Aznar has a trick for dealing with Donald Trump: "A lot of Christian resignation."

BrusselsNobody knows much about how to deal with Donald Trump in the European UnionThe EU remains dependent on the United States, especially regarding security, and the new US administration threatens to abandon historic ties with European allies and start a trade war with Europe. Faced with this major challenge, the remedies being prescribed are varied. Some advocate toughening their tone against the White House and reducing ties with the US, but some also advocate patience and safeguarding relations with Washington, whatever the cost. Such as that of José María Aznar.

The former Spanish prime minister clearly falls into this second group, having championed himself as a great Atlanticist from the European Parliament and reminiscing about his good old days at Moncloa Palace. One of the protagonists in the photo of the Azores trio—Aznar, Tony Blair, and George W. Bush—has admitted that dealing with the New York tycoon is more than complicated and has even been infected by divine hope. "As the weather is good in Brussels today, which is extraordinary, and it's St. Joseph's Day - his saint's day - which also only happens once a year, I will answer [that we have to deal with Trump] with a lot of Christian resignation," he said with his characteristic smile.

Although he rules out renounce Pentagon protectionAznar believes that Spain and the EU as a whole must strengthen their defense capabilities. It is at this point that he took the opportunity to once again attack Pedro Sánchez and, if he does not have parliamentary support, to increase military spending, calls for elections. "If he doesn't gain the confidence of Congress, the normal thing is for a democrat to call elections, and there will probably be a change of government," the former PP leader asserted. But Sánchez has no intention, for the moment, of pushing the increase in defense spending through Les Corts.

In this sense, Aznar has ruled out that the PP could support a plan to accelerate the rearmament of Spain if Sánchez continues in a coalition government with Sumar and maintains Junts and Esquerra as preferred parliamentary partners.

The critical spirit, however, has disappeared when assessing the agreement of Carlos Mazón with Vox to approve the Valencian budgetHe downplayed the fact that the Valencian president had embraced the climate change denial and anti-immigration rhetoric of the far right. "I don't get involved in these things," he simply replied. However, he has emphasized on more than one occasion that, unlike Sánchez, Mazón will succeed in passing new budgets.

However, beyond his statements to the press, Aznar has not clarified exactly what the purpose of his meetings were with European Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius; Interior Commissioner Magnus Brunner; European Parliament President Roberta Metsola; and European People's Party President Manfred Weber. However, he was amused by the coincidence that another old star is strolling through the corridors of Brussels these days: his former business partner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.