Pedro Sánchez urges Europe to redouble efforts for peace in the Middle East

He has proposed developing a community-wide security strategy for Gaza, supporting Palestinian institutions for reconstruction, and promoting the large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid.

Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, took part this Thursday in the European Council meeting held in Brussels (Belgium), where the twenty-seven members tackled an agenda dedicated to international challenges, economic competitiveness, security and defence, and access to housing, among other issues.

On the Middle East, the President of the Government of Spain called for a redoubling of efforts to consolidate the ceasefire in the face of the recent upsurge in violence, which highlights "the fragility of the agreements reached". He outlined four priorities for EU action in the Council: maintaining pressure on both sides, ensuring the arrival of large-scale humanitarian aid, developing a community strategy to contribute to the security of Gaza, and supporting Palestinian institutions to enable governance and reconstruction. "The ultimate goal must be, in the medium term, the formation of two states, one Israel and the other Palestine, which can live side by side in peace and security," he explained.

Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa y Pool UE

Housing measures

Pedro Sánchez emphasised his satisfaction that this was the first European Council meeting to include housing in its conclusions. "Measures must be taken to address a market that clearly isn't working and is hindering the life plans of many European citizens, young and old," he stressed.

The President of the Government of Spain proposed that legal initiatives be developed from Europe to reduce the purchase of non-residential housing, that European instruments be established to act in stressed areas, and that specific EU funding be made available for the construction of affordable social housing.

Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa y Pool UE

Competitiveness and the green agenda

Pedro Sánchez stressed that the green transition must be the driving force behind European competitiveness, giving as an example Spain's performance, which "shows that it is possible to grow and create jobs, raise the minimum wage and reduce greenhouse gases", after recalling that the growth forecasts for our country this year are, according to the International Monetary Fund, almost three times higher than those for the Eurozone as a whole.

Pedro Sánchez added that the Council had continued to make progress on very important matters addressed in previous meetings, such as Ukraine and European security and defence. In addition, a Euro Summit was held during the day, with the participation of the President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde. The summit focused on the international and European economic and financial context, with two issues of particular importance to the sovereignty of the Union, as highlighted by the President: the need to move forward with the digital euro and the strengthening of the euro's international role.

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• Government of Spain
• EU
• Ukraine
• Economy
• Housing
• Defense