Pedro Sánchez has called this Saturday for an active response in defense of democracy against wars, inequality, and disinformation. The President of the Government maintained that the current international context demands more than institutional restraint and sent a message to the progressive forces gathered in Barcelona: “It is not enough to resist, we have to propose.”
Sánchez intervened in the IV Meeting in Defense of Democracy, held within the framework of the Global Progressive Mobilisation (GPM) at Fira de Barcelona Gran Via, where he shared the stage with international leaders and representatives of the progressive space.
🚨Sánchez, in the progressive international summit: "We see attempt after attempt to challenge the rules of international law" pic.twitter.com/dkzRZp4B9b
— demócrata (@democrata_info) April 18, 2026
Democracy under pressure
During his speech, the head of the Executive warned that democracies are going through a stage of strong pressure due to the combined impact of armed conflicts, increased inequalities, and new forms of digital manipulation.
Faced with that scenario, he defended that the response cannot be limited to stopping political adversaries, but must translate into concrete proposals capable of improving citizens' lives and reinforcing democratic legitimacy.
The president thus placed the political battle on a programmatic terrain: offering solutions to economic discontent, global insecurity, and social fragmentation.
International progressive agenda
Sánchez vindicated an agenda based on social justice, international cooperation, and the defense of human rights. He also stressed the need to advance in technological regulation to combat disinformation and limit the power of large digital platforms.
The Spanish president has been using these international forums to project Spain as one of the benchmarks of the European social democratic bloc at a time of rising conservative and populist forces in various countries.
Barcelona as a political showcase
The meeting held in Barcelona brings together progressive leaders and representatives from different continents with the aim of coordinating common responses to current democratic challenges.
With this message, Sánchez seeks to consolidate a political narrative that connects national and international politics: facing institutional wear and tear, polarization, and economic uncertainty, he proposes more State, more cooperation, and a reformist offensive.
“Propose” as a slogan
The phrase chosen by the president: “It is not enough to resist, we have to propose,” summarizes the strategy that Moncloa wants to convey in this new stage: to move from a defensive logic against the right and the far-right to a narrative of its own political initiative.