Latest news with #PedroSanchez
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Sanchez Puts NATO's Trump Plan at Risk by Opposing 5% Goal
By Updated on Save The problems piling up for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Spain are threatening to spill into next week's NATO summit, with potentially drastic consequences for the rest of the European Union. The 53-year-old premier has been under fire at home, with allegations of graft in his inner circle putting his minority coalition under strain. As he seeks to reclaim the initiative, he's emerged as the only leader from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization refusing to sign up to a new target for spending 5% of GDP on defense.
Al Jazeera
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Is it time for Europe to choose China over the US?
As Donald Trump barrels through his second term in the White House, Europe faces a question it has long avoided: Should it continue clinging to its alliance with the United States, or is it time to chart a new course – perhaps one that leads eastwards? In April, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to encourage the European Union to 'resist together' against Washington's 'unilateral coercion'. This coercion is not limited to trade; it extends to politics, culture and global strategy. For Europe, the question is not simply whether the US remains a powerful ally but whether it is still the right one. A closer relationship with China now offers distinct advantages – an idea likely to be discussed at the EU-China summit in July. While European attitudes towards China remain cautious, as demonstrated by recent tariffs targeting low-cost imports from platforms like Temu and Shein, Europe's strategic reflex still defaults to the US, especially in finance and defence. That reflex, born of history, is increasingly out of step with Europe's long-term interests. The US has long pursued a consistent global aim: to preserve its position as the world's sole superpower. But under President Trump, US global leadership has taken a darker turn. Basic democratic principles are being eroded. Human rights, academic freedom and social justice have come under sustained assault. From unconditional support for Israel's devastating assault on Gaza – widely condemned as a genocide – to greenlighting a newly launched war on Iran, mass deportations and the dismantling of university funding, Trump's United States is actively undermining the values it once claimed to champion. China, of course, has its own challenges. It lacks press freedom, censors dissent and tightly controls public discourse. But is the democratic West still so different? In an information landscape dominated by a handful of tech billionaires, platforms like X and Facebook amplify misinformation and conspiracy theories while marginalising serious public debate. The treatment of whistleblowers such as Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden further suggests that truth itself has become a threat to what now passes as American democracy rather than a foundation of it. Europe must also confront the economic and political model it shares with the US. Democracy, once a source of pride, increasingly functions as ideological cover for oligarchy – rule by and for the few. Trump embodies this shift, treating democratic norms as obstacles to unending accumulation. But he is not alone in this. Across the West, wealth is increasingly concentrated and politics increasingly unresponsive to the needs of most of its people. The contrast between Washington and Beijing in foreign affairs also warrants attention. China maintains one overseas military base, in Djibouti, and a handful of small support outposts. The US, by contrast, operates more than 750 military installations worldwide. That vast footprint may soon serve Trump's revived imperial imagination: He recently shared a video envisioning Gaza as the 'Riviera of the Middle East' after saying its Palestinian residents would be resettled elsewhere. China, meanwhile, opposed such forced displacement and reaffirmed the Palestinian right to resist foreign occupation. China is also becoming an increasingly attractive destination for education. With more than 3,000 universities serving over 40 million students, its system is both expansive and accessible. Tuition ranges from $1,500 to $3,000 a year, in stark contrast to the $40,000 charged by many US institutions. Universities like Tsinghua are gaining global recognition for high-impact research. And while these institutions operate under strict censorship, they remain a serious alternative – especially as US campuses now face student repression, visa crackdowns and mounting political interference. Why, then, does the EU remain tethered to an alliance that increasingly undermines its values and interests? The truth is that Europe is not yet politically sovereign. It lacks a unified economy, military, tax system and labour market. From north to south, east to west, the continent is fragmented – linguistically, culturally and politically. In a 2017 speech at the Sorbonne, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke of 'European sovereignty'. But that is precisely what Europe still lacks: the ability to evaluate its interests independently and form alliances accordingly. Until that sovereignty becomes reality, any talk of shifting alliances – however urgent – remains largely theoretical. China is prepared for a new era of cooperation. Europe, paralysed by internal division and outdated loyalties, is not. Yet Trump's United States is doing everything it can to make the eventual choice for Europe clearer by the day. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
