The King defends the need for multilateralism “because any alternative is worse”

Eduardo González King Felipe VI participated this Tuesday in Barcelona in the second edition of the World in Progress (WIP) International Forum, where he defended "international legality, multilateral institutions, and the regulation of cross-border trade" and warned that "any alternative" to multilateralism would be "worse for the international community as a whole and, of course, for the construction of a united Europe." World in Progress is an international forum for reflection and dialogue on major global challenges, organized by Grupo Prisa and El País in Barcelona, with the collaboration of Cadena SER. It brings together prominent figures from the political, economic, academic, and social spheres to address major global challenges. The Forum focuses its analysis on issues such as international geopolitics, industrial transformation, climate change, sustainability, artificial intelligence, and digital security, in a constantly evolving global context. The King was received by the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Salvador Illa; and the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, Elma Saiz, among other authorities. He also received greetings from figures linked to the Forum and collaborating entities, such as former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos; the former EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell; and the former US Ambassador to Madrid, Julissa Reynoso. Afterwards, King Felipe addressed the audience, where he delivered a few remarks in which he warned that, in a world where "dialogue and cooperation can no longer be taken for granted, where competition for resources, the persistence of unresolved conflicts, a growing concern for security, the review of alliances, and the repositioning of major global players are the order of the day (...), there are certain elements of the world order that we must preserve at all costs, because they are the ethical framework without which relations between states would have no compass or support other than the struggle for power." “I am referring, above all, to the notion of the universality of human rights and dignity, an essential ethical reference, but also to international legality, multilateral institutions, and the regulation of cross-border trade,” he continued. “We must preserve these latter, not because they are ideal or infallible—we all know their paradoxes—but because they are useful to us,” he warned. “Continuing to believe in a multilateral world is not a sign of ‘Wilsonian’ idealism, but, above all, an exercise in pragmatism, because any alternative is worse—worse for the entire international community and, of course, worse for our region, for the construction of a united Europe, which is built on those same ideas and would suffer enormously in a world governed by opposing ideas,” asserted Felipe VI. Albares: Gaza and Ukraine For his part, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares warned during his speech at the forum that the recent signing of the ceasefire agreement for the Gaza Strip in Sharm El-Sheikh does not represent a final point but rather the beginning of "a very uncertain path." Therefore, he insisted on the need not to settle for a "simple truce" and to "consolidate a ceasefire" in order to "transform it into peace with a two-state solution." "After the commitment to peace in Egypt, we must act. We must allow humanitarian aid to enter and not hinder the agreed 600 trucks per day," he warned. "Reconstruction will be extremely complex," with millions of tons of rubble in Gaza and more than 90% of the infrastructure completely destroyed, "and many victims will be found, the roads are destroyed." For this reason, he declared, "a sustained effort by the entire international community, as well as the collaboration of Israel," is necessary. "Unconditional humanitarian aid is, at this moment, our highest priority, and if it is hindered, we must be prepared to exert pressure to remove any obstacles to the flow of aid," he warned. "Spain has pledged 50 million euros; in terms of security, we support the EU civilian missions in Palestine," he added. "It is time to revive dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis," Albares stated. In this process, he warned, Hamas should play no role. "They are a terrorist group. The Palestinian Authority should assume responsibility for governing Gaza," he stated. "It is time to leave decades of pain and destruction behind, it is time to break this terrible cycle of innocent victims, it is time to raise our eyes toward a peace that is possible. Much has been said in these last two years about the day after; that day is today," he concluded. Regarding Ukraine, the minister warned—following news of the alleged agreement between the presidents of Russia and the US, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, which could involve the cession of Ukrainian territory—that any end to this war "can in no way reward the aggressor." "What Putin cannot forgive Ukraine for is its dream of one day becoming one of us, a member of the EU," he asserted. According to Albares, Spain will continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary to defend its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. An example of this, he recalled, is the Spanish government's decision to send 70 generators to Ukraine this week to support its electrical system and help it cope with its fourth winter since the beginning of the war. Julissa Reynoso Among the interventions during the two days, one that stands out is that of Julissa Reynoso, the former United States ambassador to Madrid. This Monday, despite increasing pressure from President Donald Trump against Spain over their disagreements over military spending, she asserted that "the relationship between our countries is strong enough and will be fine." "Spain has done a lot when it comes to the defense of Europe and is a great ally of the United States," she stated. "When the US government criticizes, Spain's great contribution must be recognized," she added.

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