Contributor(s): Dr Pedro Sanchez | The leader of the opposition in Spain, Pedro Sánchez, will analyse the political, social and economic factors that have led to the growth of populism and secessionism in Catalonia and will propose possible solutions to the current political blockade in Spain. Dr Pedro Sanchez (@sanchezcastejon) is currently Secretary General of PSOE (Spanish Socialists and Workers' Party), leader of the opposition in Spain and vice president of the Socialist International. He was also Secretary-General of the PSOE, leader of the opposition and candidate to the Presidency of the Spanish Government in the period 2014-2016. Between 2009-2016 he was Member of the Spanish Parliament. He was also Senior Lecturer in Global Economics and Economic History at the Camilo José Cela University in Madrid (Spain) from 2008 to 2014. Previously, Dr Sanchez also served as Member of the Madrid City Council and as an adviser at different international institutions, including the European Parliament and the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia Herzegovina. He studied economics at the Complutense University of Madrid and holds a PhD in economics from the Camilo José Cela University as well as master's degrees from Ortega y Gasset Institute, and the Free University of Brussels. He is fluent in English, French and Spanish. Paul Preston is the Príncipe de Asturias Professor of Contemporary Spanish Studies and Director of the Cañada Blanch Centre for Contemporary Spanish Studies at the London School of Economics. The LSE European Institute (@LSEEI) is a centre for research and graduate teaching on the processes of integration and fragmentation within Europe. In the most recent national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) the Institute was ranked first for research in its sector. The Cañada Blanch Centre for Contemporary Spanish Studies is a research centre at the London School of Economics with a focus on a flourishing interest in contemporary Spain in Britain. The Dahrendorf Forum (@DahrendorfForum) is a joint initiative between the LSE and the Hertie School of Governance, funded by Mercator Stiftung. LSE IDEAS (@lseideas) is LSE's foreign policy think tank. We connect academic knowledge of diplomacy and strategy with the people who use it.