Pedro Sánchez: "Cities no longer only manage local issues; they also act and determine the course of global events"

In his address, the President of the Government of Spain pointed to the crisis facing cities due to rising prices and fuel shortages. However, as a counterpoint, he emphasised that "every crisis can present an opportunity," citing examples of urban adaptation and highlighting the potential of cities as laboratories of opportunity to improve citizen well-being.

Pedro Sánchez stated that cities "no longer only manage local issues, they also act and determine the course of global events" and defended the need to act in three essential areas.

Firstly, with regard to the fight against climate change, he stressed that the green transition of cities is the first battlefront. "Many Spanish cities are an example to follow," he asserted, highlighting Vitoria-Gasteiz, Barcelona, and Pontevedra as internationally recognised benchmarks for their progress in decarbonisation, improved air quality, rewilding, sustainable mobility, and water management. "The fight against climate change is not only a global agenda but also a local commitment," he pointed out.

The second area President Sánchez addressed was housing. Appealing to the need to respond to the crisis affecting all of Europe, he highlighted the Spanish government's push for the Law on the Right to Housing, emphasising it as a tool at the service of the Autonomous Communities so they can declare stressed areas. "But there is a condition: the will to implement it," he stressed, explaining that where no action is taken, problems and price increases worsen.

Thirdly, he referred to the leadership of cities in their capacity to define the type of society they strive for in terms of openness, diversity, inclusivity, and dynamism. "Cities must champion this process of normalisation, of embracing diversity and becoming a source of wealth, prosperity, and dynamism. Because history teaches us that they are the first to be enriched and benefit from this integration of diversity,"he said.

Meeting between the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan | Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig

Finally, Pedro Sánchez called on mayors to be courageous and committed, leading by example, "always standing with your constituents, regardless of how long they have been registered residents or their country of origin." He advocated for cities that champion openness, progress, and coexistence in the face of polarisation, and for leadership that employs knowledge, evidence, and science-"ultimately, that which makes us worthy; that which makes us human."

On the sidelines of the forum, the President of the Government of Spain met with Michael Bloomberg, co-founder of Bloomberg LP and founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies, to discuss the main challenges facing cities and the Government of Spain's commitment to promoting policies based on evidence, innovation, and climate action. He also met with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to discuss the situation in Gaza and the importance of values and open policies in Europe.

Non official translation