Javier Milei landed in Spain to politically sponsor Santiago Abascal and has ended up campaigning for Pedro Sánchez. The statements of the president of Argentina at a Vox event last Sunday, in which he attacked his Spanish counterpart, calling him a “creature screwed to power” and defamed his wife, Begoña Gómez, whom he accused of being “corrupt” , have led to a diplomatic clash between both countries. The Government's reaction was immediate. That same afternoon, Moncloa distributed an institutional statement from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, in which he demanded an immediate request for public excuses and announced that the Spanish ambassador in Buenos Aires would be called for consultations “sine die” for what interpreted as a direct attack on the “sovereignty” of the country.
This call within the diplomatic action escalated one more point yesterday with Albares' decision to summon the Argentine ambassador in Madrid. The amplification of the diplomatic crisis is unprecedented and has not been reflected in controversial situations that have been experienced until now with other countries such as Algeria, Morocco or in recent weeks with Israel, due to the attacks in the Gaza Strip. Despite the fact that the Government was accused of being aligned with Hamas, the Spanish ambassador in Tel Aviv was summoned for a “harsh reprimand” or the ambassador in Spain was withdrawn, Foreign Affairs did not then activate any reciprocity measure with Israel. A circumstance that the coalition partners were quick to remind the Executive.
Now we choose to go to the crash. Faced with an intolerable and unjustifiable attack that also violates the due presumption of innocence of the president's wife, it has been decided to exploit the controversy for electoral benefit. In the run-up to the campaign for the European elections – which officially starts this Friday – the PSOE is already using the clash with Milei to show the risk of the advance of the “far-right international” for democracy. In this context, and as he did in the 23J campaign, Sánchez presents himself as the brake – or the wall – to put a stop to it. In Moncloa and Ferraz they are aware of the impact that the specter of the extreme right has to mobilize the progressive forces, less receptive in the European contest than in the national ones, and also to weaken the position of the Popular Party, whom they assimilate with Vox in each public appearance.
The President of the Government took advantage of his intervention yesterday at an economic forum to keep the pulse going. A pulse that serves to project himself as Milei's antagonist for June 9. Sánchez presented Spain and Argentina as “two brother countries” that “love and respect each other” and although he apologized for the fact that “affections are free between governments,” he did claim that “respect is inalienable.” In this sense and, in accordance with the “dignity of democracy and the ties of brotherhood that unite us,” the Spanish president assessed that his counterpart “has not been up to the task.” At this point, the Chief Executive once again demanded a public apology and anticipated that, if not – Argentina has already declined any excuses -, the response will be “in accordance with the dignity of Spanish democracy.” The Foreign Office reserves the right to announce what actions will be taken if this apology request is not met.
Sánchez also recalled what “we experienced in Madrid” this Sunday, alluding to the conclave of far-right parties organized by Vox in Vistalegre, to warn “of the risk of the far-right international” in the face of the next European elections. In this sense, he demanded that the rest of the parties close ranks, because “defending institutions from insults and defamation does not understand ifs or buts.” “Beyond ideology is education and patriotism,” he said. The president also wanted to rescue one of the calls that Abascal made during the event, in which he harangued to “kick out and run with hats” to the Government. A statement that, being a legitimate government, Sánchez criticized as “undemocratic” and that demands “a condemnation” because it represents “an explicit appeal to political violence.”
Along the same lines, they demonstrated from the federal headquarters of the PSOE, where they launched an even greater depth charge against the PP, which was accused of deploying an “imposed, false” and “cheap” patriotism, from “Aliexpress.” The strategy of the socialists is to exploit the diplomatic crisis that has arisen to present themselves as the alternative to the “ultra wave.” “There is no greater threat to Europe,” said PSOE spokesperson Esther Peña.
At a press conference, Peña used this situation to his electoral advantage, conveying “the importance of citizens betting on the PSOE to win these European elections.” With the same line of argument that was already used for July 23, Ferraz proposes the appointment with the polls as a dilemma between “regress or advance” towards a Europe “with more rights or with more rights.” A Europe in which Spain has become a “reference” of “jogo bonito” compared to the Europe “of arms raised.” “We already did it in the general elections and we will do it again in the European elections,” stated the spokesperson, alluding to stopping the PP and Vox agreement.
It is expected that the intervention that Sánchez will make tomorrow in the Congress of Deputies, in the form of a monographic appearance, and which will serve as the launch of the PSOE's campaign to the European ones, will be marked by this issue. It is also anticipated that this will be the forum chosen by the President of the Government to advance the definitive date of recognition of the Palestinian State. An intervention monopolized by international politics to put its formation into electoral orbit.