The International Democratic Union elects Gabriel Mato, MEP from the Canary Islands and Secretary for International Policy of the PP, as Vice-President
The International Democratic Union (IDU), which brings together 46 conservative, Christian Democrat and liberal political groups in Europe, has elected the Canary Islands MEP and Secretary for International Policy of the Partido Popular, Gabriel Mato, as Vice-President of the group during its General Assembly in the German capital.
During his speech at the Forum, held in Berlin, in which Mato reviewed the current political situation in Spain in general and the PP in particular, the MEP highlighted the change of political cycle that Spain is currently undergoing and which is being led by the Partido Popular. The MEP highlighted the recovery that his party is undergoing, recovering its leadership in the Spanish political context.
As an example, he cited "the overwhelming victory" of the party in the Andalusian elections, where it achieved an absolute majority; a great achievement considering that this is a historically socialist community, where the PSOE has governed for almost four decades, but which "has been tinged with blue in recent elections", he said.
For Gabriel Mato, this victory, together with that of Madrid in May 2021 and that of Castilla y León last February, are the beginning of a new electoral cycle, which he expects to continue in the next general elections.
Thus, he considers that, at this time, "Spaniards are betting on management, stability, growth and employment; they are looking for a different way of doing politics with a serious, reliable and moderate approach to understanding public service and institutional matters". And, in this context, "the Partido Popular is the best option".
In his appearance, Mato stressed that "seriousness, honesty and rigour are our personal brand and are the opposite of the frivolity and radicalism now represented by Pedro Sánchez and his far-left government"
The PP: a majority alternative
Gabriel Mato also alluded to the "profound crisis" that the country is suffering and pointed out that "if the government does not react, then we, the Partido Popular, offer a majority alternative, focused and prepared to give our country the government it deserves". In this sense, he pointed out that, thanks to the leadership of the Popular President Alberto Núñez Feijóo, very constructive proposals are being made.
In this regard, he highlighted actions that have recently been proposed to improve the situation in the country. Among them, "we have urged the European Commission to allow the temporary suspension of the tax on hydrocarbons to lower inflation, and we have asked the European Central Bank to continue to prevent interest rates from rising exponentially so that the Government can invest funds efficiently," he said.
On the other hand, he expressed his concern about foreign policy since Pedro Sánchez took office, such as the change in Spain's historic position on Western Sahara, distancing itself from the position of the United Nations, or the "uncertain relationship" with Morocco. In the latter case, he gave as an example the maritime borders of the waters off the Canary Islands, which are "continually at risk of being unilaterally delimited by Morocco", he said.
Another major concern in this area is "the situation with Algeria, which has recalled its ambassador to Madrid for consultations, has suspended the Friendship Treaty, has warned that gas prices for Spain will be revised and has suspended all trade", he explained.
With regard to the situation in Latin America, he highlighted how the radical left holds power in countries such as Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, among others. For this reason, he explained the need to lead the defence of the rule of law, democracy and human rights. "Spain has never played such a minor role, but it is difficult to take measures when our government has allied itself with Spanish left-wing radicalism, which is aligned with the same radicalism in Latin America", he said.