It was in Germany that modern social democracy was born, at the Bad Godesberg Congress. In Spain, it was delayed until the Suresnes Congress (1974). This is the program that the PSD approved there in 1959, which the renovating socialists led by F. González adapted to the Spanish reality to carry out the transition and the generational and political change, which marked the socialist victory on October 28 1982. The Government of Change brought Spain into the European Union and included it among the advanced democracies, thus overcoming our isolation of almost three centuries. This socialist party created an effective and efficient welfare state; with an exemplary and generous health and retirement system; a much larger but still dysfunctional education system; and a system of income redistribution that made Spain more egalitarian. We Spaniards, and especially the Social Democrats, can be satisfied with what we have achieved. But we will also have to recognize that we are not capable of having a model of society for the 21st century. First Zapatero, then Sánchez, created a socialist party in favor of polarization, of ideological blockage. As a result, we have isolated right and weak coalitions with radical governments that have produced social advances, but we have failed to reduce income differences and now we have an equality problem with territorial financing . Without a doubt, the social democrats have changed Spain, but. the new Spanish society, the new EU and economic and political globalization demand a modern response based on more freedom, more equality and more solidarity. The last PSOE congresses have been struggles for power, and none of them have been marked by an effort to define the current policies of the social democrats. This is not just happening in Spain; In Germany, the PSD is at the lowest level of approval, and the same thing happens in Italy, Portugal or Greece. We need another Bad Godesberg, another Suresnes. The PSOE congress in Seville will be a new distribution of power without perspective of renewal, neither politics nor leadership. Until the social democracy of the Socialist International, which Sánchez also leads, catches up, difficult times await the middle class and workers, because without us the center right will be in the hands of the far right and the socialists in the hands of the radicals. This is how things are so bad for our people and for our parties. Most of us will suffer from it.
