Emmanuel Macron begins a two-day state visit to Spain on Tuesday, September 29, with the stated objective of strengthening relations between Paris and Madrid. The program includes official ceremonies in Madrid, meetings with students, an economic forum, and a meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez.
The first day was largely devoted to protocol.
The French president and his wife, Brigitte Macron, are to be welcomed at midday by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia at the royal palace. A luncheon is then planned at the Zarzuela Palace, the royal couple’s Madrid residence, followed by a meeting between Emmanuel Macron and students from the Complutense University.
The academic discussion will focus on protecting democracies and young people in the age of social media, according to the French presidency. Emmanuel Macron wants to ban these platforms for those under 15. Pedro Sánchez advocates a similar objective, with an age limit set at 16. The day is scheduled to conclude with a gala dinner at the royal palace.
Economy and diplomacy on the agenda Wednesday
On Wednesday, economic and political issues will take center stage. Emmanuel Macron and Felipe VI are scheduled to open a Franco-Spanish economic forum bringing together business leaders. The French president will then meet with Pedro Sánchez at the Moncloa Palace, before a joint press conference.
This is the first state visit by a French president to Spain since that of Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009. The Élysée presents this trip as an opportunity to « enhance » relations between the two countries and to highlight their convergences, particularly on the European agenda and the idea of increased sovereignty for the continent.
There were commonalities despite a somewhat distant relationship.
Emmanuel Macron and Pedro Sánchez, in power since 2017 and 2018 respectively, share a pro-European stance, but have never displayed any particular closeness. They have recently found common ground on the recognition of a Palestinian state and their opposition to the war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran. In France, however, some on the left criticize the president for not adopting as firm a position as that of the Spanish leader.
France and Spain signed a friendship treaty in Barcelona in 2023, aimed at strengthening their bilateral relations. Its ratification by the Spanish parliament was blocked by the right-wing opposition. According to information provided by the French presidency, the Spanish courts ruled the week before the visit that the contested provision was constitutional. Paris now hopes that the ratification process will be completed.
The visit takes place as Pedro Sánchez is weakened by legal cases, particularly those involving his wife, while Spain grapples with a housing crisis. The Spanish government was also shaken during the summer by the influx of migrants into Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa. France offered its support to Madrid at the time.
Source: France 24 – News & current events – Live international news (www.france24.com)
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Author: FRANCE 24
