Sánchez and allies push UN reform to counter Putin, Trump at Barcelona democracy summit
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hosted progressive leaders in Barcelona on Saturday for the IV Summit in Defense of Democracy, where participants called for reforming the United Nations to confront what they described as growing threats from authoritarian leaders and tech oligarchs.
The summit, held at the Barcelona Fair, brought together approximately twenty international progressive leaders who warned that democracy “cannot be taken for granted” and is actively being undermined by specific global actors.
“Democracy cannot be taken for granted,” Sánchez said, standing beside former Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who added that “democracy is not the natural state of things.”
A large poster behind the leaders displayed the summit’s slogan: “In defense of democracy.” While Sánchez and Boric did not explicitly name those responsible for threatening democracy, Sánchez later clarified that the primary concerns centered on two individuals: former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Spanish president also criticized what he termed “techno-oligarchs” – a reference to major global technology leaders whom he has repeatedly identified as contributing to democratic erosion through disinformation and challenges to multilateral systems.
The summit’s proposed solution remains underdeveloped but centers on reforming the United Nations, with a specific emphasis on installing a woman as UN Secretary-General for the first time in history.
Sánchez outlined the main dangers facing the democratic system during his opening remarks: attacks on the multilateral system, attempts to challenge international law norms, dangerous normalization of force, inequality, and disinformation.
The event coincided with the Global Progressive Mobilisation, a meeting of socialists from around the world held in an adjacent space at the same venue. Sánchez noted that the dual gatherings represented a broad progressive effort to create “a more just world where the law of the strongest does not prevail.”
Spanish Minister of the Presidency Félix Bolaños echoed this sentiment when addressing reporters, stating that participants were “working for a more habitable world” and emphasizing the collaborative nature of the weekend’s discussions.
Regional leaders also participated in the summit’s periphery. Catalan President Salvador Illa met with Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi to explore potential collaboration pathways between Catalonia and Uruguay, describing their exchange as a “cordial sharing of impressions” on progressive and modernization agendas.
The meeting underscored Barcelona’s growing role as a hub for international progressive diplomacy, with the city hosting both the democracy summit and the socialist mobilization simultaneously.
While specific reform proposals for the UN were not detailed during the summit, participants agreed that strengthening multilateral institutions represents a critical counterweight to what they perceive as unilateral actions by authoritarian states and unchecked technological power.
The summit concluded without issuing a formal declaration or concrete action plan, reflecting what Sánchez acknowledged as the “still very undetermined” nature of the proposed solutions.
