Pedro Sánchez's week in New York: presenting his recipe for AI and flipping the script on Ceuta

MadridSince July 30, everything surrounding Spanish politics has been viewed through the prism of the crisis in Ceuta. The social and humanitarian deadlock has become a primary political battle between the government, led by the PSOE, and the PP, which heads the Ceuta executive with Juan Jesús Vivas. For this reason, Pedro Sánchez's trip to the 81st edition of the United Nations General Assembly starting this Monday in New York comes at a perfect time for La Moncloa to broaden the focus and also introduce other issues into the political debate. Although executive sources note that Ceuta will be included in the speeches—their intention is to defend their management and the regularization—Sánchez wants to turn New York into a showcase for his model of regulating AI in his discursive fight against tech oligarchs and in a defense of multilateralism and his economic recipe against the rise of the far-right.

Without going any further, he will take advantage of his stay to share the stage with the city's mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who has become a key figure for the Democrats and a counterweight to Donald Trump. It will be at a breakfast on Wednesday, organized by the New York mayor's team, with Sánchez as a special guest, with the idea of talking about affordability, which is one of the pillars of the Democratic leader's discourse.

The Spanish government admits that the entire UN General Assembly is permeated by the electoral competition that sets the world's rhythm, at a time when the battle between the left and the right and the far-right is also clashing on a global scale, and all parties are seeking alliances beyond their borders. Not only are there the US midterm elections in November, which La Moncloa considers relevant in case things go poorly for Trump and the right deflates, but there are also elections in October in Brazil—one of the Latin American countries still governed by the left and whose president, Lula da Silva, is an ally of Sánchez. Furthermore, the governments of France and Spain have a lot at stake in 2027.

In this context, what are the objectives of the Spanish executive at the 81st edition of the UN General Assembly? La Moncloa sources set the defense of multilateralism and the regulation of AI, as well as the social-democratic economic model and feminism, which is reflected in the demand that the next Secretary-General of the United Nations be a woman from the Latin American sphere—although they are not committing to a name.

Regulating AI

Sánchez wants to emphasize the protection of children from screens and new technologies. For this reason, just before leaving for New York, this Monday first thing in the morning he will give a speech to present his plan in the field of AI. The next day, already in the United States, together with the presidents of Kenya, William Ruto; of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, he will hold an event with the so-called International Coalition for the Rights and Protection of Children in the Age of AI, which was born last July in Geneva. The Spanish government attaches great importance to this issue, especially in light of the public debate about its risks, and its desire is for there to be a global regulation of this technology through the United Nations. In the same vein, on Thursday in Massachusetts, at Harvard University, he will participate in a forum on technology and concentration of power.

In short, for Sánchez's executive, it is a relevant trip because he considers that in the current global moment, convulsive and in which unilateral actions have predominated, institutions that believe in multilateralism must be reinforced. The United Nations is its maximum expression and the motto of the edition says it all: "Rebuilding trust, managing transformation: a UN that achieves results for everyone".

Platform for multilateralism

One of the first acts that Sánchez will carry out on Tuesday, after a bilateral meeting with the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, already at the end of his term, will be an event that will unite countries in favor of multilateralism, organized by the President of the European Council, António Costa, the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, and the Head of State of Kenya, William Ruto. It is about uniting on a platform about fifteen leaders from the West and the Global South who have a vision similar to Spain's on how international relations should be.

From the Moncloa they admit the moment of crisis of everything they defend, taking into account that not only is the role of the UN being questioned, but the world is also far from the 2030 agenda, which had been designed to eradicate poverty, protect natural resources and achieve peace. Nothing could be further from the truth, taking into account the wars that have broken out in recent times: from Iran and Palestine –which Sánchez will also want to talk about– to Ukraine, passing through the upheaval in Venezuela or the crisis in relations between the United States and the European Union.

Feijóo's parallel agenda

While Sánchez is in New York, the PP will continue to focus on Ceuta and the Europeanization of the conflict. This Monday, Alberto Núñez Feijóo will return to the autonomous city with the president of the European PP, Manfred Weber. His goal is to discredit the management of the situation in Ceuta and isolate the Spanish president internationally on migration policy. "We have indeed defended Ceuta and Melilla in Brussels, and thanks to that, a firm and clear European voice has been heard," the PP leader defended on Friday from Melilla.

Feijóo was thus referring to the fact that conservatives and the far-right in the European Parliament passed a PP initiative last week that speaks of an "invasion" of Ceuta and demanded the return of all the people who entered illegally. Feijóo's priority has been to obtain this external support and, instead of traveling abroad, to be present in the two autonomous cities a few days apart to demonstrate his "commitment" to these territories, of which the PP wants to establish itself as the main defender.