Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was announced yesterday as the president of the Socialist International on the first day of the congress of this organization, which includes 132 socialist and social democratic parties from around the world, France Press reported.

The host of the event, which will continue today, is the Spanish capital, Madrid.

Sanchez was the only candidate to succeed former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou.

There was no vote and the Spanish leader was simply declared president of the International.

Spain passed a law to rehabilitate the victims of the Francoist regime

In the speech with which he opened the congress, Pedro Sánchez said that he was running "with one clear intention: to turn the organization into an important ideological platform".

In an address to the women participating in the congress, Sanchez promised to fight for gender equality, which is also one of his priorities after coming to power in Spain in 2018, BTA notes.

Pedro Sanchez