Posts made by Spain

Nation Name: The Kingdom of Spain
Artist: David Bisbal
Song: Todo es Posible en Navidad
Link to youtube: Link
Vote deliverer with their image linked: Ruth Lorenzo
Link to your flag: Bandera de España

Ladies and gentlemen, a very good evening and welcome to the 46th Edition of the EuroVoice Song Contest!

We are finally back. Ten months after Ineland's Cherine victory, Spain will hold this EuroVoice edition after being chosen by the EUBC to do so; after Ineland's inactivity on the preparations that the competition requires. We apologise for the delay on behalf of the Inelandic broadcaster and the EUBC.

With that said, Christmas is around the corner and the European Union Broadcasting Comittee and Radio Televisión Española (RTVE) would like to welcome you to Málaga, the 2nd largest city in Andalucía. Tonight, we embark into our first as most as possible Christmas-themed edition, as Málaga is one of the most visited places in Spain during this festive season, when millions travel back home to reunite with their families and friends.

However, as we understand Christmas might not be celebrated everywhere in Europe, this edition's Christmas theme is not mandatory, but encouraged. So, if nations find a good Christmas song to send, feel free to do so! But if your nation does not find one, you have nothing to worry about - your entry will still be accepted!

ENTRY FORM

**Nation Name:**
**Artist:**
**Song:**
**Link to youtube:**
**Vote deliverer with their image linked:**
**Link to your flag:**

Entry deadline runs from now until 13th December 2024, 10 GMT

BREAKING - MÁLAGA TO HOST EUROVOICE 46

The Andalusian city will host this 'Christmasy' edition

The mystery has been solved. Málaga, located in Andalucía, will host the 46th edition of the EuroVoice Song Contest, after the decision of the European Union Broadcasting Corporation of removing Ineland from hosting and holding the contest, due to inactivity on the preparations that the competition requires. Radio Televisión Española was the selected broadcaster after an internal discussion, with the offer being presented solely to the nation that had been selected by the EUBC, following some strict requirements.

Despite not being one of the typical winter cities -the closest snow resort is 140km away from Málaga, in Sierra Nevada (Granada)-, Málaga has been selected as the host city for its very well known Christmas atmosphere, congregating around 1,200,000 visitors during Christmas. The lights installed around the city, especially those located in the central Calle Larios, atract loads of people from around Spain and Europe, searching not only for good weather, but also for an atmosphere hardly found anywhere else. According to the Mayor of Málaga, Francisco de la Torre, visiting Málaga in Christmas is "a unique experience nobody should miss".

The Palacio de los Deportes Martín Carpena, located in the outskirts of the city, and well-connected with the city centre through buses and underground, has been the elected facility. The venue has a capacity of 11,000 people, and currently serves as the home stadium of the local basketball team, Unicaja de Málaga. During past years, the Martín Carpena has held many prestigious events, including the tennis Davis Cup, which came to an end last weekend.

Alberto laughed when Fornithias mentioned how often he eats Iberian Ham, as he found it funny. He wanted to clarify that, despite the strange arrival the Sertians had performed, there had been no inconvenients: «The creative entry has not been an inconvenient to anyone, Mr. Cranst. The Gibraltarean Government even told me you gave them less trouble than some ships do when going through the Strait!», Feijóo added, laughing.

Then, the Spanish President proceeded to address the immigration topic: «I am pretty aware of the Sertian potential, and specially of its capabilities to go through an industrial revolution. Spain is open to any investment in the region, I must say, and certain enterprises like Iberdrola are interested in bringing clean sources of energy into the island. You know, useful things for everyone that also save the planet. But as we both know, we need to adapt to the Caribbean needs, and it is known by mostly everyone in Spain that there is a slower rythym there than here. I can see why many new soliders choose Sertia as their destinarion, and the feedback we are receiving is good, right General Brown?». Carlos then nodded at the question the President asked, and smiled.

«However, and as you may be aware of, I cannot force anyone to move into Sertia, Mr. Cranst. Yet, there are certain ways to make the move to Sertia more attractive than it is right now. Maybe some tax deductions for those willing to move there and work might be useful, at least for the first year, whatever you can afford. Also, we could increase conectivity between Spain and Sertia, with more flights between our nations. Sadly, ferries are not over the table, due to the long distance between us. It is also important to mention that there is free movement and trade between our nations, thanks to the agreements that Spain signed with Nofoaga and that were then taken by the CCCC once your nation and Nofoaga unified certain political matters, so that is also an advantage. Have you thought on something else? Is this okay to you?», Feijóo inquired.

