The President of the Government and Spanish socialist leader, Pedro Sánchez, warned today that "time is running out" to act against global warming and referred to the Doñana park to denounce that it is "threatened" by the "arrogance" of those who deny climate change.
"Social democracy must lead the response to the threat of climate change because, if it's not us, no one else will," Sánchez said in the Portuguese town of Porto, where he participated in a rally commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Portuguese Socialist Party.
"Right-wing parties look for excuses to do nothing," he said, and "when we talk about climate change, it's not just a matter of doing it right, it's a matter of acting now. Time is running out," he insisted during his speech.
Sánchez referred to the Doñana park, near the border with Portugal, a "national treasure", he said, punished by drought and "threatened by the arrogance of those who deny climate change."
The Spanish socialist leader also alluded to the war in Ukraine to insist on his rejection of "Putin's imperialism" and in defense of Kiev's territorial integrity and freedom.
"We are committed to working for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and in other conflicts taking place in the world," he added.
Sánchez took advantage of his speech, in English, to review the values of European social democracy and praise the role of Portuguese socialism.
"When everyone was talking about the decline of social democracy, it was you, Portuguese socialism, who raised the banner of our solidarity and social justice policies," he said.
Socialists around the world, he added, still celebrate April 25 "as if it belonged to everyone."
Sánchez praised two of the most charismatic figures of Iberian socialism, the Portuguese Mario Soares -founder of the PS- and the Spanish Felipe González, and also thanked the Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, for "this leadership that has given us inspired by these difficult times".
Portugal and Spain "we have faced many battles in Brussels" he recalled, such as when "hand in hand" they achieved the so-called "Iberian exception" on energy.
"I invite you to continue being a reference in European social democracy," concluded Sánchez, addressing Costa.
The Portuguese socialists celebrate their 50th anniversary with the largest absolute majority in their history but with a marked wear.
