Good morning,
The three main summits held this weekend in Barcelona have provided a very therapeutic morale boost for the Government members who participated in the debates and conversations with other world leaders. It is understood that the day-to-day involves governing the country with a slim parliamentary majority, a more than hostile public opinion, and polls that constantly repeat that, if elections were held in Spain today, the future looks very bleak and there is no alternative to that of the PP and Vox. For two days, however, socialist leaders have received praise and congratulations for their progressive policies, for their anti-war stances, or for standing up to Donald Trump.
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There were interventions from leaders from all five continents at the Global Progressive Mobilisation, but those from the United States were particularly valued, such as that of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdami – who recorded a video selfie -, former candidate Hillary Clinton, or Democratic senators Bernie Sanders or Chris Murphy. The latter, representative of Connecticut, and who attended the event in Barcelona in person, thanked Pedro Sánchez for having shown “how one should act in the face of bullies” in relation to his confrontation with the American president. Tim Waltz, current governor of Minnesota and candidate for vice president with Kamala Harris, who also attended and did not hesitate to ask for help from progressive forces around the world, was also widely applauded: “We need you, do not lose faith in the American people, condemn the monstrosity that occupies the White House, pressure, denounce.”
Some attendees pointed out that they were aware of the difficulties the left faces today in convincing voters. For this reason, rather than optimistic, they felt excited and determined to turn around a situation that seems to condemn them to ostracism. The results from a week ago in Hungary with the defeat of Viktor Orbán were frequently cited by the speakers. It is a paradox that the winner of the Hungarian elections has nothing to do with the left, as Péter Magyar is one of the great strongholds of the European People’s Party.
Attendees valued that this type of conclave allows for a much more open discussion and dialogue on all topics than typical party congresses, where often the nominal issues of personal or sectoral struggles for certain positions take precedence. Some of them expressed interest in this meeting being repeated more frequently. A minister of the Sánchez Government also expressed satisfaction at being able to debate his management experiences with leaders of other parties who are now in opposition in their countries. Issues such as climate change, campaigns to prevent disinformation, and social policies were central to the discussions. A new body also emerged from the debate, called the Global Council for a Common Good Economy, which will be led by economist Mariana Mazzucato and will have Spain as its host country. The idea of this Council is how to work to redistribute the great wealth accumulated by companies.
Apart from these sessions, Sánchez was very satisfied with the bilateral meeting with the Brazilian delegation chaired by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and also with the meeting with the Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, which allowed overcoming bitter past controversies; these were two other important aspects of the weekend. It was the first time Sheinbaum had come to Europe and she denied that there was a diplomatic crisis with Spain. “There never has been,” she maintained. Her decision to come to Spain represents a very important diplomatic advance in relations between both countries, which had deteriorated due to the more belligerent attitude of the previous president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO).
In short, there was a general boost in the Government’s ranks due to the international recognition they feel they have received with these events in Barcelona. It is clear that international politics suits Sánchez better than national politics, and the big question is whether this good image he projects today in many media outside Spain can have any influence on changing the trend of the polls in the more domestic sphere. Socialists believe that “no to war” has given them wings, and every time Trump sends a critical message against Spain, they feel it is helping them to awaken the demobilized left-wing voter. “Trump will be a great stroke of luck for our campaign when it takes place,” socialist sources comment. His latest tweet saying he was sorry about how badly the Spanish economy was doing is considered a gift for their interests due to its lack of veracity and its crudeness.
But one thing is the headlines and the image that emerges from the bad relationship between President Trump and the Spanish Government, and a very different thing are the good connections maintained from Moncloa with large American companies that want to invest in our country and other levels of governance in the United States. At the same time that Sánchez was chairing a business delegation visiting China and closing important cooperation agreements with the Asian country, his first vice-president, Carlos Cuerpo, was in Washington and more discreetly doing the same. The head of economic diplomacy met in Boston with the governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, and other businessmen interested in investing in Spain, before participating in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) assembly in Washington. The Government carefully nurtures, under the radar, relations with the United States so that Trump’s discourse does not harm Spanish investments. It is no coincidence that this was Cuerpo’s fourth trip to the United States in the last two years.
With all that has been explained so far, it is understood that Sánchez did not let 24 hours pass before, in a rally during the Andalusian campaign, he ended up talking about Syria and not Soria, that is, talking about international politics. Yesterday, while in Gibraleón (Huelva), he announced that the Government will shortly ask the European Union to suspend the association agreement with Israel. This is an economic cooperation agreement between the EU and Israel that requires the unanimity of all 27 members to be applied. In any case, it is a clear political stance against the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, who did not hesitate to respond yesterday. The Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, described Spain’s position as hypocritical.
Sánchez is going to play these international politics cards to the fullest in this long electoral year that is upon us. Let no one have any doubt. Trump and Israel will be his main targets. With batteries fully charged from this intense weekend, we are going to see a very combative Sánchez, knowing that it is in his interest to take the initiative and find a way to dislodge the internal opposition. That is what makes the socialist leader happiest.
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AS ALWAYS, HERE ARE SOME OTHER NEWS FROM THIS WEEK THAT I BELIEVE YOU CANNOT MISS
Sant Jordi is approaching. Here is the Culture|s supplement dedicated to this Diada, well organized, and a search engine for you to find the book you like best.
A second part of the A Fondo team’s report on the problems detected in the supersubmarine Isaac Peral.
A report by Antonio Cerrillo on how accumulated rainfall has improved the Doñana National Park.
New interview by Xavi Ayén with a Nobel laureate in Literature. In this case, the South Korean Han Kang.
What the Government risks if many of the business litigations currently in judicial limbo prosper. A report by Fernando H. Valls.
Josep Corbella brings us important advances to end pancreatic cancer.
Two interesting interviews from the International section featuring Trump. Francesco Olivo interviews the leader of the Italian Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, and Daniel R Caruncho asks writer and expert in religious fundamentalism, Jeff Sharlet.
And finally, congratulations to our colleagues at RAC1 who have done it again. Another record.
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AND THESE ARE MY ARTICLES FROM LAST WEEK:
-Tuesday, April 14: Begoña or the exaggeration
-Wednesday, April 15: Meloni changes the rhythm
-Thursday, April 16: Barcelona is in fashion
-Friday, April 17: Rosalía has broken the mold
-Saturday, April 18: How to rethink the left
-Sunday, April 19: Trump makes the Pope shine
