Sánchez champions dialogue: A Europe open to the world
Published on 19/06/2026 - 20:01 GMT+2Spain's prime minister,Pedro Sánchez, has underlined from Brussels the importance of moving towards "a Europe open to the world"capable of responding to global challenges. . .
Published on 19/06/2026 - 20:01 GMT+2Spain's prime minister,Pedro Sánchez, has underlined from Brussels the importance of moving towards "a Europe open to the world"capable of responding to global challenges with deeper integration, strategic autonomy and greater financial capacity. "Europe will not be a geoeconomic powerif we do not have the financial firepowerto be one," said the Spanish leader, who on Thursday took part in a European Council meeting focused on the EU's future budget and the current international situation. With this warning, Sánchez, whose future at the helm of the Spanish government is in doubt because ofthe various corruption scandals surrounding him, stressed the need for the European Union to have a more ambitious Multiannual Financial Frameworkcapable of boosting the bloc's competitivenessand sustaining greater strategic autonomy in the face of an increasingly volatile international environment. Sánchez also reiterated the case for deepening a more integrated single market, by removing internal barriers and harmonising rules to facilitate economic activity. In that regard, he highlightedthe European strategy of trade diversificationand the expansion of trade agreements such as those recently concluded withMercosur,MexicoandIndia, in line with an open policy which, in his view, should not mean giving up the founding values of the European project. The Socialist leader, who in Aprilannounced 19 bilateral agreements with Chinaafter being received in Beijing by PresidentXi Jinping, also argued that Brussels must open up to dialogue with other regions. This stancecontrasts with that of several EU member stateswhich, led by France, want to adopta tougher stance towards the Asian giant, which they accuse of driving overproduction that is putting additional strain on an already weakened European economy. "Europe does not need to step back from its values or its principles; it needs to take a step forward in its integration," said the prime minister, whocalled for a stronger EUin the face of those pushing for a smaller, less influential Europe. Deeper economic integration, but also socialAlong these lines, Prime Minister Sánchez, whose governmentapproved in April a controversial extraordinary migration regularisation measurethat could allow nearly 500,000 foreign nationals to legalise their status in Spain, referred tothe changes the EU is making to its migration policy, acknowledging that "it is a necessary debate that is taking place across Europe", but arguing that setting up reception centres in third countries "will not bring any solution" and is little more than a "smokescreen". Sánchez stressed that he is opposed to this measure, which, he said, alsosends a "wrong message" to countries of origin and transitby suggesting that the migration issue "is their problem". The new European Union Return Regulation,adopted at the beginning of June, marks a significant shift in EU migration policy, as it allows member states toset up return centres for migrants in countries outside the bloc, a measure inspired by the model promoted byGiorgia Melonifrom Italy, which already operates two such centres in Albania. Solidarity with Meloni against Trump over the controversial photoSánchez acknowledged that this is an issue that is felt "very intensely" and recalled a "debate" he had on the matter with the Italian prime minister. However,far from reigniting the controversy on Friday, the Spanish leader chose to use the occasion to express his "solidarity" with Meloni after PresidentDonald Trumpclaimed thatthe Italian "begged" him to pose for a photo togetheron the sidelines of the recent G7 summit in Évian, something he said he agreed to do because he "felt sorry" for her. "I have expressed my solidarity in the face of this attack, which I really do not even know how to describe," Sánchez said of the spat, which has even led Italy's foreign minister,Antonio Tajani, to cancel a trip he was due to make to the United States next week, on the grounds that Trump's "serious and offensive" words "insult all of Italy".