On Friday 30 June in Brussels, the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, pledged that his country would set out a resolutely “Europeanist” political programme as part of its Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2023.
He cited his country’s “enormous ambition” to make progress, and even achieve success, on key issues such as access to critical raw materials, the promotion of economic security, the regulation of artificial intelligence and the mid-term review of the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework.
Mr Sánchez was due to travel immediately to Kyiv, where he will meet the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, on Saturday 1 July. He will also give a speech to the Ukrainian Parliament. On Monday 3 July, the Spanish government will meet the European College of Commissioners in Madrid.
The Spanish people will go to the polls on Sunday 23 July, in a vote that could lead to a change of political majority if the Spanish Christian Democrats win, if they join forces with the Conservatives, as is already the case in several Spanish regions. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)