The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has established himself as the “standard of the Western political opposition” to the President of the United States, Donald Trump, according to a portrait published this Friday by the newspaper The Wall Street Journalwhich defines the moment as “the Spanish revolt” on the international board.
The New York newspaper places Sánchez as the “European leader who says ‘no’ to Trump”, highlighting his frontal position against the war in Iran even before Washington ordered the bombing of Tehran. In a context in which, according to the newspaper, Europe has acted with caution, the head of the Spanish Executive has opted for a strategy of firm rejection of the decisions of the American president.
In an interview given at the Moncloa Palace, Sánchez describes the conflict as “a big mistake for the world and, therefore, for the United States,” and vindicates Spain’s role as an actor that provides “predictability” in an international scenario marked, in his opinion, by impulsive decisions.
The newspaper emphasizes that the socialist leader has been able to interpret the growing rejection of Trump in part of European public opinion, which would have contributed to strengthening his popularity after eight years in power. Under the motto “no to war”, Sánchez has adopted a differentiated position with respect to other allies on the continent.
A pulse with costs in Europe
This strategy has also translated into concrete decisions, such as the refusal to allow the use of Spanish air bases by the US army in the context of the conflict with Iran, a measure that would have provoked Trump’s anger and tensions with other European partners.
According to The Wall Street Journalthis positioning has had diplomatic costs for the Spanish president, including reproaches from capitals such as Berlin or Paris and even his exclusion from informal conversations between European leaders on how to manage the relationship with Washington.
Despite this, the newspaper maintains that Spain, traditionally far from the center of gravity of European politics, has come to embody the feelings of those sectors of the continent that demand a firmer response to the White House.
In this context, Sánchez is working on the articulation of an international network of progressive leaders, with an eye toward a summit to be held in April in Barcelona that seeks to strengthen cooperation between left-wing forces.
However, the analysis warns of the internal risks of this strategy. The political turn could, according to the newspaper, favor the growth of the extreme right, while recalling the parliamentary fragility of the Spanish Executive, supported by minority parties, and the cases of corruption that have affected its environment.
