Philip VI praised the European Commission’s role in preserving the principles and values ​​of the European project

On Friday, King Philip VI emphasized the European Commission’s role in protecting the principles, values, rights, freedoms, prosperity and peace it stands for. European project Far from paraphrasing philosopher José Ortega and Gasset, he remarked that “Europe, far from being a problem, is the solution”. The king delivered the speech at the closing ceremony of the 28th session of the World Conference of Jurists, chaired by Spaniard Javier Cremades, at the United Nations headquarters in New York. And in this act, the King presented the most important prize of the Congress, the International Prize for Peace and Freedom, which in this version was awarded to the European Commission and which was received by its President, Ursula von der Leyen.

In front of the President of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, some thirty presidents of court from around the world and with the power of more than a thousand laws from 70 countries, the King reaffirmed the role of the European Commission not only as the representative of the European Union’s general interests in the world, but also as a trustee of treaties. in a marked context to the war in Ukraine As polarization grew, Felipe VI appealed to the need for a strong European Commission. “At a time when our institutions and rules are increasingly being questioned, the European Commission has shown us the value of moderation and centralization as key to the practice of politics,” he said.

These actions and attitudes are at the heart of democracy and essential to its preservation. Because as Europeans I think we clearly share the belief that democracy is the soul of Europe,” the king added, referring to Spain’s willingness to join forces in European integration. Spain currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The king said that the image of Europe as a project of hope, guaranteeing the well-being of all, “for our countries and our societies,” as it is, “the most important multinational integration project in our recent history,” acquired special significance on Friday “at the United Nations headquarters, the place where we must guarantee the future of our planet,” referring to the words he addressed to the United Nations General Assembly in 2016.

Almost a year and a half has passed since the start of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Since then, we have seen war return to the continent [europeo]We have seen how the pillars on which we built our European model have been seriously challenged,” concluded the king. “Today we are witnessing a struggle between two worldviews: one of power and oppression, and one of intolerance and exclusion. and the other, European, based on the values ​​contained in Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union, such as democracy, human dignity, freedom, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights.” He pointed out that European values ​​are basically compatible with the principles of the United Nations Charter.

In a bilingual speech, in English and French, Trudeau also praised the European Union’s role as a melting pot of languages ​​and peoples and for bringing “peace and prosperity to Europe for decades.” Trudeau may have been the most Aurobid Of all Americans, that Brexit, Euroscepticism, protectionism, and populism have threatened the European project and the United States at the same time or successively, in this case under Trump’s banner America first (USA first). But in the face of the challenges of disintegration, Trudeau stressed that Canada, like the European Union, stands up for values ​​against isolation. Trudeau praised von der Leyen’s “calm leadership”, calling her “the real difference for Europe, Canada and the whole world”.

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In her acceptance speech for the award, the Chair of the Committee noted that “Peace through the rule of law is also the story of a united Europe (…). in Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, as well as in the Western Balkans. This is the promise of Europe: a united continent, with all equal before the law, with freedom and democracy for all.”

As in King’s and Trudeau’s interventions, the war in Ukraine occupied a large part of von der Leyen’s speech. European leader defended Peace plan of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, as a “starting point for any negotiations” and positively assessed the reforms that the country is carrying out on its way to the European Union. Putin has brought war back to the European continent. This war violates the founding principles of the United Nations, which is why Europe will continue to support Ukraine as long as it takes (…). Ukraine is not only fighting for its freedom. Ukraine is fighting for the freedom of all countries, because this is the principle of the UN Charter. Nobody wants peace more than the people of Ukraine. The Chairman of the Committee stressed that a lasting peace can only be built on the foundations of international law.

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