The centre-left is not dead, according to a new analysis, as a progressive counter-Trumpian movement begins to take shape. In a recent speech, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared that those undermining international law are shouting not because they are winning, but because their time is running out. This comes as alternative visions of the international order emerge in response to the Trump administration and its allies.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in a Davos speech, warned of a world in 'rupture' and argued that middle powers must act together to avoid being 'on the menu'. The way forward, he suggested, is to remake globalisation rather than abandon it, preserving openness while upholding a rules-based order and avoiding over-reliance on a single country. French President Emmanuel Macron's push for EU 'strategic sovereignty' reflects a similar instinct: openness with guardrails.
A gathering of global progressives in Barcelona last month, co-hosted by Sánchez and Brazilian President Lula da Silva, sought to develop a progressive internationalism fit for the 21st century. The project recognises that while globalisation has generated growth, it has failed to deliver for large parts of the population, leaving wages stagnant and inequalities entrenched. The centre-left has taken nearly two decades to arrive at a response that matches this diagnosis.
The new movement aims to redistribute the gains of globalisation through taxing billionaires, reforming global finance, and expanding development investment. It also seeks to reshape the conditions under which globalisation operates by strengthening multilateral institutions, regulating big tech, and ensuring democratic and social constraints. Peace is reasserted as a central pillar, with emphasis on diplomacy, de-escalation, and international law.
With more than 40 countries involved, this progressive internationalism revives north-south dialogue, turbocharged by Sánchez's leadership and renewed progressive energy from the US. Sánchez emerges as a leader to rally around, akin to Willy Brandt and Olof Palme, who in the 1970s and 80s were standard bearers for a fairer international order. The movement may yet reshape UK politics, where fragmentation could force alliances between reformists and traditional parties.
