During a meeting in Madrid, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the President of the European Council Charles Michel discussed the priorities for Spain’s six-month Presidency of the European Union Council. Sanchez outlined his focus areas, which include providing more support for Ukraine, advancing the ecological transition, and addressing Europe’s migration challenges.

The priorities of Spain’s Presidency encompass various aspects, such as reindustrialization of the EU, ensuring its open strategic autonomy, making progress in ecological transition and environmental adaptation, promoting social and economic justice, and strengthening European unity.

Sanchez and Michel met after the Spanish Prime Minister’s visit to Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenskyy. Sanchez reiterated Spain’s commitment to supporting Ukraine, regardless of the cost or duration.

Apart from Ukraine, Spain aims to make advancements on key EU issues during its presidency, including finalizing a contentious migration pact despite differences within the 27-nation group.

Spain assures that its upcoming snap election will not disrupt its presidential term.

The migration issue and the rise of far-right movements pose challenges for the EU. Recently, EU countries reached an agreement on asylum law reform, sharing the responsibility for unauthorized migrants entering Europe. However, some lawmakers have warned that this may be the last opportunity to address the issue before EU-wide elections in a year, where migration is expected to be a significant topic.

Spain’s rotating presidency coincides with an early general election scheduled for July 23. Polls suggest that Sánchez’s leftist coalition government could be replaced by a conservative administration or a coalition involving the far right, reflecting a trend observed in several European countries.

Source: With Agencies