Social democrats meeting in Berlin to work against populism

BERLIN – European government leaders, Social Democratic party chairmen and international delegations are arriving in Berlin for a convention of the so-called Progressive Alliance.

It’s an association of mostly social democratic party members, who want to work closer together in their fight against populism and authoritarianism.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni, Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa are among the leaders to be hosted Sunday and Monday by German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel and Martin Schulz, the Social Democrat’s candidate for Germany’s general election in September.

In a statement, the German Social Democratic Party said that the convention stands for “progressive parties worldwide working together more closely in times of new authoritarianism and growing populism.”