Posts made by Spain

On behalf of the Kingdom of Spain, I vote AGAINST this act.

Donald Tusk
Councillor for Spain

BREAKING: JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER TO RETIRE FROM EUROPEAN POLITICS AT THE END OF THIS TERM

Premier Juncker, in a stock picture taken in Europolis

EUROPOLIS - It is the end of an era in the European Union: sources close to Jean-Claude Juncker have announced that he will be retiring from European politics at the end of his last term as Premier Commissioner, something the Spaniard would have confirmed to his team in the European Commission. 68 years old, Jean-Claude has been one of the most influential European politicians of the past years and the main character of many European projects that, nowadays, many citizens rate as "useful" and "worth the investment done by Europe".

Juncker jumped into European politics back in September 2019, when he first ran for the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commissioner, a race that he lost. Nonetheless, victory did not take a long time to arrive: just a few months later, in April 2020 and after one of the most tense campaigns ever seen in Europe, Jean-Claude took victory against Atty. Winston in his second attempt to reach an European position, becoming Internal Affairs Commissioner. During his first term, he released the European Commission mobile app, revived the applications for different European organisations and made history by holding the first-ever European Leaders summit in Europolis.

His second campaign for the Office of the Internal Affairs Commissioner was another record-setting one, with the highest number of summits ever done in an European campaign by any candidate ever, with a total amount of 20 rallies, and visiting every single European Union member state back then. Once again, he defeated Edmund Jasper Winston, and won in every single electoral district of Inquista and Spain. Of course, his victories against Reitzmic candidates and his nationality did not help his reputation to be good in Reitzmag, where a grudge against him still continues to this date. But, despite this, his second term was also historical: Jean-Claude, with the help of the leaders of Inimicus, North Diessen, Spain and the United Duchies managed to make his biggest dream come true: have a trans-European railway to operate between nations. Eurorail, which is the name that this service received, has been one of the biggest EU success of the century.

His achievements in the Internal Affairs Office are not those ones only: during his two terms in that position, Juncker led the way towards an European Green Deal, led the peace talks in Eastern Haane, and put the first stone for projects like EUROPOL. He was also the Commissioner that pushed forward a proposal to celebrate Europe Day, attempted to mediate between Caspian countries after the 'island scandals' that sank his reputation in Reitzmag, proposed an European anti-racism plan, revived the European Heritage Site programme, held summits with Czech Slavia, Leagio, Montenbourg and Angleter and celebrated yet another European Leaders Summit in Europolis. He said 'see you soon' to European politics when he published his first book: I'll Come Back Soon; and rumours in Europolis say another book might be on the works.

However, Juncker took a long time to come back to the first line of European politics: after a series of defeats against former Premier Commissioner Cikarová, Juncker took a break to come back stronger than ever before and win the Premier Commissioner race in a landslide against Calvin Künhert. His first term was, nevertheless, somewhat dissapointing: inactivity soon took over after the passage of the European Agricultural Fund and the designation of Luis de Guindos as the European Central Bank President. He came back in December, to make history twice: he managed to pass the most ambitious budget of the European Union (with the highest investment ever-made on member states, worth 37 billion Euros that were given to the EAF) and became the first-ever candidate to win an European election without running. Write-in ballots showed Jean-Claude the love many Europeans had for him, and after days of thinking, he decided to run for Premier Commissioner one more time.

And in the repetition of the November / December 2022 election, Juncker ran unopposed and won with 10 member states giving him their support. His second term has been better than the first one, submitting a proposal to reform the Council, involving himself in the preparation of the Fourth European Leaders Summit and meeting with Speaker Iras Tilkannas. With his last days in office arriving soon, Jean-Claude Juncker has confirmed us that "surprises will be coming". Juncker and the European Progressive Alliance, the party he has always ran alongside with, and the one he loves the most and calls his family as he does with the Partido Popular in Spain, have started to prepare for what will be one of the saddest departures from European politics of the decade: a truly Europeist politician, that has always considered Europe as his main concern, is retiring. But as Juncker usually says: the show must go on, and fireworks will be used to conclude it.

From EUnews, we wish Jean-Claude Juncker a great retirement from European politics, as he has earned it after years of hard work. He will surely get the same wishes from millions of Europeans, as he earned something not many can affirm they have: the love of the European people. Farewell, Jean-Claude.