Then, Feijóo put another topic over the table, as he thought that using turns to speak about the topics on the agenda was the best way to handle a summit: «I believe I have introduced you before, but in case I haven't, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Benedicto, the Director-General of the Spanish Space Agency. He is accompaning us today as he wanted to meet the Sertian astronaut that alongside the two Spanish astronauts and the Nofoagan astronaut, is going to be on that rocket that we will launch from Sertia to the Moon. He also insisted on allowing him to explain to you some mission details», Feijóo said.

Francisco then started to speak: «Mr. Cranst, first allow me to express my gratitude on behalf of the whole AEE for allowing Spain to build a spaceport in Sertia, as well as for the trust you Government has deposited on us. That said, it is an honour to meet you, as it is to meet the astronaut that will represent your country in this adventure, and as President Feijóo said, I wanted to give you some details of our Mission to the Moon. As you might have already seen on the news, the mission will take place on January 2025. I can now tell you that we will make our first attempt on January 11th, and if weather conditions allow us, that will be the start date. On January 15th, we expect that the crew lands in the Moon, placing the Spanish, Nofoagan, Sertian and the Spanish Space Agency flags, as well as a commemorative flag designed for the occasion. The day after, on January 16th, after approximately 20 hours on the Moon and performing some tests and collecting some rocks, the crew will take off from the Moon. They are expected to land on January 19th in any sea of the European Union, but our intention is that they land somewhere where we will not be disturbed, that is, the Atlantic or the Pacific Oceans. If you want to know anything more, make any objections or add anything, your comments are really welcomed», Francisco said, proceeding to drink some water from his glass.

«His concessions are dangerous, and I share the sentiment of him always being anxious about everything. Just look at that CCTV policy of his, with facial recognition, it reminds me to some utopic novels about dictatorships. At least the United Duchies remains democratic, for now...», Alberto said. «I also believe that Simon Bridges would be more dangerous outside of the European Union than inside it, and if it were to be a nuclear Reitzmag, I doubt certain powers would allow it. Spain would not, that is for sure: any nation that does not lie under the ENAA's regulations is a threat to us, and to regional peace. But they seem to be leaving soon over the Right to Divorce recognition, so I doubt they are authorised considering the ENAA does not like erratic behaviours».

Feijóo then decided to address the request from the Istkalenian Prime Minister: «The Kingdom of Spain is open to increase its military coordination with Istkalen, as it is to sell arms and our many military products. Our Defence Ministers will be able to sort that out: tell the team at the Ministry to send us a list, and we will get into it. I am glad that you agree with the sentiment that Minister Mordaunt and I share, and I believe that even if the current international order may be falling, it is our duty to avoid its defeat to lies. Correct me if I am wrong, but some rumours have arrived to Moncloa recently about certain wish of the Istkalenian Government to join the Treaty of Telum. Are these rumours correct or are they just rumours? By the way, for the delivery of the equipment, we could just get them into Istkalen through the Inimican base if needed. Pretty sure Emperor Artabanos will authorise it, mostly to the strong ties between both nations».

«I also wanted to speak about trade. In the last summit between our nations, my team has notified me that President Aguilar and President Rikkalek agreed on free trade in the electronics sectors, as well as lower controls on the exports of cobalt and uranium to Spain. They agreed to talk about lumber on a future summit that never happened, but first I wanted to know if these agreements are still in place -the President said, stopping to drink some water- If they are, which I guess they are as we have not received any notification stating the opposite, I would like to reaffirm my Government's compromise with those agreements. I was wondering about what else Istkalen has to offer in exports, and if you would be interested on any Spanish products. Furthermore, would it be possible to explore some sort of extra supply of REM from Istkalen? We actually receive our REM from Czech Slavia, which is of amazing quality, I must confess. But the military is pushing to get another secret source of REM, for the sake of diversification», Alberto explained. During Aguilar's Presidency, the former President had created a national reserve of those materials, which received new amounts every month. Getting to know if Istkalen was willing to supply REM to Spain in secret was important to continue with those plans.

