Eduardo González
The Prime Minister and leader of the PSOE, Pedro Sánchez, has welcomed the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP), led by Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, to its admission as a full member of the Socialist International, currently chaired by Sánchez himself.
The GSLP’s admission as a full member of the Socialist International, which brings together 132 political parties and organizations from all continents, was announced this Thursday during the party’s annual general assembly.
In a video message addressed in English to “Dear Comrade Fabian,” Pedro Sánchez stated that the GSLP’s entry into the Socialist International “strengthens something essential to us, the cooperation between socialist forces that share values, priorities, and a common commitment to social justice.”
“Beyond our differences and particular circumstances, the Socialist International is above all a space for joint work, a place to learn from one another and to move forward together in our progressive agendas,” he continued. “We’re confident that this step will open new opportunities for collaboration. Welcome,” he concluded.
The GSLP first applied for membership in the Socialist International in 1988. At that time, the application was unsuccessful because it was blocked, precisely, by the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party). In contrast, the latest application, submitted in May 2025 during the Socialist International meeting in Istanbul, was unanimously supported by the Spanish socialist representatives.
“I could not be happier,” declared Picardo. “Today, the public can see a Spanish party leader, who is also the Prime Minister of Spain and the President of the Spanish Government, welcome the GSLP as a full member of an international organisation. That it is happening exactly 50 years from the death of Franco highlights how long and how hard the road has been,” he added. “I thank Pedro Sanchez for sending GSLP members this video welcome and I thank him and the PSOE for their support to our application to join Socialist International in our own right,” he concluded.