Ms. Speaker, I would like to withdraw this amendment.

Jean-Claude Juncker
Premier Commissioner

Nation Name: Spain
Artist: Ana Mena
Song: Las 12
Link to youtube: https://youtu.be/QZITHt9faiQ
Vote deliverer with their image linked: Ruth Lorenzo
Link to your flag: Bandera de España

Juncker opened his microphone and inquired the attendants: "does anyone else wish to say something before the Commission replies to the Duchian Prime Minister?"

DROUGHT: SPAIN AWAITS FOR RAINS THAT NEVER GET TO TOUCH THE COUNTRY

Dramatic pictures like nearly-empty resevoirs are common all around Spain this year

Empty. Close to being empty. Not filled at all. Those three answers are the more common ones when you ask anyone about how their closest resevoir is doing with water. With regions that have not seen any drop of water in more than 60 days, Spaniards fear that one of the worse summers since 1995 might be days away from making its appearance. That year, Spain suffered its worst drought, with water restrictions from north to south, east to west of the nation's territory.

The weather forecast is not promising for farmers and Spaniards: with a high temperatures alert last week, the sun will still shine in most of Spain, with some showers in Galicia and those regions where it rains the most from the North, like Germanium or Asturias. While farmers pray for some rain to fill up resevoirs and dampen their crops, inhabitants from small villages in the north of the region of Granada (Andalucía) await for water trucks to come on their aid: "the water pipe that used to supply our village with water is broken, and the resevoir is mostly empty. In addition, they already cut out the water suminister from 23:00 to 7:00, and the fountain does not have water anymore. This is a disaster", says Remedios, a neighbour of Melejís, with a population of about 500 people.

Meanwhile, autonomies are asking the Government to accelerate what they call 'water works': transfers between rivers and autonomies that would take water from where it rains the most to where it rains the least, but not everyone seems convinced about it, as the autonomies that would see their water supplies reduced complain about 'the risk of running out of water' this decision would bring to their households. Minister de Olano has said the Consejo de Ministros is already working on an emergency plan, but that he hopes for 'rain to come back soon' to the Spanish Kingdom.

Cllr. Mizrachi-Roscoe, the conventions and laws of the United Duchies do not apply in Spain, to put it simple.

In addition, I would like the Speaker to ask the honourable gentleman to go to the Council corner for a moment to reflex on whether calling another Councillor "an idiot" is an appropiate behaviour for this Chamber or not.

Donald Tusk
Councillor for Spain

Councillor Roscoe, with all due respect that I need to have to Council members, refrain from paranoid statements that only intend to heat up the debate. This Constitutional amendment does not target any act, it was not done to target any act and is not promoted by any national Government, but the European Commission. This amendment has been in the works since December 2022, months before the passage of the Freedom of Navigation Act. In addition, the Reproductive Healthcare Act 2021 that you have brought up would not be affected by this amendment, as the text only includes this provision as a requisite to receive a grant from the EHO. That means that women whose countries applied for these grants will still be protected even if the amendment passes.

Stop the alarmism. Europe is not going to stop existing for this Constitutional amendment, women will not be unprotected, millions will not die from hunger and millions will not be put into poverty. Affirming that is simply cheap populism and alarmism that does not help to promote a sensible, polite and correct debate. It just proves my point all over again: Council lawmakers might not be ready to handle certain affairs on their own and they need to see their power reduced. But you are judging me and assuming my ideas, once again, making a huge mistake: I indeed support regulations on waters, I have never shown support for the Spanish proposal on the Strait of Gibraltar and I believe on the Freedom of Navigation Act. I just do not believe on the way you have chosen to implement it. Believe me, I could not care less about the repeal attempt my colleague Cllr. Tusk pushed forward unsuccessfully, I need to care about results of the proceedings of this Chamber, because I stamp my signature on passed acts and passed repeals.

But I agree with you that it is in the European interest to have freedom of navigation. It is not in the European interest, however, to impose solutions without dialogue and manu militari on Member States, because that puts stones on the wheel of the car that takes us to unity. And I am afraid to say that the way you chose is indeed making things complicated.

