The Diplomat
From 17 to 19 July, Valladolid will host the first European Council to be held during the six months of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, as confirmed yesterday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares.
Albares, who took part in the presentation of Sara Galván as the PSOE candidate for mayor of Medina de Rioseco, said that during these days, Valladolid will become “the centre of Europe”.
Accompanied by the Mayor of the Castilian-Leonese capital and Secretary General of the PSOE in Valladolid, Óscar Puente, Albares insisted that this first meeting, which will be attended by representatives of the 27 countries of the Union, will be “crucial”.
The minister said that two “fundamental” aspects for the future of the European Union will be analysed at the Council: energy and the environment, with the aim of making “crucial” decisions for Valladolid, Spain and Europe.
He stressed the importance of combating climate change with “increasingly frequent” fires and “increasingly extreme” temperatures.
He added that the aim was also to achieve unity in the energy market, in the face of Russian gas “blackmail”.
On the impact of these measures on the automotive industry, Albares assured that this sector “will not suffer at all”, and added that all the changes, together with those related to mobility, are “an opportunity” to create new products and technologies that will bring new jobs. Therefore, he said, “car workers can rest assured”.
