Sánchez and Lula appear after the summit in Barcelona

BarcelonaFor weeks, Pedro Sánchez has been working to crown himself the architect of anti-Trumpism. And this weekend he will be its graphic image in Barcelona. The Spanish president will bring together several world leaders from the progressive space to confront the reactionary wave that continues to grow globally. The first handshake was with the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Both have starred in the first Spain-Brazil summit, held at the Palau de Pedralbes in Barcelona, to strengthen relations between both countries and sign several strategic and commercial agreements. They will subsequently appear at a press conference.

The two presidents are strengthening ties at a time when their internal situations are not at their best. For Pedro Sánchez, polls are not smiling on him; rather, most surveys predict a victory for the right and far-right in the next general elections, while the investiture majority is falling apart in Congress. For Lula da Silva, who at 80 years old has already announced he will run for re-election in the elections scheduled for October, polls predict he would win the elections in the first round again, but would tie with Jair Bolsonaro's eldest son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who will run to dispute power with him.

Strengthening ties with Brazil

This Friday's summit is the first that the Spanish state is holding with Brazil, but it is not the first time that Sánchez and Lula da Silva have met —the Spanish president has been to Brazil and Lula to Spain—. However, as the two countries agreed a few months ago, they are now raising the level of relations and institutionalizing the alliance. This Friday's summit should be repeated more or less regularly and could be biannual.

In parallel to the bilateral meeting between Sánchez and Lula, several ministers from the Spanish government —the second vice-president and minister of Labour, Yolanda Díaz; the third vice-president and minister for the Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen; the minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares; the minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun; the minister of Science, Diana Morant; the minister of Equality, Ana Redondo— and their Brazilian counterparts have also met at the Palau de Pedralbes. The two governments plan to sign more than ten agreements in the economic-commercial, innovation, science and also social fields (with issues such as the fight against violence against women at the center). A way to ratify the political harmony between the two governments.