Prudence. It is the slogan of the Government after the triumph of the extreme right in Italy. A result that the Spanish Executive recalls is legitimate, and therefore has nothing to say, and that it will not change relations between the two countries, at least on the part of Spain.
Minister Albares's thesis is that Europe is experiencing "some very defining moments", in which a new European order is being "defined and there are two models that are facing each other", as is happening in Spain. In this dilemma, the model of Spain, he said, "is that of European construction" which in his opinion "is not only philosophical or political", but is the one that has brought Europe "the greatest decades of peace and progress to Europe".
It is a project that is based on democracy, the rule of law and plurality, as opposed to the other model, "which Putin represents", and in which "forces in Europe and in Spain" are seen, in reference to Meloni's party in Italy, but also to Vox in Spain. They are "authoritarian forces that do not believe in plurality and are contrary to the pillars of the European Union."
Regarding relations with the new Italian government, which Meloni will almost certainly preside over, Albares stressed that "the results are legitimate and will have to be seen", but the intention of the Spanish Government is to maintain relations with all countries, and therefore maintain good relations with a European partner such as Italy. "We will try the best relationships."
Albares hopes and believes that what happened in Italy will not have a consequence in Spain, because "Spain has nothing to do with it, and each country has different circumstances." For the Foreign Minister, the victories of parties like Meloni's offer "miraculous solutions" to difficult situations like the current one, and that, he said, "is pure populism and demagoguery."
What needs to be done, he stressed, is "face the challenges that are unexpected", such as the Covid pandemic, and how "the war has returned to Europe", something that was not believed could happen. just a year ago. To these problems, these parties "give simple answers, in the short term, to return to an idealized past." The solution, Albares believes, is "determination to defend the European values of pluralism and diversity." In this sense, the minister considers that the Government of Spain "is clearly Europeanist".
On the situation of the war in Ukraine, José Manuel Albares stressed that "the military escalation announced by Putin is not going to hold us back" in the European determination to condemn the invasion of Ukraine. "We are not going to be intimidated by the unacceptable threat of using nuclear weapons." The minister made it clear that the government will not recognize the result of the "illegal referendums" that Putin is carrying out.
