Spain and Germany to push for a stronger and more united European Union

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, greets German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, upon his arrival at Moncloa Palace (Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa)

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, held a meeting this Thursday at Moncloa Palace with the aim of further strengthening ties between Spain and Germany and jointly examining the lines of political, economic and diplomatic action for the coming months, promoting a stronger and more united European Union.

After the meeting, the president of the Government of Spain stressed that, in addition to strengthening the excellent bilateral relations - evidenced by the intense trade, tourism, labour and cultural exchanges between the two countries - the meeting allowed the mutual agreement on the need to continue "committing to more Europe" to be confirmed, in the words of Pedro Sánchez. "That message of unity is the most powerful message we can send to our citizens, and also to those who seek to divide and weaken us," he said.

Meeting between the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz | Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

Defending international law

The president first stressed that Europe's strength and unity must be expressed by defending international law, singling out the cases of Ukraine and the Middle East: "We need unity around the challenge posed by Putin's invasion; respect for international legality and the territorial integrity of nations, of a nation like Ukraine that wants to freely decide its future and belong to the European Union.

This coherence, added Pedro Sánchez, "is also expressed in our case in relation to the crisis in the Middle East and the suffering being endured by the people of Gaza." In addition, the president pointed out that Europe must be strengthened by making it more competitive, fairer and more sustainable, boosting innovation and investing in green energy and interconnections between Member States to strengthen strategic autonomy. "Germany and Spain are the two European countries with the most installed solar capacity; a development and progress that must reach all Europeans," he said.

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, before their joint appearance | Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

In this regard, the president thanked the German government for its interest and support in relation to energy interconnections between southern Europe and the rest of the continent, stressing that "from the Iberian Peninsula we can contribute energy sovereignty to Europe with our commitment to renewable energies and green hydrogen."

"The European Union is a success story, which continues to inspire much of the world; let us defend its legacy with conviction and courage from the two great bastions of our countries: Spain and Germany," the president remarked.

Non official translation