NEW DIGITAL NOMAD VISA TO ENTER IN PLACE ON AUGUST 1ST

A digital nomad, in the Canary Islands

The Spanish Government has announced the creation of a new type of visa for digital nomads, which will allow freelancers and remote workers from nations with no free movement agreements with Spain to live and work in the country for up to five years, starting August 1st, using exclusively computer telematics and telecommunication media and systems; making it the first country of the European Union to have these types of visas available. According to Minister of Industry, Trade, Tourism and Energy, Thierry Breton; the introduction of this new type of visa will make Spain one of the "most attractive destinations" for nomads.

To apply for this type of visa, interested individuals shall submit their application at their nearest Spanish embassy or consulate. The first step to be able to request this visa is showing that the work you do can be done remotely and working for a company that has been in business for at least one year. When it comes to self-employed citizens willing to become digital nomads in Spain, they have to show that you are well-established and have a steady stream of clients. In addition, they can work with Spain-based companies as long as it doesn't make up more than 20% of your overall workload. The Spanish Government has set other requirements for these nomads, such as holding a bachelor's or master's degree from a legitimate university, college, or business school, or have at least three years of relevant work experience in their current professional field; being financially stable (with an income of 2,280€ per month or 30,840€ per year) and having a clean criminal record. The application fee is 80€ and if they are approved, nomads will have to apply for their NIF and NIE. Taxation for these nomads is also attractive: these non-residents will be subject to a 24% tax rate, applicable up to 600,000€ per year, with any earning above this amount being taxed at a 48%.

Many regions are already expecting a growth in their foreign residents stats, specially the well-known Spanish tourist hotspots, like Andalucía, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands; or some quieter places, like the Spanish Micronesia, Puerto Rico or the islands that belong to Portugalia. In San Juan (Puerto Rico), citizens are not concerned about the arrival of these wealthy workers: «if their arrival contributes to the well-being of our island, and to tackle down housing prices while improving our public services, we will welcome them with open hands», said Juliana, a 30-year old woman with a child. In the Spanish Micronesia, where space is severely limited, the hotels are expected to receive the bigger influx of digital nomads: «we are eager to see if this new visas bring some more dynamism to the local economy, while having higher incomes», says Asou, the owner of a little hostel in the main island of the region.

«Mr. Cranst! Welcome to the Palacio de la Moncloa, it is an honour to meet you», Alberto said while both leaders shook hands. Cranst had disembarked in Gibraltar, and the roadtrip to Madrid had been long. Then, both proceeded to the Salón Tapiès, where two glasses of water and a cooled room thanks to air conditioning awaited. After the press left them alone, the members of both delegations entered the room, with Feijóo and Fornithias greeting them: on the Spanish side, the President was joined by General Carlos Brown, the Agencia Espacial Española Director-General, Francisco-Javier Benedicto Ruiz; and the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Esteban González Pons; who joined at the last minute after Moncloa received information about the presence of the Sertian Councillor, Éduditalle Dína.

Once everyone has been greeted, and all sat down, Feijóo proceeded to talk: «I believe this is the first time I see this room so crowded, -he laughed slightly- and I am very glad that this happens alongside our Sertian friends and allies. Before we start dealing with the several topics we have in our agendas, I wanted to personally convey you my Government's and I personal commitment with the Caribbean and its interests. We will never let your nation down, Mr. Cranst. Do you like Iberian Ham, by the way? I told my attendants about the idea of gifting you and your family a leg of Jamón, so if you like it, we can personally leave it on the tallship and you could enjoy it on your way back to Sertia». After that, the President smiled.

«Now, let's get into business, shouldn't we?», asked Feijóo. «I would like you to go first, Mr. Cranst. What topics would you like to discuss?», inquired the President once more.

My excuses for the delay. Voting on the amendments has concluded. The voting results are the following:

• With 1 vote FOR and 2 votes AGAINST, Amendment I has FAILED.
• With 2 votes FOR and 1 vote AGAINST, Amendment II has PASSED.

The proposal has been updated accordingly.

Final voting begins NOW and will last until 09:46 GMT on July 25th, 2024.

On behalf of the Kingdom of Spain, I vote FOR this Budget.

Donald Tusk
Council Speaker and Councillor for Spain

Debate begins NOW and will continue until 09:45 GMT on July 25th, 2024.

