Joint press appearance by the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron

SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN, PEDRO SÁNCHEZ

Good morning. I would like to thank the French and Spanish delegations for being here, and, of course, the media for attending this press conference.

Dear President, it is an honour to welcome you here at the Moncloa Palace on the occasion of your state visit to Spain.

I remember our first meeting in this very building, very well. It was July 2018 and, incidentally, France had just won the World Cup and added a second star to their shirt. And at that press conference, I told you that we would soon catch up.

Well, I think now we have to see who wins the next World Cup, which, as you know, will be held in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.

In any case, Mr President, together we have fought a thousand and one battles in a Europe that has faced multiple crises over all these years. We have faced unprecedented crises, such as the pandemic. At times, we have had differences of opinion, but these have always been guided by the same commitment to reaching agreements and building consensus between two sister nations such as France and Spain.

In every meeting, at every summit - and I would like to share this with all the Spaniards watching this broadcast - and in every conversation we have held, there has always been a shared spirit on both sides, from France and Spain alike, to build a much more united and solid Europe.

That has always been our guiding principle: the defence of European values, and a Europe that neither renounces its soul nor is willing to change course, no matter how strong the headwinds may seem

And I believe that one of the core values of this European project is encapsulated, summarised, in the word 'solidarity'. Solidarity that led us, my dear Emmanuel, to promote truly innovative solutions, unprecedented in the history of European integration, such as the Next Generation funds during the pandemic, or the SURE mechanism, which protected the jobs of millions of workers during the pandemic. It is that solidarity that also drives us today when we see firefighters from both countries crossing the Pyrenees in one direction or the other to combat one of the most dramatic effects of the climate emergency: the wildfires that France and Spain have suffered so severely this summer.

I am also deeply grateful - and I recall receiving a call from President Macron during the difficult days of the Ceuta crisis - for his expression of France's solidarity with Spain, and specifically with the city of Ceuta.

And whilst solidarity and the common interest guide our work within the European Union, I believe, Mr President, that at the bilateral level, relations between France and Spain are at an extraordinary juncture.

Yesterday, during the official dinner, I referred - alongside the King in his speech - to the signing of the Spanish-French dual nationality treaty; I would like to thank you for making it possible to hold that Summit in the French city of Montauban, where Manuel Azaña, the former president of the French Republic, is buried. And I would also like to thank you for bestowing state honours upon a figure of such significance to the history of republicanism and also to the history of our country. Thank you, Emmanuel, for that gesture, which we undoubtedly respect and which we, as Spaniards, regard as something very, very special.

That link also extends to the economic sphere. We have also been discussing the Forum and the meetings the President of the Republic has held with the business community - both French businesses investing here in Spain and Spanish businesses investing in France.

In short, for all these reasons, I can only apologise, President Macron, for the vote against the Treaty of Friendship between Spain and France in the Upper House of Parliament yesterday.

However, as you rightly said yesterday, I wish to convey my confidence that the General Courts will, before this legislative term ends, approve a Treaty of Friendship between France and Spain that undoubtedly reflects the sense of brotherhood and friendship we Spaniards feel toward our neighbour, France.

Ultimately, we must work together - not only for the sake of our countries but also for the future of the European project. We share a vision regarding the direction Europe should take and the measures it should adopt.

That vision is, unfortunately, now being challenged from within; it is also being fuelled and funded from outside by a reactionary movement that is sweeping across the globe. A movement that seeks a divided Europe, a fragmented Europe, a Europe riven by conflict and dependent on foreign interests. A movement that wants us Europeans to renounce our values, our democratic principles and, indeed, our social cohesion.

I believe this represents the counter-stance that governments and nations like France and Spain take within the European order. Today, I believe that Spain and France embody that European resistance to the enemies of our continent and of the European model - the very essence of our common project.

For we know that only by standing united can we protect who we are, which is, without a doubt, Europe.

