<h6><strong>Redacción Aquí Europa</strong></h6> <h4><strong>“Many, both outside and inside the European Union, and within our own societies, including those of Spain, do not want a future of democracy, progress, and social justice for our citizens,” warned the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, this Thursday in Brussels. He urged strengthening the European project in the face of Euroscepticism and extremism, and advancing greater cooperation.</strong></h4> Albares, who closed the eighth edition of the Aquí Europa Awards at the Permanent Representation of Spain to the EU, called for reinforcing the European project against “those who reject the fundamental values of peace, social justice, and democracy,” noting that, both from outside and within the Union, growing Euroscepticism is “threatening Europe.” The minister warned about the “identity-based retreat of anti-Europeanism promoted by extremism,” which weakens the Union “because it limits us, depriving us of political, but also material and diplomatic, resources, on the scale of the challenges we face.” “It deprives us of the necessary capabilities to act against the global threats that surround us,” he said. <h5><strong>More cooperation, less division</strong></h5> Albares stressed the importance of “more cooperation versus isolation, more coordination versus separation, and more agreements versus confrontation.” “We need more Europe. Never less Europe,” he insisted, adding that the European Union must leverage its political and economic weight to increase its presence and influence on the international stage. “Talking about a strong Europe is not enough; we have to make it a reality,” he emphasized, stressing that the continent must become “a political power while remaining an ethical benchmark in human rights and democracy.” The minister pointed out that, in a global context where some are advocating for abandoning multilateralism, the EU must be an example of how it is possible to combine “more economic growth with more rights and greater social cohesion.” In this context, the minister emphasized that Europe's presence and leadership depend directly on its unity. Defending Spain's interests, he asserted, is defending Europe. “True patriotism is defending that original project that believes in democracy, that believes in tolerance, that believes in diversity,” he affirmed. <h5><strong>A qualitative leap in European integration</strong></h5> Spain advocates for a “qualitative leap in European integration,” Albares stressed. “It's not just about continuing to move forward, which of course is important, but about doing so with strategic coherence,” he noted, highlighting the need to strengthen EU institutions and adapt the EU to new challenges. He thus advocated for greater budgetary ambition, the extension of voting by integrated political majority, and the integration of defense industries. He emphasized the importance of assuming greater responsibilities in security matters, promoting European sovereignty that combines defense, foreign policy, and cybersecurity. To this end, he stressed the need to strengthen the EU's technological base and equip it with "the necessary real means" to act internationally. Albares also insisted on the need to diversify supply chains, anticipate threats, and strengthen the bloc's alliances. In this regard, he affirmed that Spain is committed to this "dual ecological and digital transition as an engine of growth," fostering the reindustrialization of Europe, the single market, banking union, and the international role of the euro. For the minister, "thinking long-term and acting with agility and coordination" are strategic and political necessities in a global context of uncertainty. "We are already an economic and political power. We must also be an ethical benchmark that strives for a future of freedom, democracy, progress, and social justice for future generations," he said. Albares emphasized that “we are at a historic crossroads for Europeans,” where “we all have to define ourselves and make decisions.” Decisions that, he stressed, “will depend on what Europe is and what each country, each one of us, is.” “This is, without a doubt, Europe’s moment,” he affirmed.
