Madrid, July 3 The head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, hoped that the Pact for Migration and Asylum in the EU will be signed this Monday despite the difficulties encountered during the six-month Spanish Presidency could be closed at the last community summit
Sánchez and Von der Leyen chaired the meeting of the Spanish government and the College of EU Commissioners in Madrid during the early stages of this presidency, where they exchanged views on the agenda and priorities.
The meeting ended with a joint performance by Sánchez and Von der Leyen.
Regarding the migration pact, Sánchez insisted on the need to reach a balanced agreement where everyone felt “comfortable and represented” and expressed a willingness to “build bridges” after the last European Council was unable to do so due to the deadlock was to move forward in this matter from Poland and Hungary.
In his opinion, a common response must be reached, “not a sum of national realities”, and he hopes that the pact can be concluded before the end of the year.
For her part, Von der Leyen said it was in the “final stretch” and that the Spanish Presidency was “crucial” for the deal.
Sánchez recalled the evacuation operation from Afghanistan after the Taliban took power and von der Leyen’s words in which she described Spain as “an example of the soul of Europe” because it is the center from which it is coordinated.
“In this sense, we are facing the rotating presidency (…), Europe is facing new challenges (…) and to overcome them, inaction is not an option and the EU must make changes and take action,” he added .
He recalled that these initiatives must be promoted during the Spanish Presidency, since the last one will be completed before next year’s European elections.
Other goals Sánchez cites for this rotating presidency include continuity of aid to Ukraine.
“The whole world must be clear that we will not take a step back,” he announced after his visit to Kiev last Saturday, the first day of the six-month Spanish presidency.
Referring to the war in Ukraine, he took the opportunity to pay tribute to the Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina, who died this Sunday as a result of the rocket that hit a Kiev pizzeria days earlier.
“She transitioned her career from writing fiction to voice of injustice and shame,” he said.
Referring to Ukraine, von der Leyen said that Spain is taking over the leadership of the Presidency at a crucial moment when efforts must be redoubled towards this country that has shown great resilience, he said.
“Our duty is to live up to this persistence,” he stressed, before expressing his support for Ukraine’s future accession to the European Union.
Strategic autonomy, progress in ecological transition, reform of the electricity market and the new tax rules are other priorities of the presidency named by Sánchez.
He also referred to the promotion of EU relations with Latin America and the Caribbean. In this context, he referred to the summit between the two regions that will take place in Brussels on 17th and 18th July, which Von der Leyen also considered extremely relevant.
Speaking on relations with Latin America, the President of the Commission stressed the importance of concluding an agreement between the EU and Mercosur.
When asked about the rise of the far-right in Europe due to “national derivation” and the fact that Spain is in a parliamentary term with parliamentary elections on July 23, Sánchez declined to comment.
Von der Leyen referred to this, stressing that it is crucial for the EU to promote policies that offer solutions and build trust and security in these times of change.
“When we talk about extremism, both from the right and from the left, they are afraid of change. We, the centrist democratic groups, need to show that we have very clear vision when it comes to managing change,” he added. EFE
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