Jean-Claude Juncker
Premier Commissioner

Cllr. Mizrachi-Roscoe, stop selling this Council your usual Duchian propaganda. The United Duchies has not compromised anything: it has not asked the GSSA authorities to meet, it has not asked the competent Minister over these affairs, Doña Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, to meet with her counterpart of the Duchian Government. The Strait of Gibraltar is rightfully Spanish: we have an act that allows us to claim it as it is under 12NM, the Freedom of Navigation Act 2023 allows us to set up a tax in our waters and before you say that Spain shares the Strait: we do not share it, and we have been controlling the waters you claim that we do not control for 3 years already.

Spain does not give a flying flamingo about the effects our tax on the Strait of Gibraltar has in Duchian goods. The United Duchies also taxes goods going to and coming from the Caspian on its canal, for different reasons to the ones that we tax traffic entering and exiting the Mediterranean, but in the end both do the same. If the United Duchies cares so much about these "negative effects", then what they should do is make their canal free-to-use and prove they really care about European people that much. Nevertheless, and I can make a bet here, the Duchians will not do this, because indeed they only care about when their pockets are touched, and not about when they touch others' pockets. It is not an attack on economic prosperity, it is using the provisions of your disastrous act in our advantage, something that, by the way, any other country is allowed to do.

Answering my friend and colleague Councillor Miliband, Spain does not have any obligations to respect free trade agreements between third parties that are using its territory to get a profit together. Therefore, and again, using the FNA, we have the right to impose a tax to those ships crossing through our Strait and our waters.

Donald Tusk
Councillor for Spain

Councillor Miliband, first of all I would like to clarify this proposal does not come from the Spanish Councillor, but from the European Commission that lies under my command as Premier Commissioner. I believe we should legislate this for a simple reason: during the last months we have seen some concerning attempts to use the Council as a political weapon against other member states, which goes against the principles of the Council itself. This chamber and its powers are not supposed to be matching those of national Governments, this is not a national Government and should not be considered as such.

The European Union is entitled to benefit every single member state, and you, the lawmakers, are suppossed to respect the purpose of our Union. The systematic disrespect that the Commission has observed and that some others have warned that could continue are enough reasons to pursue this Constitutional amendment. However, I agree this region needs way less testosterone and more dialogue and understanding between nations: impositions, no matter where they are done are never the way to fix problems and issues between countries, and I urge the nations that might feel called out by this statement to put their differences away and talk, sit on a table and negotiate. Moreover, if they feel unable to do this alone, the European Commission is there to mediate between them. We are not standing still on serious matters like disputes between member states.

Jean-Claude Juncker
Premier Commissioner

I propose the following amendment:

Amendment VI

ARTICLE II. THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL

Section II. Powers of the European Council

I. The European Council has supreme legislative initiative to create statutory law (Acts) in the European Union. A Bill must garner a simple majority of those present to pass and become an Act.

II. The European Council has sole right to amend anything that has previously been passed into European law. An amendment must garner a simple majority of those present to pass.

III. The European Council has sole right to repeal anything that has previously been passed into European law. A repeal must garner a simple majority of those present to pass.

IV. The European Council may issue non-binding statements to express the opinion of the Council. A statement must garner a simple majority of those present to pass.

V. The European Council may discuss regional affairs with no specific course of action. A Councillor may move to turn the discussion into a type of proposal at any time. If seconded, it then becomes a proposal, subject to the relevant voting procedures. Alternatively, a Councillor may move to table the discussion at any time.

VI. The European Council must act in respect of the political and cultural sovereignty of the member-states of the European Union, and shall not legislate over land or maritime borders and taxes.

VI. VII. The European Council may hold a vote to impeach the Council Speaker, European Commission, European Court of Justice, or any member thereof on the basis of unbecoming conduct or gross negligence in the execution of the office. Such a proposal must garner a super-majority of those present to pass. If a vote of impeachment passes against the Council Speaker, the Commission, or the Court, then that entity must face a by-election or re-appointment as outlined by its relevant election procedures.

VII. VIII. The European Council may reject the dismissal of a European Commissioner by the Premier Commissioner. A rejection must be proposed by the Speaker of the European Council within 48 hours of such a removal, and must garner a super-majority of those present to pass.