Donald Tusk
Council Speaker and Councillor for Spain

BREAKING - PUIGDEMONT, ARRESTED

Puigdemont had been 'in exile' since 2017, from where he campaigned in the last Catalan Election

According to sources from the Mossos d'Escuadra, former President of Catalonia and one of the individuals responsible of the 2017 illegal Independence Referendum, has been arrested today after he crossed the border from the Republic of California to Catalonia. The car in which he travelled was intercepted by a unit of the Catalan police, as cameras from the autonomical television, TV3, were transmiting live his arrival into Spanish land after his runaway in 2017. The cameras have also recorded his arrest, which has not been violent and to which he has put no opposition. Puigdemont is now in Barcelona, where he awaits to be transfered to Madrid, where he will have to appear in court.

Carles Puigdemont is the leader of the conservative pro-independence party Junts per Catalunya, and ran for the Catalan Presidency in the last election, which took place on May 12th. However, despite getting 35 seats, he lost the election to the PSOE's candidate, Salvador Illa, who is still negotiating with leftist secessionist party Esquerra Republicana and Comuns-Sumar to form a left-wing Government. Puigdemont had, on the other hand, called for unity between pro-independence forces, and his comeback may be a strategy to force the collapse of negotiations between the PSOE and Esquerra, in an attempt to force a new election and try to win it. His arrest does not mean, however, that he cannot attend parliamentary sessions or become President -he is still able to do that until a sentence is pronounced-, which reinforces the previously exposed theory.

Through a statement, other Catalan politicians in jail have already condemned his arrest, affirming that Spain is "a fascist state". Several protestors are gathering in Barcelona, where civil unrest could take place. The arrest of the Catalan leader comes in the poorest moment for Catalan secessionism, with just a 40% of the Catalan population supporting to leave Spain, and a 53% rejecting it. Puigdemont now faces charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds, from which he will have to defend himself in the Supreme Court. Secessionist parties have called for peaceful demonstrations in the streets, while the radical far-left party Candidatura d'Unitat Popular and the far-right party Aliança Catalana have urged their supporters to "take the streets". Major national parties have still not reacted to Puigdemont's arrest.

PRESIDENT FEIJÓO: "THE RULE OF LAW HAS PREVAILED"

President Alberto Núñez Feijóo, in this morning's Press Conference

"The Spanish rule of law has prevailed". With those words, the President of the Spanish Government has summed up what the arrest of Carles Puigdemont signifies for the nation. Feijóo has congratulated his Government efforts to keep the borders safe and thanked the Catalan police, the Mossos d'Escuadra, for their loyalty to the Spanish rule of law. While the President has not made his thoughts about what Puigdemont can expect from Monday in his judicial battle (he will appear in the Supreme Court on Monday), it is likely for him to be judged by the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Catalunya, as he is a member of the Catalan Parliament.

«The capture of Carles Puigdemont puts an end to seven years of escapism and rebellion, as to the whole Catalan Independence plot, known as the Procès. It died in the last autonomical election, in which the pro-independence parties did not have a majority for the first time in decades, and we bury it today. Everyone has to pay for their actions, and Puigdemont is not an exception», President Feijóo has stated this morning. VOX has also celebrated Puigdemont's arrest, calling him a "traitor". On the other hand, left-wing parties have not shown any happiness about the escapee's arrest, with Sumar leader Yolanda Díaz saying that "political revenge through the judiciary power is illegal" and that "Puigdemont shall receive guarantees of a free and impartial trial"; while a spokesperson of the PSOE has stated the party supports "a new era for Catalonia" in which the politicians that were responsible of the referendum are "forgiven".

Meanwhile, in Barcelona, a pro-independence demonstration has begun at 12:00, calling for Puigdemont's immediate release, alongisde the other "political prisoners". The Catalan Police has encouraged tourists to stay away from the demonstration, as it could turn violent. The precedent of these kind of demonstrations after controversial happenings like this have always ended up in civil unrest by the extremist side of the pro-independence movement.

Presidential Plane
Somewhere over Leagio

«Leagio is one of our allies and partners, so this visit is quite important, Mr. President». Those were the words of Esteban González Pons, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. The Commonwealth was indeed one of the allies of Spain, and the first international trip of the newly-elected President of the Kingdom of Spain, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, was not a coincidence either. His cabinet was concerned about the lack of an international recognition, and some voices had already arisen within the party. The younger generation wanted to take over, just like their admired President Aguilar had when Rajoy chose not to run for the Presidential seat in 2016; and Feijóo hoped to resist until, at least, the next General Election in 2026.

