from breakfastmtn@piefed.ca to world@lemmy.world on 04 Mar 04:43
https://piefed.ca/c/world/p/568581/spains-sanchez-emerges-as-chief-eu-critic-of-trumps-strikes-on-iran
The Socialist prime minister has slammed the conflict as unjustified and illegal, and now his criticism has sparked the threat of a trade war from the U.S. president.
Only one EU leader has dared to directly challenge U.S. President Donald Trump over the war against Iran, calling it unjustified, dangerous and illegal: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
And Trump has certainly noticed his outspoken critic in Madrid. On Tuesday, he slammed the Spanish government as “terrible” and “unfriendly” over its decision to bar U.S. military planes from using Spanish air bases to attack Iran, before threatening to cut all trade with the EU’s fourth-biggest economy.
Sánchez’s showdown with Trump puts the Spanish Socialist in a similar position to former French President Jacques Chirac, who famously emerged as the most defiant European leader in 2003, appealing to international law and multilateralism in an attempt to corral opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
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I’d feel more enthusiastic about him pushing back if he hadn’t fucking balked at the concept of the EU being more self reliant in defense matters months ago. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very good that he’s criticizing orangeboi and the regime, but in light of the aforementioned bullshit, it smacks a bit of political grandstanding and opportunism to me.
Wasnt Spain calling for an EU army weeks ago?
Honestly though, the EU is capable of defending itself from pretty much any attacker except the US, and maybe China, so I’m not very convinced of the need for a permanent EU army/MiC, especially as it brings with it a huge risk of wishing democracy at a level where the EU already lacks democracy.
An EU army would have already been dragged into a war with Iran, so it’s good actually that individual armies who’s national leaders are more accountable to their national public are deciding if they want to get involved.
More context
Though they’ve recently hiked their spending. Primarily, I was just pointing out that Spain has been a consistent laggard in terms of responding and contributing to EU collective defense concerns and NATO defense guidelines in general. I’m glad that’s changing, but context and past behavior is important to consider.
I agree with him though, increasing spending is a bad idea, it’s just recreating the conditions for world wars.
OFC the US want more spending, they’re an arms dealer with a democracy attached. But the goal of any nation should be to reduce its military spending as a % of GDP, because that means spending more on it’s people.
Really what the EU should be doing is spending the same (or less) but onshoring production so they can get more “bang” for their buck AND stop funding the MiC that helps elect Trump.