Interview with Arancha González Laya on Radio Euskadi about the French elections won by Macron

Arancha Gonzalez LayaDean of the School of International Affairs in Paris and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of the Government of Spain, celebrated Radio Euskadi’s victory over Radio Euskadi’s ‘Boulevard’ Emmanuel Macron in the presidential elections in France, because “the solutions will not come from nationalism or populism” or Marine LePen, but of “Europe and of taking care of our liberal democracies”. “This is the lesson taught by the French“, he thinks.

For the donostiarra, Le Pen’s victory “would have been the victory of Putin and his theses”, that is, the “authoritarian policy”, and a “very big defeat for Europe”. In contrast, with Macron’s victory, “European, centrist and targeted policies” win. Despite this, González Laya says Macron has “understood” the abstinence message, which is why in his election night speech he said “clearly we need a political re-foundation”. “Now he has to convince all those French citizens who do not see themselves represented in the current political system, neither in its institutions nor in its political culture,” he explains.

As for the left, the former minister believes that she presented herself very fragmented in the elections. “The lesson is that you need to add up and be able to smooth out rough edges and leave behind some things that one has as aspiration” to come to an agreement “if one wants to rule”; a lesson, according to González Laya, also valid for Spain. He explains that the socialist candidate, Anne Hidalgo , that in failed to get 2% of the vote in the first round, tried to break through the fragmentation, but “many” said no.

According to the war in UkraineGonzález Laya believes that the “European response” of economically sanctioning Russia “will also cost us Europeans, and it will cost us a little more”, but the cost is necessary. To be powerful it must cost us‘, she thinks. The former minister explains that the purpose of the sanctions is that Russia “cannot in any way fund this illegal war”, despite the fact that “there is still some of the gas that we continue to source”. “Our effort must be to try by all means to stop the war,” through “economic and financial suffocation and political pressure.”

Finally, referring to the turn of the government of Spain in its policy regarding the former Spanish colony of Western SaharaGonzález Laya has said he will not comment on “the decisions of the government of which I have been a part” because of “a matter of hygiene and political respect”. However, the former minister has stressed “how important it is for Spain and the European Union to have the best relations with its partners and neighbours”, referring to Morocco, with which the government of Pedro Sánchez has joined in its proposal for autonomy for the Western Sahara, on the sidelines of the celebrations of a UN-sponsored self-determination referendum.