PSOE celebrates 147 years of socialist struggle in Canary Islands

A historic milestone for Spanish socialism

On 2 May 1879, a young printer from Ferrol named Pablo Iglesias, together with a group of fellow workers and intellectuals, found a way to confront the inequality caused by an increasingly brutal and inhumane capitalist system. Their goal was to fight for improved working conditions for the working class and to defend basic social rights. That day, the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) was born.

These days we celebrate the 147th anniversary of that founding moment, which would go on to produce the longest-running political party in our country’s history and one of the oldest socialist parties in Europe. Over this almost century and a half, the PSOE has succeeded in shaping the progressive spirit of Spanish political life across very different eras: from its early days during the monarchical restoration, through its consolidation during the Second Republic, to its opposition to Franco’s regime from exile and underground resistance.

A central role in Spain’s democratic transition

Above all, during the transition to democracy, the party played a leading role in turning Spain into a fully-fledged, modern, and solid democracy, a bastion of the common European project. The defence of the welfare state as a tool for fair wealth redistribution, the protection of minorities, and social support for those most in need have been the foundations on which the party, now led by Pedro Sánchez, continues to stand. Sánchez is Prime Minister of a government that serves as a reference point for social democracy across Europe and beyond.

Socialism in the Canary Islands: a story of resistance

In the Canary Islands, socialism has been deeply woven into this historic journey of struggle and demands against the privileges of the early 20th-century landed gentry and in defence of workers’ and peasants’ conditions. Unsurprisingly, this led to harsh persecution following the outbreak of the Civil War and the subsequent dictatorship, with hundreds of party members falling victim to repression across the islands. I must make particular mention here of the young mayor of La Laguna, Alonso Suárez Melián, founder and president of the La Laguna Socialist Group, who was brutally punished following the 1936 military coup.

Socialism in the Canary Islands survived, like the rest of the opposition in our country, under the harsh conditions of clandestinity until the dictator’s death. When the time came to rebuild the bridges that the dictatorship had severed, socialism once again demonstrated its vision and sense of national responsibility. In the Canary Islands, a figure of the human and intellectual stature of my dear Jerónimo Saavedra was decisive in ensuring that the Socialist Party contributed in a meaningful way to the social and economic reconstruction of the islands.

From local groups to national reconstruction

Alongside him were hundreds of comrades who, from the smallest local branch to the party’s decision-making bodies, worked to promote a progressive agenda. I cannot fail to mention here the late Pedro González, the first mayor of La Laguna in the new democratic era, who drove our city’s leap into modernity. With its mistakes and betrayals, as with all human endeavours, but with the full conviction that socialist thought—deeply rooted in humanism—is more necessary today than ever, we celebrate 147 years of fighting for the people’s rights.

A message of hope against populism

In the face of the polarising tactics of exclusionary populism, in the face of messages of hatred and rejection of those who think differently, and in the face of those who argue that society should be based on the law of the strongest and advocate dismantling the state to surrender to the voracity of unregulated capitalism, socialists proudly defend a political message for and about people. 147 years on, we are still standing. Nothing was given to us. Every right, every advance, every step forward was born from struggle, commitment, and the courage of those who refused to accept injustice. And, of course, from the power of the party membership.

Looking forward with pride

We celebrate not only our history: we affirm what we are. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things for a more dignified, fairer, and more humane country. To those who were there, to those who are here now, and to those who will come: the struggle continues. With more strength. With more heart. Without taking a single step back. To be a socialist is to be a humanist, a feminist, and implicitly a progressive. For everything we have contributed, and for everything we have yet to contribute to our society, this is an anniversary we should celebrate with pride.

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