Speech by the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, at the IV Summit In Defense of Democracy

Barcelona

SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN, PEDRO SÁNCHEZ

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Barcelona, to Catalonia, to Spain.

Let me begin with a simple thought. The fact is, if we are here today, it is because we share a concern. A concern, but above all, we share a responsibility.

There is an old distinction between looking out the window or going out into the street when something happens. Concern involves observing. Responsibility involves taking action. And we are here today, of course, to observe. But above all, we are here to respond, to take action.

This is the fourth meeting of the "In Defense of Democracy" initiative. What began as a forum for dialogue launched by President Lula, Chilean President Gabriel, the President of Colombia, and the President of Uruguay -what began, as I said, as a forum for dialogue- is today something far more significant. It is a political community in the making, a group of countries willing to do whatever is necessary to protect and strengthen the democratic system.

Because the context is clear: democracy cannot be taken for granted.

We are witnessing attacks on the multilateral system, one attempt after another to challenge the rules of international law, and a dangerous normalization of the use of force. And within our societies, inequality is on the rise. Disinformation erodes trust in governments and, consequently, in our democratic institutions.

That is the real risk facing all societies, all nations: that democracy will be hollowed out from within while it is under attack from without.

And that is why our response cannot be merely defensive. It is not enough to simply resist. We must take the initiative. We must lead. We must demonstrate that democracy is not only defended, but also strengthened and refined day by day.

That is the spirit of this meeting. And that is why we have identified three major priorities that are, in fact, part of a single agenda.

The first is multilateralism, multilateralism.

We believe in a rules-based international order, in cooperation, and in legitimate institutions. But we also know that the multilateral system is in urgent need of reform, and we must undertake a thorough overhaul.

We know that it can only survive if it reforms to reflect the reality of the 21st-century world, as President Lula has often said. It must become more effective, more efficient, more transparent, more democratic, more inclusive, and more representative. In short, it must embody the values we uphold within this group.

That is why we believe the time has come for the United Nations to be revitalized, reformed, and -why not?- led by a woman. It is not just a matter of justice -though that is certainly part of it- but also a matter of credibility, of credibility.

Alongside the multilateral agenda, the second priority is digital governance.

I believe this is a concern shared by all of us government representatives gathered around this table. Technology can undoubtedly be a tool for progress, but it does not govern itself, nor do all the interests at stake point in the same direction. Without rules, technology divides us and makes us more dependent.

Therefore, we cannot accept that misinformation should continue to shape our societies as it currently does, nor can we accept that it should shape public discourse in our countries, or that algorithms should reward hatred, polarization, confrontation, and violent messages, or that technological power should remain outside democratic control.

A little over a year ago, at an international forum, Spain declared loud and clear: "Let's make social media great again." And we've been doing just that ever since. We are pushing a legislative agenda to hold platforms and their executives accountable, to crack down on algorithmic manipulation and the spread of illegal content, and to measure and combat the impact of hate and polarization. And we will protect-of course we will-our children and our youth by limiting their access to social media.

The Digital Democracy Roundtable, dear friends, kicks off here in Barcelona with a side event to share experiences and coordinate our efforts to improve digital governance. In doing so, we are fulfilling the commitment we made in New York, President Lula, last September.

There is one thing that, in my opinion, we must be clear about: the Internet knows no borders, and therefore, either we move forward together or no one will move forward. Either we establish common rules, or others will impose them, because the digital space is either democratic or it will not be at all.

And finally, the third priority we have set for this meeting-one we all fully agree on- is the fight against inequality. Because inequality, in addition to being unjust, is hardly compatible with healthy, strong democracies.

When progress isn't shared, when opportunities aren't available to everyone, when large segments of the population feel that the system isn't working for them, democracy loses its legitimacy. That's where extremism thrives, it's true, but extremism doesn't create the divide; what it does is fill the void.

That is why our democratic agenda is also an agenda for social justice. We are committed to social cohesion, equal opportunities, youth participation, gender equality, and more inclusive societies.

And this is where I believe the work of the International Panel on Inequality-launched by President Ramaphosa during his G20 presidency-along with that of such prominent Nobel laureates as Joseph Stiglitz and the Multilateral Observatory on Youth and Extremism, can make the greatest impact, provided they receive the support they need.

I'll conclude, colleagues, by sharing the following.

What unites us is more than just a diagnosis; it is a vision. And what will enable us to move forward is not only the conviction that this is necessary, but the certainty that we are forging a path together.

We share the view that democracy is the best system for addressing the complexity of our societies, for organizing them, and for ensuring their fair progress. We are also convinced that our democracies must adapt and renew themselves to better meet the demands of our time. And I know that here in Barcelona, we will take another step forward in joining forces.

I would like to welcome the governments that are joining this meeting for the first time. I would also like to thank the President of Mexico for offering to host the next Summit in Defense of Democracy, once we have all agreed on a date for 2027.

I will conclude by saying that I believe the time has come to move beyond the commitment we all share and take concerted action, to strengthen this alliance, to deliver results, and to restore hope within our societies. As I said at the beginning, it is time to move from the window to the street-and thus, not just observe but act- because I believe the time has come to confront fear with more democracy and inequality with more justice.

Thank you very much for coming.

We would like to welcome you all and your delegations back to this wonderful city of Barcelona.

Without further ado, let's get this event underway by handing the floor to one of the main driving forces and masterminds behind this initiative: President Gabriel Boric.

(Transcript edited by the State Secretariat for Communication)

Original speech in Spanish

Non official translation