{"id":89742,"date":"2024-07-19T06:07:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T04:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thediplomatinspain.com\/?p=89742"},"modified":"2024-07-18T20:53:58","modified_gmt":"2024-07-18T18:53:58","slug":"president-of-the-government-warns-european-leaders-against-fake-news-and-misinformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thediplomatinspain.com\/en\/2024\/07\/19\/president-of-the-government-warns-european-leaders-against-fake-news-and-misinformation\/","title":{"rendered":"President of the Government warns European leaders against fake news and misinformation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Eduardo Gonz\u00e1lez
\nThe more than forty leaders gathered yesterday at the fourth summit of the European Political Community (EPC), have committed to continue helping Ukraine \"for as long as necessary\", including supporting this country's energy needs in the face of the winter. During his speech, the President of the Government, Pedro S\u00e1nchez, warned against the \u201csubtle threats\u201d that democracies face, such as the spread of fake news and disinformation.
\nThe summit, held at Blenheim Palace, in Woodstock (Oxfordshire), was attended by 43 heads of State and Government, as well as EU institutions. They included the leaders of 24 EU Member States and other European nations, including Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
\nOn behalf of the EU, the still president of the European Council, Charles Michel, attended. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, could not participate because the meeting coincided with the vote in the European Parliament for her re-election to office. As at the previous EPC meeting, held in October 2023 in Grenada, the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was also not present.
\nAt the final press conference, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured that the EPC summit had been \u201cvery fruitful and productive\u201d and European leaders had committed to \u201cremain united with Ukraine\u201d and to continue helping this country. \u201cas long as it takes\u201d, a commitment that, he assured, will include support for Kyiv's energy needs for the winter. \u201cTogether we work for the security of our continent,\u201d declared Charles Michel in relation to the results of the summit.
\nStarmer and Zelensky
\nHours earlier, in his speech opening the summit, Keir Starmer himself proclaimed the \u201creset\u201d of relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU) under the new Labor Government. \u201cThe United Kingdom and the European Union, working together, are a powerful force for good,\u201d he proclaimed.
\nOne of the most anticipated interventions at the summit was that of the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, who thanked the countries that are supporting his country to enter the European Union (\u201cthis shows that, even in the most difficult circumstances, the EU can keep its promises\u201d) and in NATO, as well as those who helped organize the first Ukraine Peace Summit, which \u201cwas a success for all those who want a just end to this war.\u201d
\nAccording to Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not only \u201cfailed in his main objective,\u201d but has also \u201cfailed to create division in Europe.\u201d Putin has sacrificed \u201ctens of thousands of his citizens but has achieved nothing significant,\u201d thanks to \u201cthe bravery of our warriors and the bravery of our partners,\u201d he said.
\nHe also urged European leaders to show \u201ccollective will\u201d to stop Putin and shoot down Russian missiles, drones and planes, because \u201cthe more effective our air defenses are, the more defenseless Putin will be and the more likely Russia will seek peace.\u201d \u201cMore Russian missile launch sites targeting Ukrainian civilians will be destroyed and more of their ability to continue the war will be destroyed,\u201d he added.
\nPedro S\u00e1nchez
\nFor his part, the President of the Government, Pedro S\u00e1nchez, reiterated his unwavering support for Ukraine and President Zelensky and called for a positive discourse on immigration matters and the need to address this issue through interterritorial solidarity and in a humane manner.
\nThe head of the Executive participated in the working group on disinformation and the defense of democracies, chaired by Charles Michel and the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatovi\u0107. During his speech, Pedro S\u00e1nchez warned of the need to defend democratic values \u200b\u200band institutions in the face of the risks and \u201csubtle threats\u201d that democracies face, such as the spread of fake news and misinformation, and highlighted the Democratic Action Plan, presented yesterday in the Congress of Deputies, which \"is in line with the European Commission and with the latest EU regulation on freedom and pluralism in the media.\"
\nAt the end of the closing plenary session, the European leaders participating in the summit of the European Political Community attended a reception hosted by King Charles III.
\nToday was the fourth meeting of the EPC, an initiative launched by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, during the French presidency of the Council of the EU. At the first meeting, held in October 2022, the leaders mainly discussed issues related to peace and security, especially Russia's war in Ukraine, and the energy crisis.
\nAt the next meeting, held in June 2023, they discussed joint efforts for peace and security, energy resilience, and connectivity and mobility in Europe. At the third, held in Grenada in October 2023, leaders discussed how to make Europe more resilient, prosperous and geostrategic.
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