Call for applications: Progressives Speak Up School in Las Palmas

This is the call to apply to the #ProgressiveSpeakUpSchool 2026, taking place in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria from Wednesday 14 to Friday 16 January 2026.

Please carefully complete all the sections, remember that:

participants must be elected at the local or regional level
the age limit for the participants is 40 years
a good level of English is required
participants are expected to attend all sessions of the programme (All day on Thursday, 15 January and in the morning on Friday, 16 January). An informal drink to start of the School will be organised on Wednesday, 14 January as of 20h

Candidates can apply by Sunday 19 October 2025 (23:59 CET). Unfortunately, only a limited number of people can attend this event in person, and the PES Group Secretariat will need to carry out a selection process, taking into account gender, geographical balance, experience and motivation. You will be informed about the result of this selection in the beginning of November 2025.

First name

Last name

Birth date

Confirm email

Telephone

National/regional political party

Political function

City/region where you are elected

Country

Nationality (ies)

Gender (You are free to write "Prefer not to answer", if you wish to not share it)

Are you running for local or regional elections in 2026?

Mother tongue

Level of English (a good knowledge is compulsory for attending the school)

Why do you want to attend the #ProgressiveSpeakUpSchool dedicated to defending democracy?

What are the 3 most important actions local or regional politicians can take to defend democracy?

What are the biggest challenges to democracy that you face in your local or regional authority?

Which concrete projects do you do in your local or regional authority to strengthen citizen participation?

Did you have to run against a far-right candidate in your constituency? Did you have to address disinformation or fake news? How did you deal with this issue?

What skills or knowledge would you like to gain from this school?

Any questions you would like to see addressed during our #ProgressivesSpeakUpSchool? Write it down!