King Felipe VI has vindicated Europe’s role as a moral reference in the midst of a turbulent time of instability and polarization. At the opening of the Conference of Presidents of European Parliaments held in Palma with the presence of presidents and vice-presidents of the legislative assemblies of the EU, the King has asked that Europe be a “strong, autonomous and open to international cooperation” has at the same time defended the maintenance of “ties of friendship, mutual interest and compatibility” with the Ibero-American region.
Dos Felipe has regretted that the war has returned again to the doors of Europe and has pointed out that the invasion of Ukraine “requires us to reflect again on the founding values ??of democracy” in a European Union that is based on “the values ??of peace, democracy, freedom, equality, the rule of law and respect for Human Rights.” “Europe knew how to go from a history of wars to being today the greatest example of regional integration with the creation of the European Union.” ”, highlighted Don Felipe, who also valued the example of unity and solidarity in the European response to the war in Ukraine.
“Not all conflicts are European, but all conflicts challenge our conscience as Europeans,” he added. The King has assured that he is watching with “enormous concern” the worsening of conflicts in the Middle East, “the humanitarian and security crisis that it generates, as well as the risks of regional war escalation with serious global consequences.” He also recalled the deterioration of the social, political and security situation in large regions of Africa and the migratory crises, both in the Mediterranean and on the American continent. “They are a challenge for democracy, but also for the stability and development of large regions of the world,” he stressed.
Felipe VI has pointed out that, in a time of growing polarization, and in the context of the greatest technological transformation in recent history, “the essence of Europe is democracy.” “Almost nine centuries later, we pay tribute to those who debated and shared reflections on democracies and the role of modern Parliaments, helping to lay the foundations for our coexistence,” he noted, in reference to the first historically documented Cortes, which are They were celebrated in 1188 under the reign of Alfonso IX in the Royal Collegiate Church of San Isidoro de León.
He has stated that those first Cortes are considered a milestone in common European history and one of the greatest contributions that Europe made to the world. “In a context of war and structural inequality, such as that at the time when Parliaments were born, it was decided to negotiate conflicting interests and seek a certain balance of power, without resorting to the use of force and limiting arbitrariness,” has stood out. “The strength of that original idea that was born in the small city of León has accompanied us to this day,” he noted.
The president of Congress, Francina Armengol, has called for rethinking Europe’s position in war situations, such as the one experienced in Ukraine or Gaza. She has called for a strong European foreign policy and has defended “open strategic autonomy”, a new concept that allows Europe to have the capacity for autonomous response to crises and to be open to having reliable strategic alliances with Latin America, Africa or the Indian Ocean. -Peaceful.
The president has demanded a ceasefire in Gaza “because the consequences for the population are devastating.” She has defended that Europe is “dialogue” between diverse languages ??and diverse ways of doing politics. “Parliaments are dialogue. Let us make dialogue our great social, political and human action,” she noted.
