The Embassy of Spain in The Netherlands yesterday celebrated the start of the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second half of this year, with the organisation of an event attended by numerous personalities, including representatives from Dutch Institutions and civil society, as well as diplomats and International Organisations officials.
During the event, which took place at the Kloosterkerk, the priorities that will mark the Agenda of the Spanish Presidency were shared with guests: reindustrialisation of Europe, to achieve greater technological and energy autonomy; environmental adaptation and energy transition; and a more united and social Europe, which guarantees the rights of the most vulnerable people while promoting policies that bring institutions closer to their citizens.
The Spanish Ambassador to The Netherlands, Consuelo Femenía, emphasised, "in the face of the great challenges posed by today's world, Europe must become an area of certainties, in which material wellfare, freedom and democracy pave the way for the future of all Europeans". Whilehile stressing the importance of this presidency, the fifth held by Spain since it joined the European Union, as it is taking place a year before the European Parliament elections and in a context of great international instability.
With war still on the continent's doorstep, the Ambassador highlighted Spain's and the EU's unconditional support for Ukraine, and encouraged people to look to the past to see the relevance of the European project in preserving peace and defending justice: "we cannot move forward without learning from the lessons of the past. One of them, so prodigiously conveyed to us by the great Pablo Picasso, is the pain and suffering that innocent people endure as a result of war".
In tribute to the Spanish painter, whose 50th anniversary of his death is being celebrated this year, the Spanish Embassy in the Netherlands exhibited during the event the work Guernica of Ecology, an interpretation of the original by the well-known Dutch artist Claudy Jongstra. "With her impressive tapestry in wool and natural pigments, Jongstra speaks of peace and ecology, two of the key messages of the Spanish Presidency of the EU. Because in the face of war and climate emergency, we need a more sustainable, more united and more just Europe", said Ambassador Consuelo Femenía, who concluded: "I can think of no better place to convey this idea than here, in The Hague, the European city of peace and justice".
After the speeches, the event continued with a classical music concert by a string trio made up of several Spanish musicians living in The Netherlands and with the participation of the Portuguese tenor André Cruz. In addition, the young Spanish composer Jonás Bisquert, who lives in Utrecht, presented a short piece composed exclusively for the occasion.
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