Bloomberg
6 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Spain to Challenge NATO Spending Target Increase
Welcome to the Brussels Edition, Bloomberg's daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union. Spain is pushing back against NATO's proposal to raise the defense spending target to 5% of a country's gross domestic product, setting up a potential confrontation with US President Donald Trump, who wants Europe to pay more for its security. In a letter to NATO chief Mark Rutte, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez opposed the proposed increase, which the alliance aims to formalize at next week's summit. The meeting of NATO members comes amid growing concerns over Russia's war in Ukraine and Trump's threats to scale back US security commitments in Europe unless allies significantly boost military expenditure. — Gian Volpicelli
Bloomberg
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Sanchez Is Putting NATO's Trump Plan at Risk by Opposing 5% Goal
The problems piling up for Primer Minister Pedro Sanchez in Spain are threatening to spill into next week's NATO summit, with potentially drastic consequences for the rest of the European Union. The 53-year-old premier has been under fire at home, with allegations of graft in his inner circle putting his minority coalition under strain. As he seeks to reclaim the initiative, he's emerged as the only leader from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization refusing to sign up to a new target for spending 5% of GDP on defense.
Japan Times
8 hours ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Spain risks derailing NATO summit by resisting 5% defense spending goal
Spain has asked to opt out of NATO's plan to increase members' defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product, a move that could derail a summit at which the military alliance plans to ask them to commit to the target. In a letter sent to NATO chief Mark Rutte on Thursday and seen by Reuters, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez requested a "more flexible formula" that either makes the spending target optional or excludes Spain from its application. He said it was not Spain's intention to obstruct the outcome of next week's NATO summit. But any agreement to raise defense spending — a response to a request by U.S. President Donald Trump — would require unanimous approval by the 32 member states. "Committing to a 5% target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive, as it would move Spain further away from optimal spending and would hinder the EU's ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defense ecosystem," Sanchez wrote in the letter. "It is the legitimate right of every government to decide whether or not they are willing to make those sacrifices. As a sovereign Ally, we choose not to," he added. At an estimated 1.28% of GDP, Spain had the lowest proportion of expenditure on defense in the alliance last year, according to NATO estimates. Sanchez agreed in April to accelerate efforts to meet NATO's current target of 2%. Rutte has proposed that member states agree to boost defense spending to 3.5% of GDP and commit a further 1.5% to broader security-related spending. Leaders across NATO say its current spending goal is no longer sufficient, with Russia posing a greater threat since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Asked for comment on Spain's request, a NATO official said: "Discussions among Allies on a new defense investment plan are ongoing." The U.S., which has been Kyiv's primary military backer since Russia's invasion, spent an estimated 3.38% of GDP on defense in 2024, the third-most among NATO nations, according to the alliance. Trump has said NATO members are not spending their fair share on defense and has threatened not to come to the aid of those falling short. Sanchez, however, said that rushing to a 5% target would harm European Union efforts to become self-reliant in defense production, pushing governments to procure equipment outside the bloc and that it was "incompatible with our welfare state and our world vision." Junior coalition partners, the far-left Sumar platform, oppose any increase, as does the Podemos party, which is not part of the coalition but has supported the government in key votes. Now, a corruption scandal engulfing the prime minister's Socialist party has generated fury among coalition partners and allies, even raising the specter of an early election. "If the government needs parliamentary support to approve spending, it will have a very difficult time in the current situation," Jose Miguel Calvillo, a professor of international relations at the Complutense University of Madrid. Some other NATO members have also questioned the timeline, saying it is too rapid, but are generally willing to sign up, diplomatic sources say. Italy, for example, wants the deadline moved to 2035 from 2032 and the removal of a requirement to increase spending by 0.2% per year, a source with knowledge of the matter said. "It doesn't look good, indeed, but we are not over yet," said one senior European official in relation to Sanchez's letter. "We will have in-depth discussions tomorrow, and perhaps we find a way out. Spain has demonstrated to be a steadfast ally so far."