If there was something that had not changed during the period of political instability that Spain went through, that was the Government's stance on the Treaty of Telum. The Kingdom pretty much supported its allies, and the Treaty was stong, just like the EMU. Both things were shared between Spain and Leagio, which made the relationship way better than with many other countries. The plane started its descent into Port Hilson International Airport, and sooner than expected for the President, Feijóo had arrived to Leagio. A motorcade was waiting for Alberto, who got into the car and made his way to Elmena Estate, the unusual place to hold summits. He was soon amazed by the beautiful landscape and the fantastic architecture of the house, which he loved.

The motorcade came to a stop, and after the door was opened, President Feijóo came out of the car and approached President Mouri-Kudo, with whom he shook hands with: «Ms. Mouri-Kudo, it is an honour to finally meet you in person. I have heard a lot of nice things about you from my predecessors, and I have been looking forward to be able to have a summit with you since the beginning of my Presidency», he smiled.

«The honour is mine, Ms. Íkrat. Please, follow me», Feijóo said, before both leaders made their way into the museum and Elizabeth offered her apologies for her previous words about Primo de Rivera, who she once acknowledged as one of "her models". Alberto smiled when the Istkalenian Prime Minister said that she was talking to much, but to the new Spanish President's eyes, she was not: «No worries, Ms. Íkrat. And you are definitely not talking too much -he laughed-. Have you ever seen a parliamentary debate of the Congreso? The special sessions can last for 2 days, even the debate before the vote to proclaim me as President took two days! You are completely fine», Feijóo kept smiling.

The Spanish President looked with curiosity to the gift that the Istkalenian Prime Minister had brought, and thanked Íkrat for the gift. Alberto really loved it, and proceeded to give the fan to Íkrat: «As you may already know, this type of fans is used by women in Spain to blow some air into their faces when it is hot, like today. There are a lot of designs available, but I have chosen this one because of its origin. The drawing represents the Alhambra of Granada, and it was made by a 200 years old company based in the Comunitat Valenciana. I hope that you like it», Feijóo said.

Once both were left alone, the summit could finally start. Alberto listened to the first topic that Elizabeth talked about, and he gave his views about them: «Eastern Europe has made me feel concerned since I took power after Mr. Juncker's resignation, and the situation does not seem to be getting better, but worse. At the moment, the King of Spain is on a official visit to Reitzmag, so I guess he will be able to give me some deeper impressions about your neighbours' politics after his return. I would certainly use, however, the world "volatile" to describe the part of Europe where your country lies.

To begin with, Krexit is a slight concern to Spain. We are not fearful of a Reitzmag outside of the European Union... Until they start to do things that they should not be doing, and you know what I mean. There has been some concern in Istkalen about their application to get nuclear weapons, as far as I am concerned, and as the President of a nuclear state, I must confess that I would not like to see any nuclear nation outside of the European Union, as that could lead to unknown consequences not only for your country or mine, but also for them. Certainly, they could become a threat, something that they have not been to our eyes so far.

The election in the Duchies is not much relevant, in the end, we all know who is going to win. If anyone believes somebody who is not called John Peter Key is winning, that person has no idea about how politics work. I guess we will have some more Keysism again, which also implies that they will try to impose their views to the rest of Europe, as always. Nevertheless, I must confess it is my goal to improve the relationship with both Reitzmag and the United Duchies, but sometimes both are a headache to me... And I guess that to the rest of Europe too. Now, they seem to have focused on winning the priviledge of telling the story as they will, through their alliance, which is threatening. I do not know if you have had the chance to read the interview of my Defence Minister, but she pretty much said what I believe: we need to fight against manipulation, fakes and any attempt to sway the truth in their favour. I was wondering if Istkalen also shares this sentiment.

Last, but not least: how is the Inimican base doing in Istkalen? I believe that I do not need to tell you, but you can count on Spain for whatever you need. We are a friend of Istkalen and its people, and we are willing to help if requested», Feijóo said.

Voting has now concluded. With 6 votes FOR and 5 votes AGAINST, this bill has FAILED.

Donald Tusk
Council Speaker and Councillor for Spain

Voting has now concluded. With 4 votes FOR and 4 votes AGAINST, this bill has FAILED.

Donald Tusk
Council Speaker and Councillor for Spain

Voting on the amendments has concluded. The voting results are the following:

• With 1 vote FOR and 4 votes AGAINST, Amendment I has FAILED.
• With 1 vote FOR and 4 votes AGAINST, Amendment II has FAILED.
• With 1 vote FOR and 4 votes AGAINST, Amendment III has FAILED.

