Promote a pressure group so that the Atlantic communities are not left out of the spotlight in relations and strategic decision-making within the European Union. That is the objective to which the lehendakari of the Basque Government, Iñigo Urkullu, and his counterparts from Galicia, Alfonso Rueda, have committed themselves in the short term; from Asturias, Adrián Barbón; and from Cantabria, Miguel Ángel Revilla. This Atlantic lobby would take the form of a new macro-region of which the four communities would form part.
The decision was announced after a four-person meeting at the Ajuria Enea Palace, convened by Lehendakari Urkullu as president of the Atlantic Arc Commission.
The four presidents have been clear in explaining their concern about the possibility of the Atlantic axis being isolated in favor of other central axes of the European Union.
“The increasing displacement of the European axis of influence towards the east makes the focus of Europe begin to turn. Unless we undertake joint action, we run the risk of being out of focus in relationships and strategic decision-making. We are committed to Europe and we do not want to lose our ability to influence”, Urkullu pointed out.
In this sense, the head of the Basque Executive has specified that the proposal of the four communities involves integrating a macro-region with four, compatible with the macro-regions in which they already participate. “Our proposal is to promote the Atlantic axis by providing ourselves with a macro-region from which to draw up a joint strategic vision to act in defense of our interests”, he indicated.
This Monday’s meeting is part of a very specific context conditioned by France’s decision to postpone high-speed connections with the Atlantic axis, through the Bordeaux-Irun branch, until at least 2042. The Basque Government had already pointed out that their shared concern about this decision was one of the reasons for the meeting, and the issue was very present in their subsequent appearance.
The president of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, has indicated that the four communities will work for the creation of an “Atlantic lobby that mobilizes the institutions and socio-economic actors” of the area, with special emphasis on the rail connection with Europe, summoning the European Commission and the Spanish Government to work so that the French country promotes high speed in the direction of Irun by the year 2030.
Alfonso Rueda has insisted that Galicia, like the rest of the autonomies present at today’s meeting, cannot remain isolated. “The rail connection with Europe goes through France and the Basque Country”, insisted the Galician president, who has made clear his total agreement to “exercise joint approaches to achieve it”.
The President of Asturias, Adrián Barbón, has summoned the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, to take advantage of the Spanish presidency of the European Union to promote the aforementioned macro-region. In addition, he has also focused on rail connections. “From Spain we must demand that France resolve this issue because it is key and vital,” he stated, but not before demanding the opening of the Pajares variant.
Barbón has also specified that the four regions “do not compete with the Mediterranean corridor”, but rather ask that they act in both cases “in parallel”.
Miguel Ángel Revilla, finally, has warned of how “dangerous” it could be for Europe to shift its “focus” of interest towards the Eastern countries that will soon join the Union, with the consequent “deviation of projects”, as well as the “cap of a France that does not have the railway connection with Spain among its priority objectives”.
The Cantabrian president has indicated that Emmanuel Macron has “a somewhat autocratic concept” of the EU that involves “not opening it to the south”, but rather “closing it in France”, but this does not match the philosophy of the Union, he has exposed Revilla.
For now, once the Basque railway ‘Y’ is built (it is expected, after innumerable delays, for 2027), the trains will have to drastically reduce speed as soon as they cross the border. Once they have crossed the Bidasoa, they must travel at reduced speed to Dax, in Las Landas, to slightly increase speed from there. In any case, the trains will not return to high speed until they reach Bordeaux.
In addition to high-speed rail connections, the Atlantic lobby will have the green hydrogen corridor through the Atlantic axis among its priorities. This is an area in which, as with high speed, the Mediterranean axis has taken the lead and it is not clear when this will become a reality.
