PES President Stefan Löfven and PES Secretary General Giacomo Filibeck joined progressive leaders in New York during UN General Assembly week. Across speeches, conversations, and meetings with city leaders, they made the case for international cooperation that defends democracy and improves people’s lives.
António Guterres’ final address to the UN General Assembly as Secretary-General set the tone. With his mandate running until the end of the year, he pledged not to give up on peace, sustainable development, and human rights. At a time when international law is under pressure, his message was a call to defend a world in which power is bound by rules.
At the General Assembly, progressive leaders defended an international order based on rules. They spoke out against violations of international law and attacks on people’s rights and dignity. The rules that protect us depend on our willingness to uphold them, especially when they are under pressure. The choices we make today will shape the world our children inherit.
Progressive leadership starts in our cities. At the Urban 20 Summit in New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani brought together city leaders from around the world, including Emmanuel Grégoire (Paris Mayor), Jaume Collboni (Barcelona Mayor), Roberto Gualtieri (Rome Mayor), Bev Craig (Manchester Mayor), and Femke Halsema (Amsterdam Mayor). Progressive city leaders are on the front line: tackling the housing crisis, driving a clean and just transition, protecting people and standing up for local democracy. From Europe to cities around the world, they are calling for global commitments that deliver where people live. Across borders, they share the same determination to make change happen in their cities.
For progressives, defending democracy goes hand in hand with answering the pressures people face every day. At an economic forum hosted by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, PES President Stefan Löfven and PES Secretary General Giacomo Filibeck joined Pedro Sánchez, Spain Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley, Barbados Prime Minister, António Costa, President of the European Council, and other progressive leaders to discuss how to build an economy that works for the majority.
Pedro Sánchez brought the discussion back to questions families know well: Can I afford a home? Can I raise my children? Can I pay my bills? António Costa showed why the answers matter for democracy. When people feel the economy no longer works for them, they lose confidence in institutions and in the future. For António Costa, peace and security in the world must go hand in hand with economic and social security at home. The power to change people’s lives also depends on the strength of democracy. In a conversation with Prof. Gloria J. Browne-Marshall on protest and movements for a fairer society, Stefan drew a direct link between democratic rights and workers’ rights.
PES President, Stefan Löfven said:
“Democracy and workers go together. If you oppress workers, you cannot have a strong democracy. And a strong democracy must answer the questions people face every day: whether they can afford a home, raise their children and pay their bills. In the spirit of the Global Progressive Mobilisation, we must work together across borders to turn our shared values into solutions that give people greater security in their daily lives.”
The gathering in New York is part of a wider effort to strengthen ties among progressives across borders and respond to the rise of the far right. Read the Washington Post article here.
