With a marked symbolism, the twenty-seventh Spanish-French summit has served to stage the significant step forward that diplomatic relations between the two states are taking. The signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation -also called the Treaty of Barcelona for the scene of the meeting- between Pedro Sánchez and Emmanuel Macron places the relations of France and Spain at the same level as those that the French country has with Germany and Italy and allows to Sánchez attribute clear success on the international front.
With the usual bombastic words in these cases, they consider that this Thursday’s summit has been “historic” -according to Sánchez-, while the culmination of the Treaty means solving an “anomaly” between the two neighboring states. Both presidents have insisted on the will to strengthen aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia, while the document focuses on establishing a close collaboration between the two states to gain influence in the European Union.
The energy issue has been one of the key issues of the summit, to the point that it is now possible to speak of an alliance between Madrid and Paris to reform the European electricity market, in line with the Iberian exception that has been underway since last June . Accelerating the transition towards decarbonised sources -with the H2Med hydroduct project as its emblem- or improving the energy interconnection between the two states are other points in this folder that have been addressed in Barcelona.
At the same time, Sánchez has also managed to convey his particular message of “institutional normality” with Catalonia, since despite the noisy and numerous -although not massive- protest of the independence movement, the summit was able to be held without problems in the majestic Museu Nacional d’ Art de Catalunya (MNAC), with the presence of the president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, at the reception ceremony for the PSOE leader himself and the French president. Despite everything, the pro-independence mobilization, which has brought together thousands of people -6,500, according to the Guàrdia Urbana de Barcelona, a figure that the organizers raise to 30,000-, has shown that the political conflict is still alive, although the situation has nothing to do with it. see with that of 2017.
The electrical and railway interconnections -the famous Mediterranean Corridor-, immigration, the reopening of the nine small border crossings that Paris has kept closed for more than two years or the signing of bilateral agreements on Defense have been other issues addressed. in a meeting that has involved the presence in the Catalan capital of the two presidents and 10 ministers from each side.
In addition to Sánchez, three vice presidents -Nadia Calviño, Yolanda Díaz and Teresa Ribera- and the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Education, Transport and Culture have participated on the Spanish side, who in all cases have met privately with their their respective French counterparts before the plenary session that brought together the two entire delegations.
There will be expansion…
