Brussels (EFE) that they will fulfill “their obligations” in that role.
The decision of the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, to advance the general elections, scheduled for the end of the year, to next July 23, after the poor results of the Socialists in the local and regional elections last Sunday, “is a decision that it is totally in the hands of the Spanish authorities and that the European Commission fully respects”, said the main spokesman for this institution, Eric Mamer, at a press conference today.
The spokesman alluded to the “comments of President Sánchez saying that, of course, Spain will fulfill its obligations as presidency of the Council, without taking into account the fact that there will be elections or taking into account, rather, the fact that there will be elections in Spain and we will work with the Spanish authorities to make sure that is the case.”
“We will be in contact with the Spanish authorities to guarantee that, whatever the political context in which Spain finds itself on the eve of and after these elections, the legislative work of the European Union can continue its normal course”, stressed Mamer, in allusion to the “important legislative files under discussion between the Council and Parliament” that exist at this time.
Fifth rotating presidency of Spain of the EU
This semester it is expected that a decision will be made on opening the accession negotiation process with Ukraine, the reform of the Stability and Growth Pact will be negotiated, and progress will be made in the reforms of the electricity market, and the migration and asylum pact, among others .
“This is all I can say about it,” said Mamer, who said he was “unaware of any contact between the Spanish authorities and the Commission before the announcement of the Spanish elections,” but added that he does not believe ” that it is habitual to do it”.
Spain assumes its fifth rotating presidency of the Council of the EU on July 1, in the first week of that month the traditional trip of the College of Commissioners to the country that assumes that role is made, in the second it is expected that Sánchez will appear before the European Parliament in its plenary session in Strasbourg (France) to present Spanish priorities and in the third, on July 17 and 18, the EU-Celac summit is scheduled, a few days before the Spanish go to the polls.