Does the left have a political project?

The progressive world meeting was held a few days ago in Barcelona, under the auspices and leadership of Pedro Sánchez. Undoubtedly, a successful turnout that reaffirms the constitution of a political bloc defending democratic and progressive values against the advances of the populist discourse led by Donald Trump. Social democracy and the left of the Global South made themselves heard in an event that had a great symbolic charge of progressive re-empowerment against the chaos, reactionism, and warmongering that seem to dominate current politics. The forum proved relevant, a wake-up call and a raising of the left's flag against the rightward drift that seems to dominate both in Spain and in the world. It was the certification of Pedro Sánchez's benchmark leadership against Trumpism, war, and Israel's hegemony in the Middle East. It reinforced Spain's role, as a benchmark, for those who consider growing inequality and social exclusion as major dynamics to combat in current politics.However, behind the successful call, the enormous significance that the media gave to the Global Progressive Mobilisation, its significant character and the establishment of an alternative narrative, all remained in the realm of the symbolic. There is no relevance to consider in the realm of applied politics. It fulfilled its role in current politics, understood as a game of declarations and counter-declarations that dominates us, but it had no practical and tangible effect. Surely it was not the place. Nor did the left that gathered there provide a new message, a renovating discourse, a left-wing program to apply in the coming years. It cannot be denied that social democracy has lost many supporters in recent decades, both in Europe and in the world. Since the 1990s, it has been changing its realpolitik, they exercised alternation, not alternative, and carried out more or less the same policies as the liberal-conservatives, and did not put into practice, either in form or in substance, any credible program of change.

The left in general and social democracy in particular have become disconnected from the reality of this 30% that lives or borders on social and economic exclusion, lacking expectations and a hopeful political outlook, and which either has become depoliticized and does not participate, or makes its humiliation felt by betting on anti-politics. The left seems resigned to sending out signals, competing for the centrist, if not conservative, vote; that is, abandoning entirely any transformative pretension and any attempt at self-criticism and rapprochement with the popular classes. It is not just a matter of voters, it is also a lack of cadres and militants. In Spain, socialist parties have lost half their membership in a few years, despite the vitaminic character that occupying power usually has. They have to resort to technocrats because they often lack qualified people for political management. Ideology, solid political approaches, and future programs are diluted in speeches based on immediacy and in narratives devised by political scientists and not by people with political commitment.Behind the success of the progressive Barcelona forum, no future political project was glimpsed, no emancipatory approach, no profound measure to attack the growing unequalizing dynamic of capitalism, no decalogue to maintain and expand public services, no hopeful project to articulate all those citizens who want and need to change the appalling dynamic of the current world. No self-criticism or intention of amendment was heard, no will was expressed to reconnect, to recover, the old and new social groups that require a left with pretensions of transformation. Which is what has historically given meaning to its existence. In Barcelona, a defense of the values of democracy and freedom was manifested. Basic. But do we know where we are going? Is there a project—a program—and a future strategy?