How to become a zero to the left in the international political sphere
- Acting as a world leader in the Middle East
- The courtesy that prevents us from saying no, but not yes either
Few things are worse than having earned a reputation for not keeping one's word, for changing criteria from one day to the next, for saying white today and black tomorrow. This, together with Pedro Sánchez's domestic policy of fostering division among Spaniards and allying himself with Catalan and Basque separatists, has made him an irrelevant leader on the international stage and a zero to the left among influential political leaders, and so it goes!
Sánchez's international tour in favour of the recognition of the Palestinian state was anticipated on Tuesday, 9 April, by the government spokesperson and Minister of Education, Vocational Training and Sport, the Zaragoza-born Pilar Alegría. It was at the press conference after the Council of Ministers.
No sooner had Pilar Alegría begun her refrain than she paused... She put on a serious face and, without a drum roll or a blast of trumpets, proclaimed solemnly: "Allow me to make an announcement of special importance" ...
Surprised faces, furrowed brows, attentive ears, expectation among the journalists... And the one who acts as Education Minister in her spare time continued: "This week, the President of the Government begins a series of trips, meetings and contacts with European and international leaders, to share his concern for the situation in Gaza and the need to push for the recognition of Palestine as a state".
Acting as a world leader in the Middle East
All said and done. Pedro Sánchez has fulfilled his great historical objective as the great world political leader he claims to be. He has sidelined US President Joe Biden and China's Xi Jinping. Also Germany's Olaf Scholz, France's Emmanuel Macron and, of course, Russia's Vladimir Putin. What do they know about the perennial conflict between Arabs and Jews!
In one of the Falcón jets that the Spanish Air and Space Force provides him with, the head of the Spanish Executive flew from here to there, on an apotheosic and successful tour of half the planet. Oh, no, it was only a tour of four capitals!
But the fact is that he has met with the most important world leaders... Oh, not that he has met with the prime ministers of Norway, Ireland, Slovenia, Belgium and the recently elected Prime Minister of Portugal, who has come to the Moncloa, well, it doesn't matter! But he has spoken to those at the helm of a number of European countries.
What is certain is that Sánchez's meetings with his counterparts have resulted in full support for his initiative from the chief executives of Oslo, Dublin, Ljubljana, Brussels and Lisbon. All of them have backed the immediate recognition of Palestine as a state. Ah! it's not going to be that way, they have told him that "it's not the time", "we'll see", "it's better to wait for a UN resolution", "when the right circumstances arise", "call me whenever you want and we'll talk", "say hello to your wife for me".
And the fact is that the man who is the leader of the alliance of parties that make up the Spanish government has tried to arrogate to himself the role of global champion and defender of the international recognition of the State of Palestine... and it has backfired on him. It is not pleasant, because it means that, in a way, all Spaniards have been slammed in the door.
The courtesy that prevents us from saying no, but not yes either
The prime ministers with whom he has met have heeded Moncloa's call, have received him with condescension and have allowed him to express his thoughts on the critical situation of the people of Gaza and the all-out war between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists - as if they didn't know!
But none of those who smiled at Sánchez's arrival bought the motorbike that the Spaniard wanted to sell them: recognising the Palestinian state in the remainder of the first half of this year. Instead of refusals, they have dragged their feet and used euphemisms that, to the wise, a few words are enough.
Because, at the highest level, in the field of diplomacy and foreign policy between states, courtesy and good words prevail, and the word NO is avoided. The national interests of each of Pedro Sánchez's five interlocutors are above all else, especially when the reports of their ambassadors in Spain and their respective intelligence services had alerted them with something like... "let it pass".
In short, the Spanish president's initiative comes at an inappropriate moment and has not convinced. Without an agreed ceasefire, with gunfire and explosions causing daily deaths and injuries in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli hostages captured by Hamas without being released, the indescribable pain of their families and the insufferable suffering of the people of Gaza, where are you going, chapulín?
It is good to remember the fifth rule of St Ignatius of Loyola's first week of spiritual exercises, which goes like this: "In time of desolation, never make a move". I would like to think that Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares will have reminded his master Pedro of this dictum. The two go about the world as if they were clever, but one, Albares, listens to what he pompously says and the other, Sánchez, attributes to others what they have not said. They are not twins, but what a pair!