The European Union should focus on protecting human rights instead of becoming a “Europe of war,” Yolanda Díaz, Spanish deputy prime minister and president of the left-wing Sumar movement, said on Tuesday (16 April).
In an interview with EFE, partner of Euractiv, Ms. Díaz expressed her concern about the escalation of the war in the Middle East and the situation in Ukraine. She also stressed the crucial importance of diplomacy and peace.
Ms. Díaz, president of Sumar and member of the government coalition, explained that “we need a Europe which has its own project, which progresses towards the Europe of light, of human rights. Today, this project has not been realized.”
She also stressed that “the Europe of war” does not correspond to the “model expected by European citizens”.
The former member of the far-left Podemos party, now almost defunct, said: “We need European diplomacy more than ever, we need peace in Europe more than ever. This growing trend in discourse and public policy in favor of warmongering, of course, opens the door to reaction in Europe.
“Fears are the prelude, as history shows us, to authoritarian forces, and this is what is at stake today in Europe,” she added.
On the other hand, Ms. Díaz harshly criticized the recent European pact on immigration and asylum, which she described as “deeply regressive”.
“Far from this Europe which erects borders and walls, we need a Europe of solidarity, a Europe based on human rights, on inclusion, which, unfortunately, we do not see not today,” stressed the leader of Sumar.
This is not the first time that Ms. Díaz has spoken publicly against the war, against Spain’s military support for Ukraine or categorically rejects Israel’s attacks in the Gaza Strip.
“The extension of the war in the region would have catastrophic consequences; we want peace,” she posted last week on X after Iran’s attacks on Israel.
This article is originally published on euractiv.fr
