Sánchez will present the priorities of the forthcoming Spanish EU Council Presidency in Vienna, Austria is likely to prove to be a “hard bone” in the migration debate – but promises Spain support.
European heads of government will meet in Vienna on Thursday and Friday. The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who was received with military honors at lunchtime in front of the Federal Chancellery, made the start on Thursday. In the afternoon, the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced his attendance. A visit by Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin is on the agenda for Friday.
Sanchez was received at noon with military honors in front of the Federal Chancellery. Numerous onlookers therefore gathered on Ballhausplatz, including some Spanish government opponents who loudly demanded Sanchez’s resignation.
For the socialist Spanish Prime Minister, Austria is the first leg of a tour of the European capitals before assuming the EU Council Presidency in early July. Sanchez will travel to Croatia on Thursday and will be in Slovenia on Friday. In all three countries he wants to present the priorities of the Spanish Presidency.
Hard bones is the migration pact
Madrid’s priorities formulated so far include promoting the EU’s strategic autonomy, closer rapprochement with Latin America and accelerating negotiations to conclude the EU migration and asylum pact. According to information from the Federal Chancellery, Nehammer also wants to explain his priorities to his Spanish counterpart, especially on the latter topic. Austria could become “a hard bone”, especially with the migration pact, the Spanish daily “La Vanguardia” commented on the meeting on Thursday.
Nehammer (ÖVP) promised Sánchez support for the Spanish EU Council Presidency from July during his visit to Vienna on Thursday. For his part, Sánchez praised the fact that Austria had “a constructive attitude”, even if the two countries had different positions on some issues, for example on the issue of migration.
“Spain takes over the presidency at a time that is more than difficult and challenging,” said Nehammer, citing the war in Ukraine, inflation and the energy crisis, as well as irregular migration as common challenges. As a country on Europe’s external border, Spain needs support just as much as Italy, Bulgaria and Romania, said the Federal Chancellor. Sánchez and he agree that on the one hand borders have to be secured, but on the other hand it is also important to come to an agreement with countries of origin and safe third countries.
More autonomy for the EU
Negotiations on the EU migration pact are one of the issues that Spain intends to advance during its forthcoming EU Council Presidency. Sánchez was determined to advance several open issues ahead of the May 2024 European Parliament elections. Specifically, in addition to the migration pact, he mentioned climate protection and the reorganization of the energy market. This should on the one hand reduce greenhouse gas emissions and on the other hand strengthen the strategic autonomy of the European Union.
“We have to internalize the lessons learned not only from the war, but also from the pandemic,” warns Sánchez and called for a reindustrialization of Europe. One of Spain’s concerns is also to deepen ties with Latin America, stressed the Spanish head of government.
Nehammer and Sánchez evidently found the most common ground on the subject of the Western Balkans. Nehammer praised Spain for supporting the Austrian position that Bosnia should be granted candidate status when Ukraine was granted the status. Sánchez praised the Western Balkans as an important pillar of European stability. Not mentioned was the non-recognition of Kosovo by Spain, which does not facilitate the EU rapprochement of the state, which has been independent since 2008. Questions were not allowed at the media event on Thursday at Spanish request.
Belgium’s prime minister goes to the opera ball
The meeting between Nehammer and De Croo is also said to be about EU projects. Belgium will take over the rotating presidency of the Council for six months after Spain in January 2024. However, the reason for De Croo’s visit is different: the liberal Belgian prime minister is accompanying Nehammer to the opera ball in the evening. No media appointment is planned for De Croo’s visit.
The socialist Spanish head of government will also meet SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner as part of his visit to Vienna on Thursday. In the run-up, Rendi once again praised Sánchez’s left-wing government as a role model for measures against inflation, for example by suspending VAT on staple foods and caps on energy prices and rents.
(WHAT)