President Macron has spoken on numerous occasions about the need to strengthen European sovereignty. Of course, in the field of technology…

In the field of technology, as I was saying. I believe we are strengthening collaboration between our space agencies in a highly effective manner. This also applies to the European ^IRIS2 programme, which comprises a constellation of more than 290 satellites.

We are campaigning in Europe and at the United Nations for the protection of children on social media, so that the oligarchs' algorithms do not destroy our young people and our children.

And here I would like to acknowledge the vital and pivotal role that President Macron has played in this debate at both European and multilateral levels.

We also took the opportunity to highlight the agreement we have finalised - which will be signed shortly - to enable Spanish companies to launch our rockets from French Guiana, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank President Macron for this.

Secondly, regarding reindustrialisation, the green agenda and the European budget: you are well aware of our position on the energy and transport interconnections that are essential for a genuine European Union, so I will not dwell on that point.

However, with a view to the forthcoming European Council, I do believe it is crucial to convey to the Spanish public that both governments - both countries - share the view that the European budgets must be far more ambitious than what is currently on the table.

I believe that Spain and France are in agreement on the need to advocate for an ambitious multiannual financial framework - one that is even more ambitious - which will provide our Union with the resources it needs to tackle the challenges that lie ahead.

On the subject of 360 security and disinformation, I don't think there is much more we can add to what you all already know.

However, on the subject of disinformation, it is clear that this month, France and Spain - alongside other European partners - have spearheaded an initiative to strengthen European guidelines on digital electoral integrity. We need greater transparency regarding algorithms, tighter control over fake accounts, and, consequently, a shield to protect us against potential foreign interference in electoral processes.

Ultimately, the core message is that defending our sovereignty also requires protecting our democratic environments and processes.

I will conclude.

I do not wish to dwell much longer on this introduction, but I do want to reiterate that, above all, Spain and France share a clear global outlook.

I think we take a very similar view of what is happening in the Middle East, particularly the war in Iran.

It is our responsibility to contribute to finding solutions, and that is why France and Spain are working together to promote peace, justice and respect for international law.

We are doing this in Iran. We are also doing it in Palestine, through the recognition of the two-state solution. And I would like to acknowledge President Macron's leadership a year ago at the United Nations General Assembly, when many countries took that step together to recognise the two-state solution - a move that has also been echoed at this most recent General Assembly.

But not only in Iran and Palestine. Of course, in Ukraine and, without a doubt, in Lebanon, where the French Armed Forces and the Spanish Armed Forces are working side by side, alongside many other countries, within the framework of the United Nations.

And we do so because we believe in what really matters - and with that I shall conclude this introduction. Because in the face of the law of the strongest and the fascination with authoritarianism, as President Macron has so aptly described in previous speeches, I believe that Spain and France will always continue to defend multilateralism and a rules-based international order.

We do this out of principle, certainly, but also out of self-interest - specifically, the broader interest of our societies. For a world without rules, governed by force, is a less secure world for our citizens.

That is the task we share. That is the responsibility we are reaffirming today. And that is why the friendship between France and Spain, my dear Emmanuel, will always remain one of Europe's greatest strengths.

That is all. Thank you very much. And I now give the floor to the President of the French Republic.

Q. - [Christelle Meral, FTV] Good morning. This morning, Mr President, you mentioned in your speech that France and Spain are not on the same page when it comes to trade with China. Mr President, do you consider that Spain is not showing sufficient solidarity in its European response with regard to China? And, as for President Sánchez, would Spain not in this case be pulling in the same direction as the European Union on this issue?

As regards the European Union budget, how do you intend to persuade the most reluctant countries to support an increase in the European Union budget? Thank you.

President.- In response to your question, I would like to point out that there have been two milestones in the European integration process in recent years: one is Versailles and the other is Granada. In Versailles and in Granada, thanks to the leadership of France and thanks to the leadership of Spain, we defined and developed the concept of 'Open Strategic Autonomy'. To put it in terms that the public can understand, we are talking about how we make Europe more autonomous and, consequently, how we reindustrialise Europe and strengthen our single market.

