The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, did not hold back this morning as he criticized the foreign policy approach of the Popular Party (PP), asserting that they are "absolutely incapable of governing." Discussing the uproar caused by xenophobic remarks regarding the French national football team made by former president Mariano Rajoy, Albares urged the PP to cease its "boycott" of Spain's foreign policy and its relationships with neighboring countries like France, Morocco, and Algeria.
Albares Defends French Players' Nationality
Upon arriving in Brussels for a meeting with the foreign ministers of the twenty-seven EU member states, where he plans to discuss the issue with the French representative, Albares declared that "of course" all players on the French team are French, just as all players wearing the Spanish national jersey are Spanish, referencing players Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams as examples. He emphasized the importance of former government leaders acting responsibly in their public statements, calling for Feijóo, leader of the PP, to disavow Rajoy's controversial comments, describing them as a dangerous "poison" that has sparked significant outrage in France.
Albares Calls for Reflection on the Opposition's Actions
Albares articulated that the situation is more serious than it seems, warranting a "broader reflection" from the opposition party, which this week is "sabotaging" the friendship and cooperation treaty with France through an absurd constitutional complaint that exists only in their minds. He pointed out that the PP is clearly positioning itself as an anti-French party in the north and has long been an anti-Moroccan party in the south, adopting openly belligerent stances against the extraordinary friendship that Spain has developed with Morocco. Moreover, he accused them of defaming another significant neighbor, Algeria, by suggesting they would cut off gas supplies, despite Algeria being a reliable supplier. He also criticized their attempts to poison the relationship with Mexico, a brotherly nation.
"In the name of what foreign policy, in the name of what friendship policy, in the name of what European policy does Mr. Feijóo and the Popular Party conduct themselves in this manner?" Albares questioned, adopting a more serious tone than usual. He reiterated, "I understand that one may not speak languages, but there is a language that everyone must understand; it is the language of neighborhood, the language of friendship, the language of great partners such as France, Morocco, Algeria, and our brotherly peoples like Mexico."
As reported by lavanguardia.com.
