The diplomatic clash between Spain and Argentina reached its climax this Sunday when the Spanish Executive called the Spanish ambassador in Argentina, María Jesús Alonso, for consultations “sine die.” The reason? The words of the Argentine president, Javier Mileiin a Vox act against the president of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sanchezand his wife, Begoña Gómez, who describe it as a “frontal attack on our democracy, our institutions and Spain.”
The Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albaresthat appeared on behalf of the Government to ask for explanations and demand that Milei apologize, something that will not happen as they have already advanced from the Argentine Executive, his journey through the media has begun. Given that the Argentine leader will not rectify his words, the Spanish Foreign Minister has announced on the program “Más de Uno”, by Carlos Alsina, that this very morning has summoned the Argentine ambassador in our country to demand those apologies. An apology that extends to Vox, and more specifically to its leader, Santiago Abascalby “welcome and cheer” Milei's attack to Spanish institutions. “As a Spaniard, it hurt me to see those images of Spaniards applauding a president who insulted Spanish institutions,” she concluded.
Because “this frontal attack cannot be allowed,” he insisted. However, when asked what the next step will be if the Milei Executive refuses to rectify, Albares has avoided going into the substance of the issue and has limited himself to “reassuring” the Argentines and Spaniards who have some interest in that country: “We will not take any measure that harms them, but we are going to defend our institutions.” Tone that he hardened in a later interview on Cadena Ser, where, in a more blunt tone, he assured that if the long-awaited apologies do not arrive, “we will act accordingly if they do not occur”.
At this point, the Foreign Minister has turned his speech to also attack the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, whom he has accused of always positioning himself as the opposition, instead of supporting the Spanish institutions and the Sánchez Government. What's more, he demands that he behave as he once did. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero with his predecessor José María Aznaror as the PSOE did with Mariano Rajoy when he recalled the ambassador in Caracas in 2015. “I am not asking the PP to stop being the opposition, but I am asking the PP to defend the Spanish institutions,” he has reiterated on several occasions.
Begoña Gómez, the key
Besides, Albares has tiptoed over Milei's words against Begoña Gómez. Far from entering fully into the matter, the Foreign Minister has assured that “this goes far beyond specific people”, even beyond the person of Pedro Sánchez, because “we are talking about institutions.” Thus, he has insisted that “this transcends political ideas, It is not about the defense of specific people or specific ideas.“It is the defense of the institutions.” And at this point he has once again attacked Abascal, for not having stopped the rally at that moment, and against Feijóo for not supporting the Government.
“We cannot allow interference in internal affairs. A president does not go to the capital of another country to attack the institutions of that country,” Albares reproached the Argentine leader, and reiterated that, despite not having requested any meeting with Spanish institutions, “he has been welcomed” and “all the public means necessary for such an important position as the president of Argentina have been made available to him.”