
But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is only making Europe stronger, Spanish PM tells POLITICO.
NEW YORK — Russia is at war not only with Ukraine, but with the whole EU — and it’s losing, according to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is “using energy as a war tool” because he is threatened by the EU’s values, Sánchez told POLITICO in New York, where more than 150 heads of state and government are gathering for the United Nations General Assembly.
But while Putin has succeeded in driving up the price of energy in Europe — forcing massive market interventions to reduce financial pain on households and companies, Sánchez insisted Moscow is actually pushing the EU closer together.
In Sánchez’s view, the bloc is learning from successive crises that have plagued the Continent since 2008, with the Spanish PM citing agreements between EU governments to pool debt, coordinate defense investments and wean themselves off Russian energy as the most recent examples of the trend.
Europe’s energy system is now “a market that doesn’t function,” Sánchez said, requiring creative new policies that would have been unthinkable just a couple of years ago. “Learning from the pandemic model, why don’t we centralize gas purchases, as we did with the vaccines?” the PM asked.
Europe’s political leaders now face significant tension between their expensive promises to shift to green energy, and the need to keep the lights and heating on as winter approaches. “Don’t use this energy crisis to block moving forward on the climate crisis,” Sánchez urged his fellow leaders on the eve of the General Assembly.
In a separate interview, Werner Hoyer, the president of the European Investment Bank, told POLITICO that “political leaders in Europe are in a very, very, very difficult situation.” Hoyer noted that leaders face difficult demands from their domestic voters, but said they cannot afford to reduce investment in green energy, even in the face of a recession.
“We are going to see a reduction in standard of living. And that, for a politician is not easy to swallow and to explain to his or her people,” Hoyer warned.
Sánchez, a social democrat, said he is aware of the populist threat he faces, including from the far-right Vox party in Spain, as soaring inflation and a cost-of-living crisis leads to simmering discontent in countries around the EU.
He called on Europe’s centrist-right parties to reexamine their relationships with parties on that end of the spectrum, as hard-right parties including the Sweden Democrats and the Brothers of Italy are on the cusp of unprecedented power in countries around the bloc. The question Sánchez said his rivals need to answer: “What do they expect from the far right?”
UNGA priorities
After watching Russia defy key aspects of the international order and the U.N. Charter itself via its invasion of Ukraine, the Spanish prime minister reiterated calls for a U.N. shake-up. “The situation created by Russia in Ukraine is major proof that we need strong reform of the U.N. system,” he said.
Sánchez is also a force behind a U.N. food security summit taking place Tuesday in New York, and said he will be telling the assembled leaders “we have to respond multilaterally to this food crisis,” while avoiding duplication of programs.
At a minimum, Sánchez said that includes supporting U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres’ efforts to broker grain export deals between Russia, Ukraine and Turkey.
The EU is set to announce plans to spend €600 million on combating the food crisis. And national governments need to be prepared to fund more, including via changes to their food systems at home, Sánchez said.
Hot-button issues
Sánchez also weighed in on the sensitive issue of Catalan independence.
Confronted with examples of leaders of Catalonia’s independence movement touting to New York audiences their distrust of Sánchez’s government this week, Sánchez urged Catalans to “be patient” when it comes to the dialogue between Barcelona and Madrid.
Rather than bowing to Catalan independence activists’ demands for succession at a time when the population is deeply divided on the topic, Sánchez said: “We need to find alternatives, different solutions to solve this crisis,” adding that this would “take more than a year or two.”
In a separate interview with POLITICO on the UNGA sidelines, Catalonia’s pro-independence President Pere Aragonès said: “The talks will take time. It’s not an issue that will be solved in two or three months, we know that.”
- Thriving on Thrift: Pathways to Wealth on a Modest Income - November 23, 2023
- Navigating the Banking Investment Landscape: A Guide for Investors - November 21, 2023
- The Art of Letting Go: A Journey to Lightness and Freedom - November 18, 2023
Hei, haluaisitko kertoa minulle, minkä hosting-yrityksen kanssa työskentelet? Olen ladannut blogisi kolmeen eri selaimeen ja minun on sanottava, että tämä blogi latautuu paljon nopeammin kuin useimmat. Voitko suositella hyvää hosting-palveluntarjoajaa kohtuulliseen hintaan? Kiitos, arvostan sitä!
I agree with your point of view, your article has given me a lot of help and benefited me a lot. Thanks. Hope you continue to write such excellent articles.
I have read your article carefully and I agree with you very much. So, do you allow me to do this? I want to share your article link to my website: gateio
Sure.
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.
Right here is the perfect website for anybody who wishes to find out about this topic. You know a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I personally would want toÖHaHa). You certainly put a new spin on a subject that has been written about for decades. Excellent stuff, just excellent!
I am an investor of gate io, I have consulted a lot of information, I hope to upgrade my investment strategy with a new model. Your article creation ideas have given me a lot of inspiration, but I still have some doubts. I wonder if you can help me? Thanks.
I’ve recommended this article with my friends, it’s too good to keep to myself.
May I simply just say what a comfort to uncover an individual who actually knows what they are talking about on the internet. You definitely realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More and more people have to look at this and understand this side of your story. Its surprising you arent more popular because you surely possess the gift.
I have to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this site. I really hope to view the same high-grade content by you later on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my very own blog now 😉
Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Thank you, However I am going through issues
with your RSS. I don’t understand the reason why I can’t join it.
Is there anyone else getting similar RSS problems?
Anybody who knows the answer will you kindly respond?
Thanks!!
Superb post but I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this subject?
I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit further.
Appreciate it!
I have not checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are great quality so I guess I will add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
Most of the things you state is supprisingly legitimate and that makes me wonder the reason why I had not looked at this in this light previously. This piece really did turn the light on for me as far as this specific subject goes. Nonetheless at this time there is one factor I am not necessarily too cozy with and while I make an effort to reconcile that with the core idea of your position, allow me observe what the rest of your readers have to point out.Very well done.
An intriguing discussion is worth comment. I do think that you should publish more on this topic, it might not be a taboo subject but generally people dont speak about such subjects. To the next! Cheers!!
Heello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a
very welll written article. I will be sure to bookmark it annd
cime back tto read more oof your usseful info. Thankks for the post.
I will definittely return.
What’s up to every one, it’s genuinely a nice
for me to go to see this web site, it contains valuable Information.