Pedro Sánchez meets with Emmanuel Macron and reaffirms the need to promote greater European sovereignty

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has met with the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, at the Moncloa Palace as part of the latter's state visit to Spain. The two leaders emphasised the need to promote greater European sovereignty and reaffirmed their commitment to upholding international law.

In his remarks following the meeting, Pedro Sánchez referred to the "unprecedented crises" that both leaders have faced during their respective terms in office, emphasising that they have always tackled them with a view to "building a Europe that is much more united and much more supportive".

With this in mind, the President of the Government of Spain highlighted the ties that bind the two nations, as well as the close economic relations between the two countries. Furthermore, Pedro Sánchez expressed his confidence in the forthcoming ratification of the Treaty of Friendship between France and Spain, following its unanimous endorsement by the Constitutional Court last week.

In the same vein, the two leaders also pledged to promote the Cross-Border Cooperation Strategy. President Sánchez emphasised the importance of continuing to make progress on both energy and rail interconnections between the two countries, stressing the importance of ensuring Europe's strategic autonomy through a truly integrated energy system.

European unity and solidarity for greater sovereignty

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, appear at a press conference before the media | Pool Moncloa / Sandra Armada

The President of the Government of Spain also emphasised that the experience of recent years shows that Europe makes progress when it acts in unity, and that solidarity is "the essential value of the European project". This solidarity, he said, is evident when firefighters from both countries cross the Pyrenees to fight wildfires, and it is a solidarity for which Spain has thanked France during the Ceuta crisis. "Only by standing united can we protect who we are," he said, highlighting the joint commitment to building greater European sovereignty in various fields, such as technology, industry and security.

In this regard, he highlighted the strengthened collaboration between the French and Spanish space agencies, which includes a new agreement under which Spanish companies will launch rockets from French Guiana, as well as the strengthening of the European IRIS2 programme.

He also pointed out that Spain and France are committed to the reindustrialisation of Europe and to boosting its competitiveness. In the digital sphere, they highlighted their joint efforts to promote initiatives for the protection of children on social media.

In the field of security and disinformation, he highlighted that Spain and France advocate a 360-degree approach to security in Europe, promoting initiatives such as strengthening European guidelines on digital electoral integrity. "Defending our sovereignty also requires protecting our democratic institutions", the president stated.

Pedro Sánchez and Emmanuel Macron agreed on the need for the European Union to have a multiannual financial framework that addresses current challenges and preserves the European Union's traditional policies. To this end, they agreed that the European budget must have new own resources.

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, during their meeting at La Moncloa | Pool Moncloa/Sandra Armada

The President of the Government of Spain also emphasised that global problems do not simply disappear by ignoring them, and that European citizens feel the direct impact on their purchasing power of conflicts such as the war in Iran. He further assured that Spain and France would continue to work together to promote peace, justice and respect for international law. "Spain and France will continue to defend multilateralism and a rules-based international order", he stated.

During the meeting, the following agreements were signed between the two countries: an MoU between the Centre National d'études spatiales and Payload Aerospace S.A. on the development of European launch capabilities and spaceport infrastructure; an MoU between ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones, E.P.E. (ICEX) and Business France; a Declaration of Intent on cooperation in digital technologies and innovation; a Declaration of Intent between the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Spain and the Ministry of Culture of the French Republic; a Declaration of Intent on Spanish-French cooperation regarding the protection of the information space; a Declaration on the ocean and fisheries; a Joint Declaration on agricultural cooperation; a Joint Declaration between France and Spain on industrial policy; a Letter of Intent between CNES and AEE on Space Activities; and a Declaration on the seas and the ocean.

The President of the Government of Spain is due to attend the Casa Velázquez, the French Academy in Madrid, this afternoon, where the President of the French Republic will present the insignia of Officer of the Legion of Honour to Pedro Almodóvar and those of Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters to Javier Cercas, in recognition of their work and the Franco-Spanish bonds of friendship that they both embody.

Non official translation