The Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, has not obtained specific commitments from France with a view to speeding up cross-border interconnections, especially with regard to high speed, although he has confirmed, after a meeting with the ambassador in Spain, that the French country "he sees no difficulties" in creating an Atlantic macro-region within the European Union. This macro-region would defend the weight of the Atlantic arc, given the displacement of the EU's axis of economic activity and innovation towards the east, and would join the four macro-regions that exist today: those of the Adriatic, the Baltic, the Danube and the Alpine.
Urkullu met this afternoon in Madrid with the French ambassador in Spain, Jean-Michel Casa, and with the Portuguese ambassador, Joao Mira-Gomes. The objective was to transfer his concern for the loss of weight of the Atlantic axis compared to other strategic axes of the European Union, especially after Brexit, as well as to address issues that could help to strengthen the Atlantic arc, mainly with regard to the interconnections.
The lehendakari has stressed the need for France to "accelerate" projects related to hydrogen, energy connections and rail links, in compliance with the commitment to the Trans-European Transport Network and the requirements of the European Union, which has called to prioritize high-speed connections between cities in different states, a demand that, according to Urkullu, is shared with Nueva Aquitania, which is part of the Euskadi-Navarre-Nueva Aruitania Euroregion.
Urkullu has not obtained a commitment from the French Government in relation to high-speed connections, so the forecast of the French Executive not to execute the Bordeaux-Dax section until 2042 is maintained. However, the French ambassador has promised to facilitate a meeting between the Lehendakari and the French Minister of Transport.
The objective of the Basque Government is that the new Bordeaux-Dax branch can be built as soon as possible and, likewise, that the infrastructures between Dax and Hendaye, on the Bidasoa border, be renewed. In this way, the Basque railway 'Y', which could be ready by 2027, would continue towards continental Europe and would not be threatened by possible saturation problems in the border area.
On the other hand, Urkullu has transferred that for the Atlantic regions it is "fundamental" that a "new macro-region that defends the interests of the entire Atlantic façade" be established and that it affects the states of Spain, France, Ireland, Portugal and the United Kingdom. , given "the real risk" of a displacement of the decision-making centers towards the east of the European Union.
Within this framework, he has defended that the creation of a new macro-region to add to the four already existing ones is "an element that will help to rebalance the weight of the regions" in Europe.
From the Executive they have explained that the French ambassador does not see "difficulties" to this project if the Spanish Presidency proposes it in its agenda, while the person in charge of the Portuguese embassy has also shown himself willing to support this project.
In the meeting with the Portuguese ambassador, both officials confirmed the need to work together so that the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe can be connected through its Atlantic façade, a "natural connection" also with Portugal's Europe, a matter also requested by the communities of Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia with whose presidents the Lehendakari met in Ajuria Enea on March 13.