Consequently, both France and Spain agree on the need for Europe to be more autonomous. This means we must reduce our dependence on third countries. We must not close ourselves off, because that is impossible. In fact, that is not in keeping with the spirit or the European project. The trade agreements that have been signed are there, but it is clear that we must improve and enhance our strategic autonomy in the fields of security, defence, technology and - as President Macron said - energy. France is doing this with nuclear energy, and Spain is doing so too by promoting renewable energy.

In short, we share that perspective and that vision of making Europe a Europe that is not closed in on itself, but rather a Europe that is more self-reliant in industrial terms and, consequently, one that recognises the need to industrialise and strengthen our single market.

Two. We have always made it clear to the Chinese authorities that the trade deficit currently affecting Spain and Europe - which, to give you an idea, exceeded 360 billion euros in 2025 - is neither acceptable nor sustainable for any economy. The Chinese authorities are perfectly aware of this. Spain has been clear on this position from the outset, within a relationship that has always been frank, where, in those areas where we have been able to cooperate, we cooperate; in those areas where we have to compete, we compete; and on those issues where we disagree, we try to manage those differences constructively.

And three. As President Macron has rightly indicated, we obviously have technology transfer in sectors where it must be recognised. China right now is having the advantage in sectors, furthermore, that are very important both for the Spanish economy and also for the European economy as a whole, such as, for example, the automobile industry and the development of electric vehicles that they have been implementing all this time. And the need, therefore, for this technological transfer, as President Macron said before, which we did 20 or 25 years ago, particularly German companies and French companies.

All this is to say, therefore, that we are weaker when we are divided and stronger when we stand together. And, from the very beginning, Spain has always maintained the same position. Let us seek an agreement that allows us to establish common minimum standards for our relations with third countries and major economic powers, such as China. We are therefore not so far apart on what Europe's strategy towards China should be. On the contrary, it must be a common approach adopted by Europe as a whole. Because our objective is the same: to reindustrialise our continent, to defend our single market and to make Europe a more autonomous project, as the governments of France and Spain advocate, through those two declarations - the Versailles Declaration and the Granada Declaration - which are yet to be implemented.

On the EU budget. Look, politics is just like running a household. You can't ask a household to do more with fewer financial resources. We can tighten our belts, we can do things better - of course we can - but with the resources we have, or even with the fewer resources that some countries are proposing, how are we going to address the problems faced by European citizens? How are we going to respond - and I'm not even talking about, to add to what President Macron said, security and defence - but let's talk about the climate emergency, let's talk about adaptation policies, about how we make Europe more resilient to climate change, for which Europe is clearly ill-prepared. We simply need more financial resources. France and Spain are therefore fully aligned on the need to, firstly, open a debate on own resources. We must open this debate at European level, because the fiscal leeway we have at Member State level is what it is. Following a financial crisis, a pandemic and the war in Ukraine - which is now compounded by the conflict in Iran, driving up the cost of living for all our citizens.

Well, I realise that from Brussels, things are viewed with a certain detachment, but those of us who are fighting tooth and nail - if you'll pardon the expression - within national governments to respond to the urgent needs of our citizens need a little more empathy and a little more commitment to ensure that our budgets are in line with the demands and expectations that citizens legitimately place on European governments. And we, well, I believe that, in this context, we will be constructive, but also clear. We need to open a serious debate on own resources. We must be far more ambitious in our European policies. I do not accept the notion that the modern approach is to abandon or scale back the policies that bring our society together, such as, for example, the CAP and the Cohesion Fund. Nor do I accept the argument that we want to be self-reliant and also improve our science, our technology and our continent's digital capacity, whilst at the same time cutting the Competitiveness Fund. Nor do I accept the argument that, whilst Europe must play a geopolitical role, we should cut back on all policies relating to our neighbouring regions - whether in the Mediterranean or Latin America - which are, for obvious reasons, of great importance to Spain.

