Eduardo González
People’s Party Parliamentary Group in the Congress presented a Bill to oblige the President of the Government to inform the Cortes Generales (Spanish Parliament), in advance, about the positions he is going to take in the European Councils and about any political decision that he will take. entails a change in the Foreign Action Strategy.
According to the explanatory memorandum of the Bill, presented on January 18 by the spokesperson of the PP Parliamentary Group, Miguel Tellado, “the international context of an increasingly globalized world makes it necessary for our country to determine a strategic foreign policy, coherent and with a long-term vision.”
However, it continues, “the decisions taken unilaterally by the President of the Government”, Pedro Sánchez, in relation to Spanish foreign policy “have been radically opposed to the positions historically held by previous governments, such as the question of Western Sahara or the receipt of visas from territories not recognized by our country (in reference to Kosovo).”
“The direction of foreign policy is not, in any case, a matter exclusive to the President of the Government, but rather corresponds to a collegiate body that is the Council of Ministers,” warns the Popular Group. In this sense, the PP regrets that Pedro Sánchez “has not transferred any debate on foreign policy to the Council of Ministers”, so that “the ministers of the current Government have not exercised their responsibility as members of a collegiate body in this matter.” Added to this is that “the political parties that support the Government coalition have different visions of foreign policy”, which “does not provide certainty to our international partners, who have made decisions accordingly and for whose damage all Spaniards continue to pay, especially those who have interests in said countries.”
The result of “the sudden and unilateral decisions taken by the President of the Government in foreign policy has been unfortunate for the Spanish people and for the image of Spain in the world,” continues the PP. “Different countries have called three Spanish ambassadors for consultations and one of them (in reference to Algeria, without mentioning it) has suspended the Treaty of Friendship and Good Neighborhood with Spain,” it adds.
For all these reasons, in the opinion of the PP, it is necessary to modify the State Foreign Action and Service Law of March 25, 2014 “to reinforce the role of the Parliament” both in relation to foreign policy guidelines and the positions that Spain is going to assume in the European Councils. In this regard, the Popular Group recalls that, although the 2014 law “reaffirms the competence of the Government in its role in directing foreign policy”, it also considers it “common sense” for the President of the Government to report, in advance the Parliament, on decisions related to foreign policy.
To this end, the PP Parliamentary Group requests that a section be added to article six of the 2014 Law specifying that, “in any case, the President of the Government will appear in the Cortes Generales prior to the Councils. Europeans to report on the positions that the planned agenda will take.” Furthermore, it proposes a new section to article 35 with the following text: “In the event of any foreign policy decision that entails a change with respect to issues contemplated in the Foreign Action Strategy, the President of the Government must appear beforehand in the Cortes Generales to inform of said change and the reasons that lead to it.”
