Pedro Sánchez, sometimes, he feels like the lone ranger when he goes to Brussels. There are fights that he wants to win, but in which he is practically without help. The character created by Fran Striker fights injustice and the president of the Government faces debates in which it is really difficult for him to impose his theses. It happens, recently, in two key issues for the European Union such as migration and the bloc’s position regarding Israel and Palestine. This ‘fight’ is not always a leap into the void, since the Executive is filled with arguments that make sense; but in a way it means crashing into a wall.
“Spain is leading an important voice in debates that are of the first order, but this works for majorities, it is evident,” say sources consulted by 20 minuteswho remember that, in many cases, “unanimity” is also necessary. Even so, they understand that, for example, the recognition of the State of Palestine It is “a unilateral step” that was not taken by the EU as a bloc. With migration, nothing new. “It is a divisive issue, ideologically and politically, so it is not unusual to see blocks of countries. It has always been like this,” they conclude. Sánchez is not uncomfortable in either case, but it is evident when he asks about Brussels that his steps oscillate between courage and audacity that may yield little return.
With Palestine The question is very complex. The 27 are divided into three blocks: those that recognize the Palestinian state, those that unequivocally support Israel, such as Germany or Austria, and those that are somewhere in between, such as France or Italy. Spain, on the other hand, took the step of recognition last May with the help of Ireland. “The recognition of the State of Palestine is not only a question of historical justice with the legitimate aspirations of the people of Palestine. It is, furthermore, a peremptory necessity if we all want to achieve peace,” the President of the Government then summarized, alleging that more of 140 countries already do it. But this measure did not have a contagion effect on the rest of the EU.
“It is the only way to move towards the solution that we all recognize as the only possible one to achieve a future of peace: that of a Palestinian State that coexists alongside the State of Israel in peace and security,” concluded Sánchez, who has seen how the lack of consensus continues to hinder the Union and who has received criticism for deciding unilaterally, without first reaching that European unity. The EU has defended the two-state solution for many decades, but the last word lies with partners who cannot find common ground beyond calling for a ceasefire, the release of the Hamas hostages and the respect for international and humanitarian law.
A defeat for Sánchez in this sense, and another bet that he has made almost alone or at least headed is the demand that the European Commission review the EU Association Agreement with Israel. He requested it in February, again together with Ireland, and that request has been in President Ursula von der Leyen’s drawer since then. “There is no progress in this regard,” diplomatic sources acknowledged. after the last European Council. Nor are there any in relation to the Peace Conference that Spain has offered to organize and which is, in terms of war, very far away; It is rejected, for now, by both Israel and Hamas. Even so, Moncloa continues to insist on both ideas.
In regards to the migration Right now in the EU there are two theses: that of Giorgia Meloni and that of Pedro Sánchez. “What if Spain is right?” the French newspaper asked this week on its front page. Liberation. If you have it, almost no one accompanies you. Meloni has done a very strong commitment to the immigration issue with the proposal to create detention centers of migrants outside the EU, and the reality is that they are accompanied, even if only to listen to it, by at least a dozen countries in addition to the European Commission, who sees it as “an alternative way”. Brussels does share with Sánchez the idea of bringing forward the entry into force of the common migration pact to 2025 – it was planned for 2026 -.
But the Spanish Government He is the only one, along with the Belgian, who is head-on against the Meloni model. Sánchez’s argument is different, and has fewer followers; It’s obvious. “Orderly, responsible and well-managed migration is the answer to the demographic challenge facing Europe and also Spain,” summarized the head of the Executive, giving a different approach than that given, for example, by Italy and Hungary. “Our credibility before the rest of the world also depends on how migration is managed”he maintained, recalling again the work “of Spanish migration” a few decades ago. “We are aware that the debate generates conflicting positions but ultimately it tells us what Europe we want to be.” For Sánchez, the key is to think “about the new generations and not about the next elections” in order to “respond to the challenge.” Thus, he advocates also looking at “the economic potential” that migration provides.
Spain remains in a second step among the 27, still far from Germany or Francebut also in a different line from that of Italy. Sánchez says he is not alone; It is clear what battles to fight and has been doing so since important successes such as the recovery fund or the Iberian exception, in addition to fulfilling a Spanish presidency of the Council that was full of milestones. But with Palestine and migration it seems that the Government has subscribed to two impossiblebecause the counterweights are very powerful. In the EU, in reality, sometimes you win but many other times you lose. A draw is the ideal… but also the most complicated.