In short, ambition. And ambition today, unfortunately, is the debate that ultimately translates into figures and reveals the political vision for Europe held by one country or another. And I believe that, in this regard, both France and Spain share an ambitious vision of what Europe must become over the next seven years. We do not know what will happen between now and seven years' time, but we do know what the underlying trends are that are affecting European societies. Armed conflicts, transformations - both in the digital and energy sectors - which will require significant investment and, without a doubt, a need to boost competitiveness and to invest in science and innovation, which are undoubtedly crucial to the present and future prosperity of our continent.

I believe we are at a very defining moment for what Europe will become; the figures are, after all, simply a reflection of the vision held by one country or another, one government or another, of what Europe should be, both now and in the future. And I am pleased, on this issue as on so many others, that both France and Spain share the same outlook and the same ambition.

Q. - [Nuria Val, Servimedia] President Sánchez, on behalf of my colleagues, I shall repeat the question in Spanish. Yesterday, the PP voted down the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Spain and France in the Upper House of Parliament. What is your assessment of this? And could this in any way affect the relationship with France or the agreements reached?

And on the subject of housing, what do you make of the PP leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, saying that the housing decrees that have been passed are contradictory and a deception for his coalition partners? And, on another note, if both decrees are withdrawn on Friday, and it becomes clear that you do not have a majority, do you think that would be the right time to call an election? Thank you very much.

President.- Let's see, regarding the first point, I have publicly apologised to the President of the French Republic because I believe that this is not a Treaty of Friendship between the Government of Spain and the Government of France; it is a Treaty of Friendship between two countries that consider themselves brothers and that share a common future at European level and in our bilateral relations. Therefore, there is really no point in ideologising or politicising a debate that transcends ideologies and politics and delves straight into the heart of culture and human relations. The figures were given yesterday: there are more than 300,000 Spaniards living in France. There are more than 100,000 French nationals living in Spain. But what was the point of voting… well, first of all, of convening an extraordinary plenary session yesterday to vote against it? Wasn't the problem that they had doubts about the constitutionality of the Treaty? Well, it turns out that wasn't the issue either, because even those judges on the Constitutional Court who might have a more conservative view of the Constitution have unanimously endorsed the constitutionality of this Treaty of Friendship. Therefore, I really do believe that, in short, we will work to ensure that this agreement is reached in the General Courts.

Honestly, I find this situation deeply regrettable, because I do understand that politics has its irrational side, if I may say so. I can accept that, but to go against your own country to such an extent, well… The thing is, I don't know what sort of neighbourhood or good-neighbourly strategy the People's Party and Vox have - and not just with France; I don't know, they're stirring up conflicts with all our neighbouring countries - and, I don't know, a bit of restraint, some common sense and, I don't know, to rise above the political debate and realise that this isn't a treaty between the Government of the President of the French Republic and Sánchez's 'evil' government; it's a treaty between France and Spain, which is much more than just the French Government and the Government of Spain - although, of course, the political understanding between our two governments is important.

On the second of these issues, let's see: we approved the Royal Decree-laws in the Council of Ministers so they can be passed by the General Courts. You're already telling me to assume the worst-case scenario. Allow me to assume the best-case scenario before that vote takes place. And I can tell you that I am reasonably optimistic about its ratification. I have heard the PP say that I am a traitor in this matter too. I'm not quite sure what it means to be a traitor. To whom? To the vulture funds that speculate on housing? Well, yes, I'm happy to be a traitor to those sorts of interests. What can I say? But of course, we mustn't forget that this whole debate has also arisen because of the absence, inhumanity and callousness of certain politicians linked to the People's Party, who have not lifted a finger in the face of Mari Carmen's eviction. And we have provided a response that the regional governments could have provided, which Madrid City Council could undoubtedly have provided, but which it has refused to provide. And we have provided it, and I believe there are, well, high expectations in this regard. A great deal of work has gone into the two decrees, particularly one that we have been working on for many months, and I hope they can be approved next Friday.

