists, the Socialist International and the Progressive Alliance, which provide a common framework for cooperation between regions.
The project also has the support of international leaders, among them the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
What is the objective?
The central objective is to strengthen the global cooperation of progressivism to face shared challenges such as inequality, democratic backsliding, wars, or the climate crisis. The mobilization seeks to “consolidate progressive leadership, strengthen alliances, and ensure that democracy, equality, and multilateralism remain central axes in shaping the global future.”
It also aims to respond to the international coordination of reactionary forces with an equally global strategy: “Our response must be equally international and firmly progressive”. Among its priorities are democratic resilience, just economic governance, climate justice, peace and common security, and gender equality.
Who participates?
The meeting will feature the presence of at least eight heads of Government, among them Pedro Sánchez and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, along with leaders such as Gustavo Petro, Yamandú Orsi, Inga Ruginiené, Cyril Ramaphosa, Mia Amor and Claudia Sheinbaum.
Also participating will be the President of the European Council, António Costa, ministers of the Spanish Government, trade union leaders, social activists, academics, and representatives of more than 100 political parties from the five continents.
Municipalism will have a relevant role with the presence of about forty mayors, while the mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, will intervene via a video. Likewise, the participation of international figures such as the former Chilean president Gabriel Boric or the former prime minister of Palestine, Mohammad Shtayyeh, is planned.
Why mobilize? This say the protagonists
The president of the PES, Stefan Löfven, underlines the political moment that democracies are going through:
"This progressive mobilization is the moment our time demands: the impulse our democracies need; a defense of the rights and dignity of working people; a commitment to women's rights and real gender equality; a movement against racism, hatred, and discrimination; a call for peace, solidarity, and multilateralism. But we cannot face these challenges alone. That is why we call for a Global Progressive Mobilisation that brings together parties, movements, and foundations”.
Pedro Sánchez positions the initiative as a response to a change in the world order:
"A new world order is emerging. A world in which a zero-sum mentality prevails. We must combat that vision, because it only brings conflict, inequality, and injustice. Today we must rise up and mobilize. The Global Progressive Mobilisation is an initiative that will provide the basis for all progressive forces in the world to unite. Our unity will be our strength.”
For his part, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva places the focus on the social and democratic dimension:
“It is fundamental to reorganize progressive forces in the face of attacks against democracy and the advance of the far-right worldwide. There is no real transformation without social justice. There is no social justice without democracy. We must believe again in the organization of civil society, social movements, and trade unions. The launch of the Global Progressive Mobilisation is essential to strengthen our fight for social justice, democracy, and a sustainable future in Europe and worldwide.”