Published on
The President of the Spanish Government, Peter Sanchezdefended from Brussels the importance of progressing towards “a Europe open to the world”, able to respond to global challenges through increased integrationstrengthened strategic autonomy and greater financial capacity.
ADVERTISING
ADVERTISING
“Europe will not be a geoeconomic power if we don’t have the financial muscle to be,” argued the Spanish leader, who participated on Thursday in a meeting of the European Council devoted to the future community budget and the current international situation.
With this warning, Sánchez, whose future at the head of the Spanish executive is called into question due to the multiple corruption scandals surrounding him, underlined the need for the European Union to adopt a more ambitious multiannual financial framework, capable of strengthening the competitiveness of the bloc and to support increased strategic autonomy in the face of an increasingly volatile international environment.
Sánchez also insisted on the interest of strengthening a more integrated internal market, by removing internal barriers and harmonizing rules to facilitate economic activity. In this regard, he welcomed the European trade diversification strategy and the expansion of trade agreements, such as those recently concluded with Mercosur, Mexico and India, in line with a policy of openness which, in his eyes, should not lead to renouncing the founding values of the European project.
The socialist leader, who in April announced 19 bilateral agreements with China after being received by the president Xi Jinping in Beijing, also defended the need for Brussels to open up to dialogue with other regions.
This position contrasts with that of several EU member states which, led by France, want to adopt a firmer attitude towards the Asian giantwhich they accuse of being at the origin of overproduction which is putting pressure on an already weakened European economy.
“Europe does not need to go back on its values, on its principles; it needs to take a step forward in its integration,” affirmed the president of the government, who advocated for a stronger EU in the face of those who advocate a smaller and less influential Europe.
Strengthen economic and social integration
In the same spirit, President Sánchez, whose government approved in April an exceptional migration regularization measure likely to allow nearly 500,000 foreigners to legalize their situation in Spain, mentioned the changes that the EU is adopting in its migration policy. While recognizing that “this is a necessary debate that is taking place throughout Europe”, he considered that the establishment of reception centers in third countries “will not provide any solution” and constitutes only “a simple sham”.
Sánchez reiterated that he is opposed to this measure which, according to him, also sends a “wrong message” to countries of origin and transit by making them understand that the migration issue “is their problem”.
The new European Union return regulation, adopted at the beginning of June, marks a significant change in EU migration policy, since it allows member states to establish return centers for migrants in countries outside the bloc, a measure inspired by the model promoted by Giorgia Meloni from Italy, which already has two centers in Albania.
Sánchez supports Meloni against Trump after controversial photo
Sánchez recognized that this is a question experienced with “intensity” and recalled a “debate” that he had on this subject with the head of the Italian government. But, far from reviving the controversy this Fridaythe Spanish president wanted to take the opportunity to express his “solidarity” with Meloni after the president, Donald Trumpassured that the Italian had “begged” him to take a photo together on the sidelines of the recent G7 summit, which was held in Évian, which he finally accepted, he said, because it made him “painful”.
“I expressed my solidarity with this attack, which, frankly, I don’t even know how to qualify “, commented Sánchez about this incident, which even led the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajanito cancel a trip he was to make to the United States next week, considering that Trump’s “serious and offensive” remarks “insult Italy as a whole”.
