The King has defended the “spirit of solidarity and cooperation” to face the challenges of the European Union (EU). Felipe VI made this statement at the presentation of the Cercle d’Economia award for European Construction 2024, where he noted that this year’s winners, U?ur ?ahin and Özlem Türeci, creators of the first Covid vaccine with the company BioNTech, are clear exponents of this approach.
“The story of U?ur ?ahin and Özlem Türeci is an inspiring example of how commitment to European construction can have a tangible, perceptible impact on people’s lives,” he said. During his speech, he pointed out that the success of BioNTech “would not have been possible without the support and collaboration of the European institutions and the entire scientific community.”
Felipe VI has also reflected on Spain’s relationship with the European Union. The Head of State explained that the historical evolution of the country in recent decades has been linked to the expansion and consolidation of the community project. “We owe a lot to Europe, but we should also feel proud knowing how much we have contributed in the last almost four decades. We Spaniards mostly want more Europe and we trust that this will do better for us,” he said.
The King has pointed out that, thanks to this European spirit, “enormous challenges” such as the financial crisis or the Covid pandemic have been overcome. However, now there are new challenges. “From climate change or geostrategic or geoeconomic tensions, to digitalization or artificial intelligence,” he indicated.
