The European Union in the Spanish electoral campaign
On 14 April 2023 INCIPE held a virtual event titled The European Union in the Spanish electoral campaign. The session featured the participation of Susana del Rio, Doctor in Political Science and Sociology, academic of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (AECYA), and independent expert for the European Parliament. The meeting was presented by the Ambassador and Secretary-General of INCIPE, Manuel Alabart. Following the presentation, started a round of questions moderated by Vicente Garrido, Director of INCIPE.
Susana del Rio began by pointing out that all Spanish political parties should look to the European Union as a headlight; as the guide for where to go, a path we should follow, and what trends to maintain.
This year by the end of May, municipal elections will be held in Spain, as well as in 12 communities. Then, at the end of 2023, the Spanish people will again go to the polls for the general elections. Despite the number of electoral appointments that will take place in the country in the coming months, Susana del Rio points out that they shouldn’t overshadow or minimize the elections to the European Parliament. On the contrary, being this our supranational parliament and the maximum exponent of representative democracy.
Also, during the second half of 2023 Spain will hold the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This Presidency represents an important opportunity and responsibility, which must be reflected in the election campaigns, but not from a partisan point of view. The Spanish Presidency’s agenda is cross-cutting and will culminate in the negotiations of some of the EU’s major lines of work: ecological transition, digital transformation, and social agenda.
In recent years, the EU Presidency has played a very valuable coordinating role in crisis management. Brexit, COVID-19, and the current war in Ukraine have meant a catharsis for both EU institutions and all European citizens; we have all had to rethink who we are to keep moving forward. The coordinated vaccination campaign at the European level has been a significant success, but it has also made clear the need for a European pharmaceutical strategy.
On the other hand, the war in Ukraine has brought to the table some outstanding issues for the EU and the implications of the conflict for European security and defense policy. In this sense we have moved from the EU Strategic Compass to the EU Strategic Autonomy (EU-SA), which includes many more aspects than those related to European common security and defense, expanding to technological and economic issues.
During the debate that followed Susana del Rio’s intervention, some issues were raised such as: the EU sanctions against Russia and their consequences for the community economy and energy transition; the Next Generations EU recovery funds; and the European Green Deal, whose objective is for Europe to be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
