Pedro Sánchez is willing to go all the way in the diplomatic crisis with Argentina caused by the words of its president, Javier Milei. The Spanish president has demanded “respect” from Milei —who called Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, “corrupt” on Sunday— and has pointed out that if there is no retraction, the Spanish government will take measures and there will be a “response in line with the dignity that the Spanish democracy represents”. Sánchez has emphasized “the bonds of brotherhood that unite Spain and Argentina” and has stated that the Argentinian president “has not lived up to that relationship.” He has also called for the collaboration of large Spanish companies —many of which met with Milei on Sunday— and has accused Vox leader Santiago Abascal of encouraging “political violence” against the Socialists.
Sánchez does not believe that Milei’s words are an isolated incident but rather that they are part of a context of an “ultra-right international” that, in his opinion, is “putting at risk the values of economic progress, social justice, and coexistence” that are the foundation of countries like Spain and Argentina. The president has wanted to separate this tension between governments from the unity of two countries with many types of relationships like Argentina and Spain. “We are two brother countries that love and respect each other. What we experienced yesterday in Madrid does not reflect what the Spanish and Argentinians feel, of two peoples that helped each other in difficult times to rise. It does not reflect the common roots we share. I am fully aware that the person who spoke yesterday did not do so on behalf of the great Argentine people,” he said at the economic forum organized by Cinco Días, a Prisa group newspaper.
The leader of the Spanish Socialist Party has demanded that all Spanish political parties condemn Milei’s words unequivocally, in a clear reference to the Popular Party, although they did not criticize the Argentine president on Sunday. “Defending Spanish institutions from insults from foreign leaders does not allow for buts. Patriotism comes first,” Sánchez said. At the Vox rally in Madrid on Sunday, Milei, who had been invited, stated: “They don’t know what kind of society and country socialism can produce and what type of people entrenched in power and levels of abuse it can generate. Even if his wife is corrupt, gets dirty, and takes five days to think it over.” He was clearly referring to the period of reflection that Pedro Sanchez took at the end of April to decide if he would continue in office after a judge opened an investigation into his wife, Begoña Gómez.
In a very serious tone, with clear political undertones of the upcoming European elections campaign starting on Thursday night, the Spanish president has also criticized Vox for that rally. The leader of the Spanish far-right, Santiago Abascal, made an “explicit call to political violence” at that meeting with Milei, according to Pedro Sánchez. “Saying that a legitimate government should be kicked out with blows and hits is undemocratic and requires a firm condemnation from all political parties and media outlets,” he continued. Sánchez ended his speech by calling on companies to also get involved in defending democracy against the rise of the far-right, a wave that threatens not only political values but also the social and economic values on which these companies have grown, “children of democracy”. He cites the example of some thirty large companies in Germany who have supported a campaign against the far-right, and encourages Spanish companies to follow suit. So far, no Spanish companies have done so, although some have criticized Milei for his words against Sánchez.
