This was confirmed this Monday by the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Luis Albares, during a working breakfast in Barcelona
Four “priorities” will guide the recently launched Spanish presidency of the EU: the reindustrializationthe ecological transitionthe social justice and the defense of european values by supporting Ukraine against the invasion of Russia. This was confirmed this Monday by the Spanish Foreign Minister, Jose Luis Albaresduring a working breakfast that took place at the headquarters of the Barcelona Center for International Affairs (CIDOB) and in which he took the opportunity to present some of the activities of the half-year period in which Spain will lead the Council European Parliament and which will live its culminating moment during the informal summit of heads of state and government that will take place on October 6 in Granada.
Albares has defined the Spanish presidency of the EU, an event that occurs once “every 13 years”, as “a country project that involves the entire population”. And for this reason, for the first time since Spain joined the community institutions, “all the autonomous communities” will host a council of community ministers, starting with Valladolidwhere starting today, Monday and until Wednesday, the Environment headlines. “The Spanish presidency arrives at the most turbulent and complex moment (for Europe) since the fall of the Berlin Wall”, recalled the president.
According to the head of Spanish diplomacy, to promote reindustrialization, it is important for the EU to improve the “competitiveness” and “consolidates at the head of the major trends”. Madrid has set itself the goal of approving the so-called Critical Raw Materials Law, currently under debate, with the aim of reducing “dependence” on the EU in import of these substances from third countries and promote recycling and circularity.
ecological transition
According to the ecological transition, Albares has promised to promote the approval of a “zero emissions” industrial law and to “accelerate the deployment of renewable energies” that guarantee the consumer the supply of energy “at affordable prices”, using Spain as an example, the European leader in this sector. The Spanish minister maintains that the government of Pedro Sánchez is very aware that the inequalities in the EU favor “political polarization” and for this reason, during the presidency, he will defend policies aimed at “ensuring tax justice” and to promote “the social economy” with the aim that the benefits of the community project “to all Europeans”.
The defense of European values, defined by Albares as “democracy, tolerance and diversity”, translates into the defense and support of Ukraine against the aggression launched by Russia, a country that currently represents “a model of authoritarianism and exclusion“. It will be a priority for Madrid to “maintain the unity” of EU action to achieve a system of international relations “based on rules” and “not on the law of the strongest“, with countries entitled to maintain spheres of influence.
During the next six months, the Sánchez government plans to give special importance to Latin America, considered “as the most Euro-compatible area on the planet”, promoting “trade agreements” with this region. In this month of July, the Summit of EU Heads of State and Government and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) where frictions have already begun to take place: the Latin American states do not want to renounce neutrality in the Ukraine conflict, and in the first drafts of the final declaration the need for compensation to correct “the legacy of underdevelopment” is mentioned.