<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, advocated this Friday in Madrid for a “stronger, safer and more competitive” Europe with the capacity to control its “own future” and assured, in this regard, that Spain plays a “crucial role”, with “its unique links in the Mediterranean and on the other side of the Atlantic”, to advance towards “a Europe that can speak to the world”.</strong></h4> “Spain's role is crucial”, declared Metsola after receiving the Fórum Europa 2024 award, awarded by New Economy Forum for its commitment to strengthening the European Union and its values. “With its unique links across the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, Spain is key to building a Europe that can speak to the world, a Europe that can lead us into a new world, a Europe of opportunities that can live up to its promise for generations to come,” she continued during the ceremony, held at the Teatro Real in Madrid, and attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, the President of the Constitutional Court, Cándido Conde-Pumpido, the President of the Senate, Pedro Rollán, and several MEPs. “We are at a critical moment in the history of Europe,” said Metsola. “The challenges we face,” such as armed conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, climate change or the migration challenge, “demand leadership, clarity of action and unity of purpose,” she continued. Therefore, she warned, “Europe’s place in the world must be made clear” in order to achieve an EU capable of defending values “that are increasingly threatened,” such as “freedom, democracy, equality, peace and solidarity.” “I believe in Europe, I believe in our ability to face this moment in history,” because “together, we are making the future a little safer, a little fairer and a little more prosperous,” she said, in contrast to the position of US President Donald Trump (whom she did not specifically mention): “'America first' will never work if it means 'America alone'.” Roberta Metsola also called for “a Europe that is stronger, safer and more competitive, that creates opportunities for all and leaves no one behind,” for which it is necessary to consolidate the single market, “especially in sectors such as energy and finance,” because a more competitive Europe is “also a safer Europe” capable of “controlling its own future” in the face of “growing global tensions.” Regarding the two major current armed conflicts, Roberta Metsola warned that the EU must continue to help Ukraine, “those who fight for their freedom, for democracy and for Europe, for as long as necessary.” She also stated that Europe “also has a role to play” in the Middle East “and we must rise to the occasion” to “find a sustainable way to achieve a lasting peace that provides hope and security.” In this regard, and in view of Trump's upcoming arrival at the White House, she warned: “We should not be surprised that the United States pursues its own interests.” The President of the European Parliament also reiterated her solidarity with the victims of the DANA in Valencia, a “tragedy” that “has reminded us how fragile life can be.” “The European Union has been at Spain's side in these difficult times, providing urgent support to help Spain recover and rebuild, and we will continue to be in solidarity with the Spanish people,” she added. <h5><strong>Albares returns with co-official languages</strong></h5> For his part, José Manuel Albares took advantage of his speech at the ceremony to reiterate the Government's interest in having Catalan, Basque and Galician recognized as official languages of the EU. To date, the Executive has tried to push through this proposal through two avenues: by trying to get the EU Council to modify the language regulations, which requires the unanimity of the 27, and by asking for an administrative agreement to be adopted that allows the use of the three co-official Spanish languages in the debates of the European Parliament, which it itself has requested from Metsola on several occasions.
