José Manuel Albares: "Spain defends the same values ​​in Washington and Beijing"

This interview is divided into two parts. The first takes place via videoconference between Barcelona and the Viana Palace, the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Madrid. The second part takes place more remotely, between Barcelona and Copenhagen, where the informal summit of European Union foreign ministers is taking place, attended by the subject of the conversation, Minister José Manuel Albares.

Europe "This is a moment in which you have to take a leap forward in your autonomy and sovereignty."

Let's start at the end. The Copenhagen meeting just concluded. What's your takeaway from this informal summit?

Europe must confront two wars that threaten its security and interests, but also its soul and values. Spain has presented an EU action plan to address the inhumane war in Gaza. More and more states are joining our position. The 27 have rejected the prohibition of the Palestinian delegation from attending the UN. In Ukraine, Spain's support for its freedom is unwavering. The coming weeks will be critical for Europe; the European Union must do everything in its power to protect its interests and its soul, but above all, the lives of so many innocent people, in the face of both wars. Words are no longer enough, which is why Spain is now proposing only measures.

You participated in this summit of EU ministers today, but the truth is that Europe, the world in reality, has changed, and in this new context, it seems that Spain no longer plays the role it once did. It seems somewhat displaced from the decisive core in which Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has played a much more prominent role in recent years.

Spain has never had as much international influence as it does now. For the first time in history, it has a comprehensive foreign policy that stretches from Washington to Beijing, clearly leading initiatives within the European Union with consistency in all global crises. We are absolutely vital in Ukraine and have been from the very beginning. The start of negotiations for Ukraine's accession to the European Union took place precisely under the Spanish presidency of the European Union. The same is happening in Gaza, where more and more countries are joining the Spanish position in this wave of recognition that we initiated together with Ireland, Slovenia, and Norway. Now other countries have announced they will follow suit. France and Portugal, to name a few. Also outside the European Union, such as Canada and the United Kingdom. It is very important to note this: never in its history, and I am simply quoting the last three or four years of this government, has Spain ever held so many international meetings in which our international partners trust us.

Europe "The entire European project, which is a peace project, is a piece to be beaten."

However, I insist, Minister, in the recent important meetings regarding the negotiation of the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration or the future of Ukraine, the Spanish presidency was not at the table.

Look, a country's international influence isn't measured by a photo. Sometimes the price to pay for appearing in a photo is precisely not having an influence, staying silent, being just another person. And of course, Spain currently has a foreign policy that has its own voice in every crisis, and we say the same thing with the same principles in Ukraine as in Gaza. There's Spain's participation in favor of peace, in favor of the United Nations. That's what our foreign policy seeks, and at a time when the world is undergoing enormous transformation, precisely what we need in Spain and also in the European Union is a voice that remains firm in our values, that defends our interests, the interests of Spain, and the interests of Europe, and not, as was the case in Spain's foreign policy in the past: total absence or following others.

You emphasize the coherence of Spanish diplomacy, but do you feel represented by the President of the European Commission in all the negotiations underway on the various open fronts?

This is a moment in which Europe must take a leap forward in its autonomy and sovereignty, in which Europe must assert itself and protect, and therefore develop, aspects of its own community policy. Because that is the way to defend our citizens, the Spanish and the Europeans, and also to project ourselves in the world with the values ​​they desire, which are values ​​of peace, democracy, and solidarity. And that is what we are going to do and we will continue to do so. We are going to work together with the European Commission on everything that strengthens Europe and for it to strengthen Europe. I recently attended a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Copenhagen under the Danish presidency, and there I proposed an action plan for Palestine. A plan that includes everything Europe must defend: Stop the war, break the Israeli-induced famine blockade that endangers thousands of Palestinians, including children and babies. Let us continue to expand the list of those sanctioned by the European Union against all those who want to thwart what we all know will bring peace and stability to the Middle East: the two-state solution.

Conflict with Palestine "Europe cannot maintain its relationship with Israel as if nothing were happening."

Consequently, is Spain in favor of suspending the European trade agreement with Israel?

Absolutely. We, and I have pointed this out at this Foreign Affairs Council in Copenhagen, Europe, the European Union must suspend the association agreement with Israel for a very simple reason: This association agreement has Article 2, which states that the relationship between the European Union and Israel is based on respect for human rights. And there is a European Commission report stating that there are flagrant violations of human rights by Israel in Gaza. Therefore, as long as the war continues, as long as the violation of human rights in Gaza continues, we cannot continue as before with a normal relationship. We must suspend it. We have done so on other occasions with other countries. And that is also a wake-up call. Europe cannot maintain its relationship with Israel under these circumstances as if nothing were happening. We are in favor of this. We have proposed it for many months, and I have proposed it at the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union.

The so-called flotilla in support of the Palestinian people is leaving the port of Barcelona today. Will the Spanish government offer protection?

The 'flotilla' “As in previous similar situations, we will protect our citizens.”

As in previous similar situations, we will protect our citizens. What we have also been demanding for months is that there be no more flotillas once and for all and that all humanitarian aid, including that from the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation, enter freely through the designated land crossings. On other occasions, the Spanish government has been in contact with other flotillas in the event of any incident, and we have deployed all our diplomatic and consular protection. In this case, the protection will be exactly the same as we have always offered from our nearest embassies.

More pressure on Netanyahu's country

Yesterday, at the successive meetings of the informal EU summit in Copenhagen, Spain defended a plan that contemplates the suspension of trade relations with Israel to force an end to the war in Gaza. The document proposes that the reestablishment of trade relations would only be possible if Israel respects human rights in its offensive against Palestine, something that is not currently happening. The Spanish plan, presented to representatives of the EU foreign ministries, proposes suspending arms sales to that country and guaranteeing financial support to the Palestinian Authority "to avoid its economic suffocation."