Q. - [Daniel Blanco, Europa Press] For President Sánchez. Firstly, you said you were reasonably optimistic about the housing decree being passed, but just a few minutes ago today, Junts - one of the coalition partners required to approve this decree - stated that, on initial analysis, they are disappointed and that the objectives they intended the decree to cover have been 'compromised'. At this stage, what assurances do you have that this decree will be approved?

And regarding the second decree, I wanted to ask you whether the fact that it has been split off, separated, into a second decree, means that you do not have the support to be able to carry it out.

If I may, also regarding Ceuta, President Sánchez, just today President Vivas said that, in the days leading up to the migration crisis, he tried to speak to you on as many as ten occasions, and that on only three of those occasions was he able to speak to your chief of staff, but on none of them to you. I wanted to ask you why you did not feel it necessary to speak to him personally.

And also, very briefly, on this same subject, when will the King's visit to Ceuta take place, and will you be accompanying him?

And as for President Macron, I wanted to ask him for his views on the situation in the city of Ceuta and the Government's handling of it, now that two months have passed since the mass influx, and whether he considers that the European Union's involvement or defence in this crisis - in a city that forms the EU's southern border - has been sufficient.

If I may - and please forgive me for going on a bit - I have one final question for both of you. The British Prime Minister has said that he does not rule out the possibility of rejoining the European Union. I wanted to ask you both what you make of this, what your views are, and whether you think it could happen during Prime Minister Burnham's term of office. Thank you.

President: Well, thank you very much.

On the last question, of course, as far as we're concerned… Well, I believe that Brexit was a huge loss both for the British people and for the European project as a whole. And so, if the United Kingdom were to take a decision along the lines you have suggested, Spain would certainly welcome it and once again open its arms to a sister nation, with whom Spain also enjoys such good relations in every respect, including on a human level, with British society.

Well, thank you for your questions. As for the visit to the Head of State, you will find out in due course; an announcement will be made when the time comes.

And on the two issues. The first concerns Royal Decree-laws. I must emphasise that I believe we have been working for many months on the Royal Decree-law which, as you say, has been assessed by a parliamentary group - in this case, Junts per Catalunya. We have been working on it for many months. We have incorporated a great many of the measures that this parliamentary group, along with many others, proposed to resolve the housing crisis affecting so many citizens in our country. We have all made an enormous effort to engage in dialogue, to negotiate and to reach an agreement. What I am now asking of the groups - and I must emphasise that this is my duty as President of the Government of Spain - is that we show a sense of responsibility, because this is not an ideological issue; it is a matter of humanity. We are talking about people who have been evicted, people who find themselves in a situation where they are unable to access housing, whether to rent or to buy. And I believe that what this Royal Decree-law does is provide the public authorities with many arguments, many reasons and tools to help resolve what is probably the main concern citizens have today, which is access to housing.

The second Royal Decree-law has been in the works for fewer months. It is consistent, in spirit, with the Housing Act promoted by this Government, which was passed by Parliament. It is a debate that has been raised by civil society organisations, as well as by parties, and we hope it will come to fruition. In any case, it is an issue that is already underpinning the housing law and one that we will have to address sooner or later at a national level as well. I am referring to the extension of tenancy agreements.

On Ceuta. I have not heard from President Vivas. But regardless of what he may or may not have said, there was constant communication with him and his Government. So much so that in the days leading up to the events, there were tripartite meetings between the General State Administration, the Government of Ceuta - including the relevant departments - the autonomous city itself, and the Government Delegation. There was not just one or two, but quite a number of exchanges and, indeed, as I believe the president of Ceuta has stated before the National Court, nobody foresaw - not even they - that we might experience a mass influx such as the one that took place on 30 and 31 July. And I think that with this I have answered everything.

(Transcript edited by the State Secretariat for Communication)