Sira Rego in Brussels: 'Spain wants to be clear: we say 'No to war''

The Minister for Youth and Children, Sira Rego, during her speech in Brussels

The Minister for Youth and Children, Sira Rego, has defended Spain's commitment to international law, diplomacy, and peace in Brussels. "We say 'No to war'. Because wars do not liberate people: they devastate public services, damage public finances, and deepen inequalities," she stated.

Rego expressed this view during her address to the European Union's Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO), reflecting on the current international context and the role of social policies in building democratic societies. Rego warned of the return of "dangerous logics," such as the idea that force can replace law or military power can replace diplomacy.

The minister stressed that defending a social Europe also means defending a world "in which human dignity, justice, peace, and cooperation prevail over the law of the strongest."

Children at the heart of social policies

In the debate on the conclusions regarding children, the minister welcomed the central role they assign to child welfare, but reminded everyone that child poverty "is never just a statistic." "It is the moment when a life begins with fewer opportunities than others. And when that happens, we are not facing an individual or family problem: we are facing a political problem," she stated.

The minister highlighted the importance of strengthening instruments such as the European Child Guarantee and committing to a comprehensive approach that combines access to education, healthcare, adequate nutrition, housing, and support services. In view of this, Rego defended the need to move towards a Universal Child Allowance for all children: "It means recognising that the start of life cannot depend on where one is born or on each household's ability to withstand hardship."

Rego also warned that rising housing costs have become one of the main drivers of poverty in many European countries, and therefore argued that the future European strategy should integrate adequate income and strong public services.

Fight against racism

The Minister for Youth and Children also expressed the need to move towards a Europe that combats structural racism. During her speech in the debate on the new European Strategy against Racism, the Minister argued that combating racism requires public policies that guarantee real equality, but also coherence across all European policies.

"While we debate how to build a European Union free of racism, we cannot ignore what is happening at our borders," the minister stated, referring to the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. She noted that more than 33,000 people have died or disappeared in the Mediterranean since 2014 trying to reach Europe.

Rego warned that migration policies must guarantee rights and dignity and cannot "normalise detention or establish first- and second-class rights based on people's origin." In light of this, she recalled that "Spain has demonstrated that another path is possible, guaranteeing dignified reception for unaccompanied migrant children and committing to the regularisation of more than half a million people."

Non official translation