A completely new Sixth International.
Our world is moving at an ever faster and more shocking pace, and no one really knows where all these dramatic events are heading. However, everything is happening in accordance with Putin’s prognosis given at the end of last summer at the Valdai Club. We have published the exact stenographic transcript of this Putin speech from October 2, 2025 in Czech in the analysis MAP 2424.
Former Orthodox Trump supporter and ex-congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green wrote on a photo of an Israeli soldier destroying a statue of Jesus Christ: Our best ally, taking billions of dollars and weapons from our taxes every year! (“Our greatest ally” that takes billions of our tax dollars and weapons every year.”). It is worth remembering that in 2023, after heavily publicized complaints from the Vatican, “about 5 vandal attacks in a few weeks on Christian statues in Israel, and against Christian Armenian communities in Israel”, the local police suddenly arrested one of the vandals, and announced that it was an “American Jewish tourist”. It will be interesting to watch how this new case will develop further. Progressive US Democrats are already using it to attack the so-called “MAGA fanatics”, although they are also horrified by this Israeli attack on Jesus, see Marjorie T Green. Sometimes such a small media event can unexpectedly shake up even relatively stable political preferences.
The American destroyer first shot and immobilized the Iranian container ship Touska sailing from Malaysia to Iran last night, and the US Marines then seized it. ( Video of the shooting here . ) According to Australian expert on maritime war law Donald Rothwell, Washington will try various legal tricks after this incident to legalize its pirate action, because it is an obvious act of war, but when defining it precisely, it is extremely important to determine in which waters it took place, and Washington is hiding this so that it can perform “legal tricks”. However, oil immediately jumped (today, 02:00 Czech time +6% up). The reason will probably be mainly the morning Russian reports to Iranian intelligence that the US is accumulating its tanker aircraft in the airspace of Iraq, necessary for refueling the approaching American and Israeli F-35 aircraft, and the accumulation of naval forces in Omani waters in front of the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iranian associate professor and Tehran war expert Zohreh Kharazmi, the US is preparing further attacks against Iran, and Iran is therefore preparing retaliatory strikes. Around the time of Czech lunch, there will be clarity on further movements in oil prices.
A powerful League against the USA, and against Trump personally, was founded in Barcelona this weekend. The League was founded by progressive Brussels Eurocrats – Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, and 35 other world statesmen, the main ones – Claudia Scheinbaum – Mexican President, Lula da Silva – Brazilian President and Cyril Ramaphosa – South African President. The program of the entire League is openly against the current policy of the USA and Israel. Scheinbaum and Lula even promised material assistance to Cuba against the USA. Technically, the idea of the late Venezuelan Supreme Leader Hugo Chávez was de facto fulfilled, because he had already tried to establish the so-called Fifth International against the USA in 2010. Although Hugo Chávez signed the founding documents of his International, he did not complete the action. (Moreover, the Fifth International is already considered a grouping of post-Trotskyists, which is why we compared the League against the USA founded in Barcelona this weekend to the founding of a completely new Sixth International.)
The establishment of this League against Trump and against the USA will be discussed today at 8 pm with Josef Skála on TV Bureš, I will especially discuss the shocking time sequence of the establishment of this so-called 6th International in relation to the recent diplomatic trips of Sergei Lavrov. This is extremely interesting, because the main program points adopted at the meeting of the founders of the League against Trump in Barcelona exactly match the points announced by Vladimir Putin in Valdai! And Josef will discuss the program statement of this League, because it is very left-wing, and therefore interesting for the Czech left.
Because we regularly publish accurate texts from prominent politicians – today we are publishing a stenographic recording of the speech of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the founding of the so-called League against Trump, and against the USA, this weekend in Barcelona, (the official name of the founded group “Initiative for the Defense of Democracy”):
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Barcelona, to Catalonia, to Spain.
Let me begin with a simple thought. The fact is, if we are here today, it is because we share a concern. A concern, but above all, we share a responsibility.
There is an old distinction between looking out the window or going out into the street when something happens. Concern involves observing. Responsibility involves taking action. And we are here today, of course, to observe. But above all, we are here to respond, to take action.
This is the fourth meeting of the “In Defense of Democracy” initiative. What began as a forum for dialogue launched by President Lula, Chilean President Gabriel, the President of Colombia, and the President of Uruguay -what began, as I said, as a forum for dialogue- is today something far more significant. It is a political community in the making, a group of countries willing to do whatever is necessary to protect and strengthen the democratic system.
Because the context is clear: democracy cannot be taken for granted.
We are witnessing attacks on the multilateral system, one attempt after another to challenge the rules of international law, and a dangerous normalization of the use of force. And within our societies, inequality is on the rise. Disinformation erodes trust in governments and, consequently, in our democratic institutions.
That is the real risk facing all societies, all nations: that democracy will be hollowed out from within while it is under attack from without.
And that is why our response cannot be merely defensive. It is not enough to simply resist. We must take the initiative. We must lead. We must demonstrate that democracy is not only defended, but also strengthened and refined day by day.
That is the spirit of this meeting. And that is why we have identified three major priorities that are, in fact, part of a single agenda.
The first is multilateralism, multilateralism. (Michal & Petr note: compare with Putin’s priorities.)
We believe in a rules-based international order, in cooperation, and in legitimate institutions. But we also know that the multilateral system is in urgent need of reform, and we must undertake a thorough overhaul.
We know that it can only survive if it reforms to reflect the reality of the 21st-century world, as President Lula has often said. It must become more effective, more efficient, more transparent, more democratic, more inclusive, and more representative. In short, it must embody the values we uphold within this group.
That is why we believe the time has come for the United Nations to be revitalized, reformed, and -why not?- led by a woman. It is not just a matter of justice -though that is certainly part of it- but also a matter of credibility, of credibility.
Alongside the multilateral agenda, the second priority is digital governance.
I believe this is a concern shared by all of us government representatives gathered around this table. Technology can undoubtedly be a tool for progress, but it does not govern itself, nor do all the interests at stake point in the same direction. Without rules, technology divides us and makes us more dependent.
Therefore, we cannot accept that misinformation should continue to shape our societies as it currently does, nor can we accept that it should shape public discourse in our countries, or that algorithms should reward hatred, polarization, confrontation, and violent messages, or that technological power should remain outside democratic control.
A little over a year ago, at an international forum, Spain declared loud and clear: “Let’s make social media great again.” And we’ve been doing just that ever since. We are pushing a legislative agenda to hold platforms and their executives accountable, to crack down on algorithmic manipulation and the spread of illegal content, and to measure and combat the impact of hate and polarization. And we will protect-of course we will-our children and our youth by limiting their access to social media.
The Digital Democracy Roundtable, dear friends, kicks off here in Barcelona with a side event to share experiences and coordinate our efforts to improve digital governance. In doing so, we are fulfilling the commitment we made in New York, President Lula, last September. (Original in English available here)
