Spanish PM sets sights on international role

Cheeky-Monkey · 24 November 2022 15:53

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez speaks during NATO Parliamentary Assembly annual session in Madrid on November 21, 2022. (Photo by OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP)

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will on Sunday become president of an international socialist grouping, a potential springboard to a major post on the world stage.

Madrid (AFP) – Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will on Sunday become president of an international socialist grouping, a potential springboard to a major post on the world stage.

A year before a general election in Spain, which polls suggest he will struggle to win, Sanchez is the only candidate to head the Socialist International (SI) -- an umbrella group of 132 centre-left parties from around the world.

The telegenic 50-year-old will take over the reins of the SI, which is gathering in Madrid this weekend, from former Greek prime minister George Papandreou.

"While symbolic... this post could be a way (for Sanchez) to regain credit among voters by presenting himself as influential on the world stage," said Pablo Simon, political science professor at the Carlos III University

"But it also could be that he plans on capitalising on this network of international contacts" which the post offers to "play a prominent role later" in a top global body, he added.

Former Portuguese prime mini ster Antonio Guterres led the International Socialist before he went on to head the United Nations refugee agency in 2005 and then become UN secretary general in 2017.

"All prime ministers who love foreign affairs have a tendency to look for an international post to secure a post-governmental career," said Teneo Intelligence analyst Antonio Barroso.

'More weight'

Sanchez has made international affairs a priority since he came to power in June 2018, in contrast to his conservative predecessor Mariano Rajoy, and has sought to boost Spain's influence in the European Union.

Within days of taking office, Sanchez made international headlines by agreeing to take in migrants from the Aquarius rescue ship who were rejected by other European nations.

The first modern Spanish premier to speak English fluently, Sanchez served as chief of staff to the UN high representative to Bosnia during the Kosovo conflict.

He has fostered good relations with France and Germany, which has made Spain "one of the engines of European politics", said Simon, citing as an example Madrid's lead in talks over the energy crisis sparked by the war in Ukraine.

Sanchez successfully lobbied to have his foreign minister, Josep Borrell, appointed as European Union foreign policy chief in 2019.

"Spain has much more weight in the European Union debate than 10 years ago," said Barroso, adding the premier had "boosted Spain's credibility" with its "European partners".

Beyond the EU, Sanchez hosted a crucial NATO summit in Madrid in June, just four months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and has "reconnected" with Latin America, which has shifted to the left in recent years, said Simon.

Sanchez visited four Latin American countries in August 2018, his first official trip outside Europe, in what was seen as an effort to underscore the region as a priority of his foreign policy.

Cheeky-Monkey · 18 January 2023 16:10

Sanchez chooses evil side.

Davos 2023: Special Address by Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain

Guess who he demonized? ... "There should be no doubt that Putin is the main culprit of this terrible detour."

Cheeky-Monkey · 19 February 2023 10:42

Globalist Pedro Sanchez

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited Slovenia on Friday, ending a two-day tour which included visits to Croatia and Austria.

During talks with his Slovenian counterpart Robert Golob, Sánchez said that one of the priorities of Spain’s six-month presidency of the EU will be devoting attention to EU enlargement to the Western Balkans.

Sanchez recalled that significant progress was made during Croatia’s presidency of the EU in 2020 with regard to Albania and North Macedonia, which, according to him, culminated last year when accession negotiations were opened with the two Southeast European countries.

The Socialist prime minister plans to visit 15 EU member states to exchange opinions with his counterparts, before officially announcing the list of priorities for Spain’s six-month presidency of the EU which it will take over from the current president, Sweden on 1 July.

More.

Cheeky-Monkey · 11 April 2023 10:27

Sanchez stopped over in Italy's capital on the last leg of his international tour that took him to China last week and to Cyprus and Malta earlier this week. Spain is preparing to take over the rotating six-month Presidency of the Council of the EU on July 1.

Spain, Italy focus on areas of agreement

Cheeky-Monkey · 6 June 2023 16:36

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to lead NATO?

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez keeps losing elections in Spain because the people rejected a globalist agenda. But fear not because now Sanchez is on the top of the list to lead NATO. Redacted Correspondent Dan Cohen has this report.

Is Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez a political chameleon, a phoenix, or a kamikaze? This is the question running through the minds of many on the left in Spain after May 29, when, less than 12 hours after his Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) was humiliated in local and regional elections across the country, Sánchez suddenly announced that he was dissolving the parliament and calling a general election for July 23—a full five months earlier than expected.

Spain Triggers Hugely Daring Election GAMBLE

Cheeky-Monkey · 27 June 2023 06:48

Spain might set energy as priority after taking EU Council presidency, says expert

From - http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2023-06/26/content_89552521.htm

This presidency, like all the other presidencies, will have been exhaustively prepared and as for the issues to be debated in the Council of Europe it will already be just about decided whether they go ahead or are postponed for further study," added Pin, who nevertheless stressed that Spain will have a chance to set the pace and direction of the talks.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez last week explained that his government's priorities while steering the EU's political debate will focus on strengthening European industrial sovereignty, accelerating climate transition, and forging unity to face global challenges.

Pin said that the EU's agenda for the next six months will also depend on the pressure that other member states might bring to bear on competing issues of interest in Europe, such as fiscal discipline, and he agreed that the international situation should be a priority.

Pin also said that the snap general election to be held on July 23 in Spain would not disrupt the country's EU Council presidency, noting that the parties in contention have a positive approach to Europe, and most voters see Spain's EU membership as highly beneficial for the country.

Cheeky-Monkey · 7 October 2023 08:07

Interesting that Ukraine is on the list to join the EU...

EU summit on future strategy concludes in Spain's Granada

Leaders of the European Union (EU) member states concluded their one-day informal summit featuring the bloc's future strategy and enlargement here on Friday with the adoption of the Granada declaration.

The Granada summit marked the first time that EU leaders debated future priorities for the Agenda, which is set to be adopted in June 2024.

On enlargement, the declaration said that both the EU and future member states need to be ready.

Currently, eight countries, including several from the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova, have been granted candidate status, but each follows different processes of rapprochement with the EU.

Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose country is currently holding the rotating six-month presidency of the EU Council, said a day before the summit that Spain is always open to enlargement, but noted that to include these new members would bring "many challenges internally."