The amendment is intended to avoid a legislative chaos, and is based on the one Speaker Tilkannas has proposed. I would those two areas, borders and taxes, to be explicitely reflected on the Constitution. And due to the huge catastrophical effects security or foreign policy limitations would have in our current Acquis Communautaire, I have decided that they should be given up.

Jean-Claude Juncker
Premier Commissioner

No, gracias.

Donald Tusk
Councillor for Spain

Councillor Miwako, it is Mr. Tusk right now who is replying to Councillor Roscoe's remarks. I think that I have had enough discussions with him on the matter, and like you, that we need to focus on the issue rather than on secondary things.

Jean-Claude Juncker
Premier Commissioner

Councillor Roscoe, the European Union has powers, even with this reform, to act against Climate Change. It is called Green New Deal, it was proposed by Premier Commissioner Juncker 2 years ago, continued and taken to a summit by former Internal Affairs Commissioner Birdane and failed because of discrepances between states. Even if there were countries not willing to sign the agreement, it could have been signed by others willing to do so, but that was rejected by the Duchian Government, for example.

This Constitutional reform will not kill millions or put millions into poverty, as the Union will keep the necessary powers to push forward solutions on that areas. It will, however, stop the Council from being used like a divine tool to export failure to other European nations. Let me repeat this clearly: the European Union, after these reforms, is still able to provide international solutions to problems.

By the way, two minor sidenotes: one, if you say something is "possibly a good idea" and that "we should leave the door open", you are advocating for a discussion about said topic in the Council and, if you want to take it further, for its passage. And second, whenever a conflict has broken out in this Union, the European Commission has always solved them per Treaty and not per manu militari, using the Council. In addition, national Governments should be free to decide what to do with taxes in their national territories: Inquista or the Duxburian Union have no corporate tax, if the EU imposes them to have one, have you thought of the consequences of such a thing? I doubt you have.

Donald Tusk
Councillor for Spain

Councillor Mizrachi-Roscoe, I think that you have no idea about how our legislative system works. You are against direct European Union taxes, yet you want to pass laws in the European Union that mandate countries to implement taxes as you wish. The money might not be going for the European Union but Member States, but by passing such ridiculous proposals you would be using the EU to impose direct taxation on European nationals and forcing Government to adapt to a new legislative reality that has been imposed by legislators here, in Europolis. The reality is so simple, Mr. Roscoe, that denying it is pointless at the moment.

You now claim to be "not entirely opposed" to opt-in Treaties, but you have advocated for legislation that is optional for member states not only through your platform, but also in this chamber and in political opinions. Councillor, what sort of bad joke is this? You are similar to a weather vane when it comes to politics, whenver the wind goes to you will point there and shout "this is the correct way, follow me!!". The Duchian Councillor, however, realises about the mistakes he has done and how he, on purpose, forgot about what he defended three, five months ago and tells the Premier Commissioner he does not know anything about the economy, when he has been the Commissioner to propose one of the most ambitious budgets ever in this Union since its creation. Mr. Roscoe, repeat alongside me: "if the European Union passes a law telling countries to tax corporations, the European Union is imposing a tax on European nationals".

During this extensive debate, throughout which I have remained quiet until now, I have seen you are confused about your ELSS membership: in the same statement, you claim to have left the Eurogroup yet you talk in plural 1st person, with sentences like "our beliefs and policies". Mr. Mizrachi-Roscoe, are you in or out? It is a very simple answer, it does not require any studies to say "I am still a member" or "I have definitely left the alliance". However, I find funny that you now advocate for trade standardisation, but at the same time I find it interesting: now that the United Duchies has seen how their proposals cause a huge disadvantage compared to the rest of the European Union, the Duchian Councillor and the owner of one of said nation companies tries to impose, through the European Union's unlimited powers, the Duchian system to everyone else in order to earn a way higer revenue, while filling his mouth with lies like "I am worried about the working class of this region".