Final voting begins NOW and will last until 15:42 GMT on July 24th, 2024.

On behalf of the Kingdom of Spain, I vote FOR this Amendment.

Donald Tusk
Council Speaker and Councillor for Spain

Results are as follows:

For the Nuclear Seat

Round 1:

• Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom - 5
• President Alberto Núñez Feijóo of the Kingdom of Spain - 4

For the Non-Nuclear Seat

Round 1:

• Prime Minister John Peter Key of the United Duchies - 5
• Prime Minister Elizabeth Íkrat of the Republic of Istkalen - 4

Therefore Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister John Peter Key of the United Duchies have been elected to fill the elected seat on the ENAA for a one year term. Congratulations. See you all next year.

Royal Plane
Somewhere over the Caspian Sea

After years of national trips, King Felipe VI and Queen Leticia were off for an international State Visit. This time, the country awarded with the presence of the best dressed royals of Europe -according to some tailoring experts- was the Kingdom of Reitzmag, a peculiar choice taking into account the relationship with the Caspian country and Spain were not the best in the past, and have remained to be unstable for the coming years. Nevertheless, nothing that the King does is casual, mostly because it is the Government's job to plan these State Visits, as the King does not hold any political power in Spain.

The State Visit arose from an attempt from the growing interest within the new Spanish Government to fix the tense relationship with the Kingdom of Reitzmag. Yet, the Government would not be that fast to affirm that a new era had begun, and wanted some assurance of the alleged change Reitzmag had gone through. That is why the King and the Queen, alongside the Foreign Affairs Minister, had embarked themselves on a trip with a single purpose: rebuilding the relationship. And a single mission: checking if everything was alright for the beginning of a new era. Our main characters woke up to the call of the Head of the Royal Household, who warned them of the entry into Reitzmic Airspace. Soon, they found themselves landing at RAF Hampton.

RAF Hampton
18th July 2024

Once the plane landed and headed to the stand, the crew opened the door. King Felipe and Queen Leticia then exited the plane, waved at the press and went downstairs, with the guards awaiting at the tarmac. On the other hand, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Esteban González Pons; would wait a little bit longer to go downstairs, as the protocol said so.

MORDAUNT: "WE NEED TO FIGHT AGAINST MANIPULATION"

The Minister of Defence, in the Times' office in Londres

Some say the Ministry she leads should not exist. Others affirm it is one of the most relevant positions that a politician can get when he becomes a member of the Government. For Penny Mordaunt (Torquay, 4th March 1973), Minister of Defence, the position she has the "huge honour" to hold is the "backbone" of the Spanish Kingdom. Certainly, different views arise when speaking about the Army and its branches, yet Spaniards highly trust it: a 80.8% of them have a positive opinion about the Armed Forces, while a 74% feel safe knowing that the Spanish Armed Forces are always available to defend the nation. With this in mind, The Times has interviewed Minister Mordaunt in Londres:

J: Minister, thank you very much for accepting our invitation for an interview in Londres, the capital of your autonomous community. How are you feeling about coming back home?

PM: Thanks to you for believing I am an interesting guest. Concerning your question, it always feels amazing when you come back home, and now that summer holidays for us, politicians, are getting closer, it is nice to come back, visit your family and friends at home; as well as trying to emulate the life you had before turning into a politician.

J: Spain has many military bases around the European Union, some of them known by everyone, like the ones based in the Caribbean; and others fully unknown to many, like the Spanish bases in Ineland or Mishar. Now that President Feijóo seems to be reluctant about having a strong international leadership, will these bases be closed? Could soldiers come back home soon?

PM: Absolutely not. Spain is not closing its bases unless the nations that host those bases told us to leave; and we cannot discard the addition of more bases to the list. One of the compromises that we adquired when we joined the European Union was maintaining peace, something that we keep doing today. Those bases are needed if we want to have a strong international leadership, but also to preserve the European Union's current status and also to ease Spanish deployments all around the World.

J: The bases are clearly tied to the Global Commanders Programme, which has divided the region in several areas of action that have a Commander in charge. Could any change happen soon? Is General Laura Potter continuing in charge of leading Commanders?

PM: I trust Ms. Potter, and I trust every single Commander. The Global Commanders Programme is not being changed because it works. Thanks to the programme, we are able to have better information about what is happening on the ground, to communicate with foreign governments of the nations where we have bases at, and to coordinate any action that has to be done in order to protect our national security, the national security of our allies or regional security. Spain, unlike others, is a nation that is known for its commitment to stability.

