Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday called on Europe to “dream big” and not only to defend its interests, but also to emerge as a moral leader in an increasingly turbulent world.
“The challenge for Europe is not only to rearm to face its security and defense problems, but also to rearm morally so that it can contribute to stable and peaceful development throughout the world,” Sanchez told the forum in Barcelona.
Spain’s prime minister said that at a time when the US has abandoned international cooperation, Europe has an obligation to take action to fill this gap. And in this context, Spain is projecting itself as the leader for the rest of the EU to follow.
“There are elements of the Spanish model that work: it is possible to achieve growth and create stable jobs, distribute wealth and protect the environment, without sacrificing one for the benefit of the other,” said the prime minister.
The Eurosoldier and the position of Europe
Sanchez argued that, since joining the European Union four decades ago, Spain has not only become an established democracy with a booming economy, but also a pioneer in areas such as energy and climate.
He cited Madrid’s massive deployment of renewable energy as an example: generating almost 60% of Spain’s electricity, the country has so far avoided being hit by sky-high electricity prices linked to the war in the Middle East.
As he called on the Union to strengthen its defenses with joint projects such as the creation of a European army, the Spanish leader said the EU must take firm moral positions globally.
The new attack on Israel
To that end, Sanchez said it was imperative that Brussels suspend its cooperation agreement with Israel, in protest at its “shameful” violation of international law.
Sanchez is one of Europe’s most vocal critics of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. He has also engaged in confrontations with US President Donald Trump and has strongly opposed the US-Israel war against Iran.
“The citizens of Europe do not want their leaders to turn a blind eye, to be self-absorbed,” he said. “They want to be involved in finding solutions to the global challenges facing humanity.”
Sanchez said the EU should be prouder of its achievements and hit back at far-right and Eurosceptic parties who argue the union has “lost its touch or is falling behind”.
At the same time, he said that Europe deserves to be proud of its achievements, but admitted that “it still has a lot of work to do”. He called on the EU to allocate more of its seven-year budget to social spending and for Europe to remain open to “trade, talent and ideas”.
Concluding his speech he emphasized: “We have the resources, the institutions, the talent, the principles, the values. All we lack is the courage to imagine how far we can go or how far we can go together.”.
