Six days before Donald Trump officially becomes president of the United States, Pedro Sánchez launches an appeal to the European Union about the need to take a step forward and remain united in the face of the global challenge that the second term of the man who threatens to further disrupt the world order. During his speech at the Conference of Ambassadors of Spain, the president pledged his word that his government’s foreign policy will remain firm in the face of the advance of reactionary governments. And he has responded, without expressly mentioning them, to the imperialist plans of the new American president.
“We are not going to give up our values. We are going to defend and promote them with more determination. We will raise our voices in favor of human rights and international law. We will redouble our commitment to liberal, transparent and integral democracy. And we will oppose authoritarianism, imperialism or xenophobia wherever it comes from,” he said.
Just a few days after Trump openly raised the possibility of changing the sovereignty of the Panama Canal or resorting to military actions to dispute a territory like Greenland, Sánchez has pointed out that Spain does not believe “in international relations where the integrity of the territorial or the inviolability of borders.”
“Europe has to wake up once and for all,” he claimed. “It is not enough to adapt to the geopolitical reality, Europe must be able to strengthen itself to influence it and defend its interests and values,” added the president, whose only explicit reference to the United States and Donald Trump has been to ask for “strengthening.” the Atlantic strategic relationship. “It is an essential ally to face the challenges of our time and also to defend our model of coexistence,” he maintained.
Pedro Sánchez has also raised the need to undertake an urgent reform of some multilateral institutions that are today diminished in their capacity to enforce international legality or to deploy global agreements due to the veto capacity of powers in clear isolationist drift. “Defending multilateralism from the abuse it faces requires a commitment to reforming institutions that may become obsolete.” And it has influenced Spain’s commitment to “strengthen our security and defense industry” without contributing, he said, to an escalation of war.
“I do not share nor will I ever encourage a militaristic drift that leads us to an arms race. In no manual is it written that peace and security are achieved by strengthening arsenals. Spain believes in peace as a formula to resolve conflicts. Security goes far beyond military policy,” he concluded.
Source: www.eldiario.es
