Sánchez: between electoralism and moral leadership
BarcelonaSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has become one of the most vocal critics of Donald Trump on the international stage, to the point that the White House occupant has threatened him with trade reprisals for not approving the use of the Rota and Morón air bases to attack Iran. This threat, in turn, has forced the EU to come to Madrid's support, since member states act as a single trade bloc and no member can be punished individually. But something even more significant happened this Wednesday: French President Emmanuel Macron called Sánchez to express his support. This came the day after Macron reiterated his view that the US and Israeli attack on Iran is illegal. Sánchez, therefore, can be satisfied because it has been demonstrated that he is not alone in his diplomatic stance, which is to defend the principle that any military operation must be carried out under the auspices of international law. But the Spanish president went a step further today, making it clear that for him it is not just a matter of legality but of principle. He revived the slogan of the massive demonstrations against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the famous "No to War," and also recalled the disastrous legacy left by the "trio." It is true that George Bush, Tony Blair, and José María Aznar, as promoters of the war, set the region ablaze and turned Iraq into a hotbed of instability and jihadism. However, it is difficult not to see in this effort to bring up Iraq an electoral ploy to corner the People's Party (PP) at a time when the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) is not at its strongest and faces very tough challenges in Castile and León and Andalusia. Sánchez's speech had moments of great gravity, such as when he warned of how major catastrophes like World War I began with a series of miscalculations, and others that were decidedly more populist, such as when he said that wars "line the pockets of the same old crowd."
Especially since the "No to war" position cannot be an absolute axiom, as Madrid, for example, is helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia, and therefore considers that some wars are just. And also because the reality is that Europe needs to increase its military capabilities if it wants to have any influence in the world today, as has been amply demonstrated these past few days. And this will sooner or later mean more resources. So, one would expect Sánchez to deliver a less slogan-driven and more statesmanlike speech, speaking clearly to citizens who are mature enough to understand that this attack is a mistake, even a catastrophic one, but that Spain, as a member of NATO and the EU, will also have to adapt to the new reality.
It is also true that while Sánchez's position can be labeled as electioneering in some respects, Alberto Núñez Feijóo's is rather weak, as he merely argues that we must get along with the US. But this is nothing new either.
