Eduardo González
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, assured today in the Congress that “Spain is prepared to recognize the Palestinian State” and reminded the Popular Party that, in its last electoral program, it defended the two-state solution, but it has forgotten about her because “her international policy is led by José María Aznar.” For his part, the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, assured him that his party defends the two States, but “not unilaterally”, and accused him of being “blinded by a desire for protagonism” in relation to the conflict. from the Middle East.
Sánchez appeared today before the plenary session of the Congress to, at his own request, report on the Ordinary European Council held on March 21 and 22, 2024 and to, at the request of the PP, give an account of how his recent official trip was organized Morocco. However, as expected, the appearance and its responses became a debate on the entirety of the Government’s policy, both international and national.
“I ask you to look beyond our borders,” said Sánchez at the beginning of his first intervention. “Our neighborhood is increasingly unstable and conflictive, the EU is surrounded by countries at war, which have suffered coups d’état and have turned towards more autocratic forms, the war in Ukraine puts food security, violence and Misery continues to plague other areas, such as Syria, and one of the most deplorable humanitarian disasters of this century is occurring in Gaza,” he continued. “The completely disproportionate response to the Hamas attack overturns decades of humanitarian law and threatens to destabilize the Middle East,” he added.
For this reason, Pedro Sánchez insisted on “the two-state solution.” “Our call for the recognition of the Palestinian State is making its way, and I will continue this with a round of visits,” he explained, in reference to the trips he will make in the coming days to several European countries (Poland, Norway, Ireland, Slovenia and Belgium) to arrange the time to recognize Palestine. “We cannot help the Palestinian community if we do not recognize them as a State, and Spain is prepared to recognize the Palestinian State,” he added.
Subsequently, and in his first counter-reply to the president of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, Sánchez recalled that the PP’s last electoral program proposed “working for the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the two-state solution”, but “now Mr. Aznar has decided no and Mr. Feijóo lowers his head and nods,” in reference to the words of former Prime Minister José María Aznar in which he described the Palestinian State as “absurd.” “The person who continues to shape the international policy of the PP is José María Aznar,” to the point of forcing Feijóo to “betray himself” and betray his voters, he denounced.
On the other hand, Sánchez, despite a battery of questions asked by Feijóo about the change in position regarding Western Sahara, made a very brief reference to Morocco to defend Spain’s relationship with its southern neighbor in economic and migration matters and to highlight the latest agreements between both Governments.
Pedro Sánchez also took advantage of his intervention to insist on the need to increase investment in Defense and Security, an aspect that has been “neglected” by the EU. “The EU registers a Defense investment deficit of 56 billion euros, we have serious shortcomings in the Defense industry,” he lamented. “Although (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has not won the war, he has not lost it either and, if we do not increase our support for Ukraine, the Ukrainian front may retreat positions this spring,” Sánchez warned. “From Spain you can’t hear the bombings in Ukraine, but you can hear the voices asking us for help,” he added.
“Europe must influence geopolitics to defend its interests and values,” Sánchez continued. “For that we need to strengthen our deterrence capacity to be respected, to protect the peace project that is Europe,” he assured. “Spain wants to play that role as the fourth economy in Europe, that is why we must increase our investment in Defense, although we are also committed to peace and diplomacy,” he said.
In any case, Sánchez made clear his position against sending troops to Ukraine and avoiding any escalation of war, including “verbal escalation.” “We must avoid verbal escalations: neither World War III, nor sending of soldiers nor war economy, which cause fear to our citizens,” he added.
Feijóo’s response
In his first response, Alberto Núñez Feijóo denounced that Sánchez’s international policy “is the same as the national one: full of swings, dependent on those who should not, full of suspicions”, and reproached the President of the Government for not keeping him informed about his actions. decisions regarding international politics. “All presidents have done reporting, except you. “He does not consult with the opposition or with Congress,” he assured.
Likewise, he asked Sánchez about his “change in position regarding the Sahara”, about the reasons why he “does not talk about the Venezuelan regime” and about the gratitude of “Hamas and the Houthis to the Government of Spain.” “Do you think that someone like you, who practices the most fragile and destructive politics, is in a position to offer himself as a guarantee for something? He talks about radicalism and joins the most radical. How do you give lessons in condemning violence having made Bildu the pillar of your Government? “He continued.
“Please do not choose between the atrocities of our world,” because “no distinction is made between innocent victims: there are them in Israel and Gaza, in Russia and Ukraine, in Venezuela and in Spain until not long ago. I have them all present. And you? And his partners?” Feijóo continued. “A few weeks ago you did not condemn the practices of the Maduro regime (…) How brave you are with dead dictators and how submissive with the living,” he proclaimed.
Regarding the war in Ukraine, the PP leader declared: “He has more support from my party than from his current partners.” “There is a war and we have a lot at stake, I am sure that many of its partners are frivolous about this,” he stated. “Spain cannot be financial support for Russia,” he added, referring to the purchase of Russian gas.
Likewise, Feijóo assured that, in effect, the PP’s electoral program defends the two-state solution, but “not in the way that Sánchez wants to do it, unilaterally”, which can “harm” the Palestinians. “You are blinded by a desire for protagonism and, once again, you put the headline ahead of the people you claim to defend,” he reproached him. “I’m not telling you not to do it, but to do it with other countries,” he added.
Partners call for breaking with Israel
Among the rest of the interventions, the leader of Vox, Santiago Abascal, wondered if “it would not have been easier for Morocco to go to the European Council instead of Sánchez, since Spain’s foreign policy is dictated from there.” “Does anyone believe that Sánchez can defend an international position without the approval of Morocco?” He added.
Criticism of Sánchez also came from his government partners and his parliamentary support, who asked him for greater toughness towards Israel. Podemos spokesperson, Ione Belarra; and Bildu’s, Oskar Matute, demanded from the head of the Executive that Spain break diplomatic relations with Israel.
And, for his part, Íñigo Errejón, spokesperson for Sumar (minority partner in the coalition government), addressed Feijóo directly to assure him that his party does condemn the Hamas attacks, “don’t lie,” but “more than 33,000 have died.” Palestinians, do you condemn the deaths in Gaza?” “What is valid for Ukraine, is valid for Palestine, and what is valid for Palestine, is valid for the Sahara, although we do not agree on this,” warned Errejón, who asked Sánchez that the recognition of Palestine as a State be done “in parliamentary headquarters and not at a rally.”
Errejón also demanded a total embargo on the purchase and sale of weapons to Israel and the rupture of trade relations.
Likewise, he rejected the “war” economy and was against the increase in arms spending. “The working class cannot make a sacrifice to increase military spending. In Sumar they will not find us there,” he concluded. In this regard, Sánchez responded that it is “contradictory” to ask for “an autonomous EU and, at the same time, ask that no more investment be made in defense.”