The Duchian Councillor goes further on his acussations and says the Premier Commissioner is lying, without any justification, without any proofs of his lies but his words. Mr. Juncker, who is not suspicious of misleading the public, brings proofs to this Chamber, shows Councillors the ELSS policies and Roscoe still denies the evidences. Therefore, Councillor Mizrachi-Roscoe has finally admitted what the European Progressive Alliance has been warning people for ages: the ELSS lies in their key policies and would never do what their members wrote down there. And last, but not least, you say the European Union should just give the money to local boards and let them do whatever with our money, because we do not have an effective administration and people that assume Commission roles do not understand the local context of each nation. Councillor, the people we elect to be our Commissioners are suppossed to understand local contexts or learn about them during their terms, and are capable and ready in most cases to handle European affairs. And more importantly, I can affirm without being afraid to be wrong that Jean-Claude Juncker has been one of the best Commissioners this region has had and that he understands nations' context.

By the way, Mr. Roscoe, if you have nothing better to use as an attack rather than "he is lying and misleading", please refrain from more counterreplies and focus on the point.

Donald Tusk
Councillor for Spain

I would like to urge Councillors to focus on the point of the amendments rather than on discussions that have got nothing to see with the current proposal.

Jean-Claude Juncker
Premier Commissioner

Councillor Roscoe, the money that the European Union does not use in its budget is effectively returned to member states after the passage of our budget. No one here is twisting anything, but you still have not answered my remarks about the purpose of the Union to you back then. I will consider you agree with them and that, back then, the European Union was nonsense to you.

Now, about your Eurogroup departure or re-entry, because it seems you 'never know' with James Mizrachi-Roscoe, the case is you admitted it was regarded as anti-EU, and I quote: "I am afraid the brand of the ELSS is damaged seen as anti-EU". You, Mr. Roscoe, said that the ELSS was a threat to the European Union as it stood against it, why are you changing your ideas now that you have been reminded of it? I guess because you thought it would go unnoticed, but the truth is that it did not and now you have to justify your imposition hunger. Councillor, the European Council nor the Commission were made to impose, they were made to benefit Member States and their citizens, a principle that is even in our Constitution, when in Article III, Section VI, Article II, it says: "The Office of Internal Affairs implements European Union decisions and policies for the benefit of Member States and their citizens". The point is that some Councillors whose names I will not say are using the European Council in a way that only looks for the benefit of some Members, which goes against the Constitutional principle that I have just mentioned.

Continuing with your accussations, you have said that I am a liar, something that many of my rivals have accussed me of and, surprisingly for them, they all were proved wrong. Today we are not going to see an excemption, as I want all Councillors to look at these papers that I am going to show you, extracted from the "key policy document" of the ELSS, that can be found on their webpage and in the European Council webpage. If you click the link, it takes you to a Google Presentation where you can find exactly what I have just said. But if some still do not believe it, these papers will show you I am not lying:

Juncker then starts to show some papers with the ELSS programme

As you can see, either way you are not saying the truth, or the ELSS webpage is lying. Now, you have aimed for the creation of a global corporate tax in Europe, but weren't you against that? (Donald Tusk laughs discretely and silently) Councillor Roscoe, do not try to justify yourself, it is not necessary when you and the Internet have such an extensive record of your political swinging.

Jean-Claude Juncker
Premier Commissioner

It is fine to have a different view on social issues, but it is wrong not to admit your anti-EU era. Back in 2021, you proposed an amendment to the European Budget Act 2012, that was passed and then reammended by this Council, with the following justification: "we could afford to cut down maximum contribution and keep EU purposeful and to the right size". I guess that the honourable gentleman did not believe that the European Union had a purpose back then.

We can go further on this small research about the variation on Councillor Mizrachi-Roscoe's visions about the European Union by looking to his Eurogroup affiliation: He was a member of the European League of Sovereign States until just 25 days ago, when in a statement, he recognised the brand was regarded as "anti-EU" and that he had changed his mind about what Europe needed. Yet, until 25 days ago, James Mizrachi-Roscoe still agreed with the manifesto of the ELSS, and agreed with some parts of this amendment, as their own manifesto claims that their members are "opposed to any attempt to impose direct taxation on member-states of this Union of European Nations", need to "recognise nations rights to protect their unique cultures" and even aimed for an "opt-in free trade and movement area".