Minister, social democracy is, let me put it this way, in retreat. It's losing ground. I'd say the more liberal positions are also losing ground. And meanwhile, we have a rampant right wing that's occupying more and more space in more governments.

Look, the world is changing, that's obvious. And authoritarian leaders, countries that become predators where they want the law of the jungle to prevail and the strongest to devour the weakest, believe their time has come. And Europe, the European project, which is a project of peace, is a force to be reckoned with. That's why not only social democratic and socialist voices like Spain's are so important, but also a coherent, humanist, clearly pro-European foreign policy with a global voice, like the one we have right now.

You mentioned earlier about relations with Beijing. This is another controversial topic. Do we have a special relationship with China, even different from that of the rest of the European Union?

Spain has a global foreign policy that can be heard from the United States to China. We renewed our relationship with the United States in 2023 and issued a new Spanish-American declaration, replacing the previous one that dated back 20 years. We are developing a relationship with China because we are talking about a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council that is absolutely fundamental to global peace and stability, absolutely fundamental to the fight against climate change. A country that is a demographic, economic, military, and commercial power with which we must rebalance our trade. But Spain's voice is a global voice that also speaks to Africa, where we have just approved a new strategy and where we have a growing dialogue with these countries that are absolutely fundamental to Spain, such as Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal.

You mentioned Mauritania. This week, the Human Rights Watch report was published on the treatment meted out by the Mauritanian authorities to people trying to reach the Canary Islands coast. At the same time, we are seeing how Algeria is becoming an exit route for immigrants who end up reaching the Balearic Islands.

Our migration policy, thanks to cooperation with our African friends, is enormously successful. The latest figures from Frontex are very clear and show a 30 percent drop in the arrival of irregular migrants to Spain, and a 40 percent drop on the most dangerous route of all, the Canary Islands. And of course, what the Spanish government will never do is resign itself to the fact that the Mediterranean or the Atlantic become, month after month, the tomb of hundreds of people who, desperately seeking only to improve their lives, choose and make the wrong choice at the gateway, putting themselves in the hands of mafias that traffic in human beings. And I would like to add: those countries endure great migratory pressure. Mauritania, for example, is a fragile country, under enormous pressure from the Sahel, and yet it is a great partner for Spain. Our policy has two aspects. One, to guarantee the integrity of our borders, but at the same time also to respect the dignity of every human being, including that of migrants, and respect for their human rights.

However, nothing can stop the flow of people arriving in our country.

Anyone who says they have the solution to irregular immigration is lying. As long as the gap between Europe and Africa remains what it is—whether you look at per capita income, gross domestic product, maternal and infant mortality, education, healthcare—migration will continue. Therefore, temporary phenomena have a solution, structural phenomena... and this one is one. And as long as this unequal relationship between Africa and the European Union doesn't change, there's only one thing we can do: manage. That's what Spain is doing. And what our policy demonstrates is that it's extraordinarily successful. The figures prove it. And it's no coincidence, once again, that the Migration and Asylum Pact, which had been stalled in Europe for so many years, was achieved precisely under the Spanish Presidency of the European Union.

Let's move on to another corner of the planet. The war in Ukraine. Russia is being extremely aggressive despite peacemaking efforts. What do you think the strategy should be?

Our position is clear and hasn't changed since the beginning. And I expressed it again at the European Union Foreign Affairs Council. Russia is not giving any sign of wanting, not just peace, but a ceasefire. And we Europeans must stand firm. Look, and I also reiterate this at the European Union Foreign Affairs Council: the coming weeks and months are crucial for the European Union. Also for Spain, because our security is at stake, but we are also at stake for our soul in Ukraine and Gaza. And in the case of Ukraine, we must continue supporting President Zelensky, who is a democratically elected president, and the Ukrainian people who are defending their freedom, their democracy, their territorial integrity, and their sovereignty. For two reasons. Because we cannot allow a war of aggression to result in a reward for the aggressor, because the world will be more unstable the next day, and because the security of Europe is closely linked to that of Ukraine, but also the soul of Europe is intertwined with the soul of Ukraine. Democracy, equality, tolerance—all of that is at stake in Ukraine. Let us not forget why this war started. This war also began because Russia cannot allow countries on European soil to dream of being one of us tomorrow, as I'm sure Ukraine will be.

Catalan in the Union "Sooner or later, official languages ​​of the State will become official languages ​​of the EU."

Finally, I naturally have to ask you about the use of co-official languages ​​in the European institutions. Where are we at?

Look, the issue remains on the Council's table, and we're never going to withdraw it. Twenty countries have already agreed to it, and seven have still asked for more time. I'm sure that sooner or later, Catalan and the rest of the official languages ​​of the State will also be official languages ​​within the European Union. I'm also very aware that there's a political party, the People's Party, that's trying with all its might to boycott it. But I want to remind the People's Party that this amounts to boycotting the Spanish national identity, which is multilingual, and going against our Constitution, which specifies the official languages ​​of the State. And also that this amounts to supporting those who insist on discriminating against Spain within the European Union. There are several states that have more than one official language within the European Union. Why would Spain be the only country whose linguistic regime and multilingual national identity are not respected? I'll put those questions directly to Mr. Núñez Feijóo. Why is Mr. Núñez Feijóo boycotting Galician as an official language in the European Union? Is Galician only good for going around the villages of Galicia asking for votes when elections come around? Look, Catalan will be roughly the 15th language. Within the European Union, 10 million Europeans speak Catalan. That's much more than many of the languages ​​currently sitting and used at the Council table.