Social Economy gaining influence in financial and political debates

The social economy sector is increasingly being included in high-level discussions regarding the future of the financial system, banking, and corporate leadership. Traditionally excluded from elite political and financial circles, representatives from the cooperative sector are now participating in panels alongside major business leaders and commercial bank executives.

Recent participation in conferences has placed cooperative leaders on equal footing with executives from companies such as GALP, Caixa Geral de Depósitos, Vila Galé, and Grupo Bel. This shift suggests a growing recognition of the role financial cooperatives can play in an increasingly virtualized financial system that is becoming more disconnected from real-world human contact.