Barcelona Progressive Summit: Gaza War Reshapes Political Consciousness in Europe and Confronts the Rise of the Right

The Spanish city of Barcelona hosted the fourth edition of the "Progressive Summit," which saw a wide attendance of elite leftist leaders from Europe, Africa, and Latin America. This international gathering aims to strengthen the pillars of democracy and restore confidence in a global system facing escalating tensions due to the strong rise of far-right currents in several Western countries.

The summit's corridors witnessed widespread condemnation of the systematic attacks targeting the multilateral international system, with participants considering that current challenges require a united front. The presence of American policies emerged as a constant element in the discussions despite the absence of official representation, amidst deep disagreements between the attendees and the unilateral approaches adopted by some international powers.

For his part, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez strongly criticized the attacks on international institutions, reiterating his rejection of the war on Iran and the genocide in the Gaza Strip. Sánchez stressed the need to initiate radical reforms within the United Nations to enable it to confront policies imposed by right-wing parties, away from international consensus.

In a related context, Brazilian President Lula da Silva sparked significant interaction by using the term "the danger of a new Hitler," which observers considered an implicit reference to concerns about the return of extremist right-wing policies threatening global stability. These statements come at a time when countries of the Global South are seeking to gain a greater role in international decision-making, away from traditional hegemony.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, on the other hand, formulated the summit's objectives in diplomatic language that focused on the need to find real alternatives to the right-wing policies currently sweeping the world. Petro indicated that major political transformations require the solidarity of progressive forces to present a governance model based on social justice and human rights as a top priority.

The summit coincided with striking political shifts in Eastern Europe, where reports highlighted the defeat of the far-right in Hungary and the overthrow of Viktor Orbán after sixteen years in power. Analysts believe that this change represents a blow to the alliances that linked Budapest with right-wing power centers in Washington and Moscow alike.

The summit explored the roots of the rise of the European right, with reports linking this rise to the exploitation of refugee and displacement crises resulting from wars ignited by Western powers. Extremist parties have found in immigration and Islam fertile ground for building electoral campaigns based on hate speech and hostility towards immigrants and refugees.

The deliberations confirmed that the war of extermination in Gaza has caused an earthquake in European public consciousness, leading to widespread rebellion against narratives promoted by traditional media. The European public, especially the younger generation, has become inclined to draw information from direct sources after the exposure of blatant media bias in favor of the Israeli narrative.

In contrast, far-right leaders gathered in Milan, Italy, led by Jordan Bardella, in a scene reflecting the sharp division experienced by the old continent. Arab immigrants find themselves amidst this conflict in a state of political dispersion, where they intersect with the right in conservative values, while finding in the left the only ally to support the Palestinian cause.

The genocide in Gaza has changed many concepts for European societies and caused a rebellion among part of the public against traditional media.