JAVIER ZARZALEJOS IN SAN SEBASTIÁN

On Friday, September 12, MEP Javier Zarzalejos carried out an intense day in San Sebastián, with several events focused on the major challenges facing Spain and the European Union.

The day began with his participation in a round table as part of the Basque Parliament’s Summer Courses, alongside MEPs Oihane Agirregoitia from the PNV, Idoia Mendia from the PSOE, and Pernando Barrena from EH Bildu. In his remarks, Zarzalejos defended Basque parliamentarianism and the significant decentralization that characterizes Spain. He also stressed that Europe is going through a crucial moment marked by Russia’s war against Ukraine and Russian violations of European airspace, by the risk of losing competitiveness against other major powers, and by the challenge of immigration—highlighting in this area the importance of the Migration and Asylum Pact as a common response to a challenge that affects the entire Union.

That same day, Zarzalejos held a meeting with the Vice President of the Gipuzkoa Chamber of Commerce, accompanied by the President of the Gipuzkoa People’s Party, Muriel Larrea. The meeting addressed issues related to competitiveness and the implementation of European funds. The MEP underlined that, despite Spain being the main beneficiary of these funds, only 26% of them have been executed, without effectively reaching small and medium-sized enterprises.

The day concluded with a discussion with Nuevas Generaciones of Gipuzkoa, moderated by its president Adrián Ortuñez, in which once again the major challenges of the Union and the need to provide them with a strong and pro-European political response were raised.

In this context, Zarzalejos also warned about the serious situation of the rule of law in Spain, a country that, he stated, can hardly be recognized any longer as a parliamentary democracy due to institutional deterioration and the corruption surrounding the current Government. He also criticized the stance of the PNV for maintaining its support for an executive trapped in this dynamic, which in his view undermines the credibility of the political system and worsens the process of institutional breakdown.