Supporting these principles, however, is not being anti-EU; it is being pro-EU and I believed this to be the 3 more reasonable proposals the ELSS had in their manifesto. Visions can variate throughout the years, but we cannot pretend to hide our past. However, Mr. Roscoe is now fully opposed to opt-ins per Treaties, which are the only way of doing such a thing and has been the procedure since the foundation of this Union for what we call 'core matters' and wants to directly tax people using the unlimited power of the European Council. Now, he tries to do what Europe did never ask him to do, but what his followers always wanted: destroy our Union from its legislation. We cannot simply allow that to happen.

Jean-Claude Juncker
Premier Commissioner

I do agree that the amendments would need a rewording, and I would like to thank the Speaker of the Council for bringing up a more detailed proposal, that under my vision would include the areas that I have proposed as restricted for this Chamber. And I am glad to hear that the Speaker has brought an answer to the only question that could arise from her amendments: who does acting in respect of the political and cultural sovereignty of the member-states of the European Union mean.

Councillor Roscoe, you are again mistaking my words: I have not said you are anti-European at the moment, I have instead reminded the Chamber about the days you shared that feeling with other Councillors and leaders of the region. I do not believe the priorities are wrong: countries should have tax autonomy to decide which products, what companies and which people they wish to tax; due to the fact that if Europe did that we would be attacking basic sovereignty of EU member states. At the same time, social issues are included in our Constitution through the UDoHR, therefore the European Union has always had the ability to legislate on those issues, and should still have it.

Jean-Claude Juncker
Premier Commissioner

Councillor Roscoe, I will not accept lessons of Europeism from a man that until a few months ago considered European integration a 'threat to its country's national sovereignty', nor any political attacks to members of the European Commission which I lead that are not on this room today. Please, keep Commissioner Harland out of this discussion, as it is impolite from you to attack someone that cannot defend from your acussations.

Let me begin with the only area we seem to agree on: the crime record. It is true that the amendment I have proposed is not very clear on the matter, and I might need the help of the Council to make it more exact. But the idea over the table that the Speaker and I discussed back in our meeting was not allowing killers, terrorists or thieves that committed huge crimes not to run for a position that is so important not only for the European Union, but for their own nation. The Council spends thousands of Euros per year to keep you all safe, and we need to keep improving safety measures due to the fact that, from time to time, crazy people storm the Chamber and attack some of you. And happenings like this are what makes this amendment so necessary.

On the security topic you have outlined, I would be willing to eliminate that area from my amendment if it would cause much trouble: during my term as Internal Affairs Commissioner, I proposed and supported the creation of an international system to fight against crime, EUROPOL, with something similar being currently discussed in the Council and a proposal to which I have offered my support. Nonetheless, I wanted to make a remark to a misleading fact you have just said: the proposal was not Spanish, but made by the European Commission. This makes me thing, and please correct me if I assumed things too soon, that you believe Commissioners are here to represent their nations and push forward the agenda their home nation would like to see in Europe. That is far from reality, and is a common TIC between Councillors and candidates that usually were once or still are anti-European. I am not devoted to any nation, but to Europe and its people. So please, refrain from ever again saying a proposal made by a Commissioner has a country of origin, it is only and uniquely European.

The thing is, Councillor Mizrachi-Roscoe, that we are unleasing the real European power with this amendment. Because we are regulating the power the EU should have and, indirectly, starting our way towards a new EU for the next years. I already knew some on this Chamber would oppose to lose power, but we cannot allow to have a Council that acts like it was God and can do whatever it wants, whenever it wants. What if someone ever came here with enough support for a piece of legislation that banned armies in Europe and it passed? What if someone proposed a bill to not allow James Mizrachi-Roscoe to ever again have any sort of business in European territory and made your company shut down? I can see you complaining if that happened about "how the Council has massive power over everything". Something you surely did in your anti-EU era, by the way.

In addition, you have implied that this amendment pretends to 'undermine acts that have been agreed by a majority of this chamber', an argument far from the reality. This Commission does not have a stance on any acts the European Council has passed: we might have our personal opinions, but we have not released, and we will not release, any statement against any piece of legislation that this chamber ever discusses or passes. Nevertheless, I as Premier Commissioner believe Europe shall not be able to create pan-European taxes or dictate the borders of its member states throughout legislation, because those areas are sensible, and sensible areas must be addressed throughout Treaties.

The Commission, and this Commissioner, will however work on an amendment to fit your concerns.

Jean-Claude Juncker
Premier Commissioner