Spain’s broad-left government is five years old — and has achieved some real successes for working-class people. Headed by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of the Partido Socialista (PSOE) and his deputy Yolanda Díaz of left-wing alliance Sumar, it is now in its second term in office, defying most pundits’ predictions to win reelection in July 2023 thanks to such achievements as a steep rise in the minimum wage and a cap on energy bills.

It’s not been easy. The ruling coalition has a wafer-thin majority even when backed by regionalist parties, and the conservative Partido Popular (PP) and far-right Vox have rolled out their media and judicial allies to try to destabilize it. Donald Trump’s new tariffs have added to a difficult international picture. At the same time, the European Union (EU) is boosting its military spending — also encouraging member states to pivot their economies toward the weapons industry.

Left-winger Díaz, who is also labor minister, has been a major force pushing for workers’ rights in precarious sectors, from food delivery to domestic work and more besides. In an interview, she spoke to Jacobin’s David Broder about the calls for Europe to rearm, the Spanish left’s record in office, and what it can do to continue rebuilding working-class support.