J: Those others are...

PM: Experts in manipulating, creating fake news and setting up a completely different story about something. Spain needs to fight against manipulation, and so does the reasonable world. We also need to combat fake news, false stories, and it can only be done with unity and determination. Our neighbour, for example, says we are a hostile nation; the truth is that they have supported the invasion and mass killing of thousands in Svarna Surya despite being pacifists. Other members of the alliance that these guys belong to say they want Europe to be peaceful, but have declared war recently, and now they want to get nuclear warheads, which is alarming to their neighbours; or threaten stability by using their Public Broadcaster to headline what was supposed to be a "simple joint training exercise" as a "diplomatic bombing". We cannot allow these guys to trick Europeans and Spanish people, and Spain will fight against manipulation and fakes.

J: On the other hand, the Treaty of Telum has gained a new member and has never been involved in conflict...

PM: And those guys that, again, declared war on a sovereign nation due to disagreements over their system; say that the Treaty of Telum is a threat to regional stability. They are big hypocrites, no more words are needed to descibe them. The Treaty members have indeed grown after the entrance of Leagio into the alliance, and this proves our commitment with peace. Our alliance is the strongest, the most reliable and the most careful of all, because we do not get involved into silly conflicts, we do not go around the world provoking others. We are peaceful nations, helping each other, exploring new ways to cooperate together; and being there for each other in case of attack. The Spanish Army has learnt a lot from its allies, and I believe they have learnt a lot from us too. Every nation offers different conditions for training and works differently, so learning to coordinate between our Armed Forces was the big challenge. Nowadays, that challenge has been transformed into learning how to be more optimal.

J: One last question, Minister Mordaunt: The Royal Family recently announced a trip to the Kingdom of Reitzmag. Some sources even claim that President Feijóo could be interested in travelling to the United Duchies in order to improve the existing relationship between both nations, that has gone through high degradation recently under past leaderships. How can the will to improve those relationships be compatible with highlighting their so-called "irresponsabilities"?

PM: Everyone makes mistakes, and I am pretty sure both parties are willing to amend their mistakes and move forward. Others are just antisocial at all, and you know who I mean. However, it is important to say that being friendly towards nations that are not your allies does not mean you have to support them in all the endeavours they take. Same thing happens here: if we see anything that, to our view, is bad or threatens our national security, the one of our allies or regional stability, we will report it. Yet, Foreign Policy is a Presidential affair, and I will support whatever the President believes is better for Spain and our citizens.

J: Minister Mordaunt, thank you very much.

PM: Thanks to you and to the team that makes up The Times.

While I applaud Councillor Tilkanas' efforts to avoid the posession of nuclear weapons by those nations that have proven themselves to be rogue and war-torn, this amendment encloses the decision-making range of the ENAA, which should not be limited in any sense, nor overturned by the European Council. As the former Speaker has acknowledged, the ENAA deals with requests from European nations in order to be authorised to have a certain number of nuclear warheads, which requires certain level of knowledge and responsibility.

It is funny, from my point of view, that the Duchian Councillor brings up the most recent example of a declaration of war in Europe, made by the United Duchies, the Kingdom of Reitzmag and the United Kingdom. The Svarnan conflict, because such a shameful intervention that caused severe damage to many and that only lasted for a day, with the sole intention of forcing a regime change in the country and to relief some testosterone that the leaders of these countries had accumulated throughout past years, does not deserve to be called a war; is the best example of what manipulation and fakes can contribute to: the creation of a different story about the conflict.

Councillor Hook also affirmed that "no sane nation would use nuclear weapons in offensive war". I may ask the honourable lady what she believes a sane nation to be, and moreover, which criteria is followed to resolve which nations are sane and which are insane. In addition, she stated that this amendment would make it harder for nations to achieve nuclear weapons, but the truth is that the declaration of war makes it harder if the ENAA follows the same criteria it has been following for years. Nevertheless, we are all fully aware of the manipulative skills some nations of the European Union have to sway the tale, as the talent others have to be solely obsessed with so-called "power balances". The reality is, Councillor Hook, that no nation that would have proven to be rogue or that has declared war recently is likely to achieve a nuclear license. Nuclear warheads are not toys -they are deadly weapons that can kill millions- even if some may think so. And we need to be really careful, as you said, about who we let into the ENAA.

Donald Tusk
Council Speaker and Councillor for Spain