Salvador Illa forges an alliance in Italy against Trump's tariffs

Varese (Lombardy)"The Four Engines for Europe strongly criticize the announcement of new tariffs by the United States government." This is the first sentence of the joint declaration against Donald Trump's tariff war signed by Catalonia, Lombardy (Italy), Baden-Württemberg (Germany), and Auvergne-Rhône-Alps (France), the four territories that make up the Four Engines for Europe—an alliance created in 1988. The text was signed by representatives of parties as diverse as the far-right League, which leads the government of Lombardy; the conservatives who helm the French government of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes; the Greens in Baden-Württemberg; and the Catalan Socialists. "These measures are unjustified and damaging, striking at the heart of a transatlantic partnership that has long stood for shared prosperity, open markets, and democratic values," the four territories emphasize, in a statement that echoes what the President of the Generalitat (Catalan government), Salvador Illa, has done in recent days.

The four territories advocate "dialogue and negotiation" to resolve the tariff crisis, considering that Trump's move "harms" workers, business owners, and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. In this sense, they stress that the response must be "coordinated" with the European Union to "avoid further escalation" in the conflict. "History teaches us that measures like these only deepen divisions and weaken the economies involved," they say, adding: "The focus must be on cooperation, not confrontation." Trade between Europe and the United States represents "30% of global trade," they assert, and "43% of global GDP."

In his speech, Isla urged us not to be intimidated by threats from across the Atlantic, nor by Russia. At the same time, the four governments are committed to promoting aid plans for their companies, in addition to maintaining "dialogue" with the United States, but also "seeking new markets and new opportunities." A message that comes just as Spanish President Pedro Sánchez is on a tour of Asia, where he met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, amid escalating tensions between the United States and the Asian giant. Sánchez presented Spain as a "deeply pro-European country that sees China as a partner of the European Union" and asserted his commitment to fostering "solid and balanced relations."

Housing and cybersecurity

The Four Engines have signed the joint declaration in the framework of the transfer of the presidency of this alliance, which Catalonia assumes as of this FridayLombardy passed the baton to him at an event attended by the President of the Generalitat (Catalan Government), Salvador Illa; the head of the Lombardy government, Attilio Fontana; the President of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), Fabrice Pannekoucke; and the Secretary of State of Baden-Württemberg, Florian Hassler. Over the next 12 months, the Generalitat (Catalan Government) aims to advance a program aligned with the European Commission's roadmap, the Compass for Competitiveness. In this regard, the President has set the goal of increasing the presence of Quatre Motors in the European institutions. "We want to work for a European Union that is closer, more ours, more plural, and more united. Europe's survival depends on its citizens feeling connected to it," Illa argued.

The Generalitat has devised four pillars to work on during its presidency: "leading" innovation in advanced technologies, "decarbonization," "gaining strategic autonomy," and moving toward an "inclusive economy." Among the areas Catalonia has introduced for work among the four regions are sustainable tourism and housing. In this regard, one of the initiatives proposed by the Generalitat is to hold the first meeting on housing among the four regions to "specify the actions" to be undertaken, as outlined in the program approved by the Government on Tuesday.

Furthermore, Isla also wants to address the issue of cybersecurity in a global context of "disinformation" and also the "defense" of democratic institutions. Along these lines, they propose holding a seminar with the four regions on the topic, but they also advocate emphasizing the "development" of dual-use technologies to move toward the "technological sovereignty" of the European Union.