The first thing Angela Merkel did when she met Pablo Casado at the Sofitel hotel in Brussels outside the summit of the European People's Party was to ask about Mariano Rajoy . "How is it? Do you live in Galicia? But taking advantage of the fact that, with Casado's English, there is no need for an interpreter, the German chancellor asked for information at an executive pace on the issues that concern her about the fourth economy of the Eurozone: «What about the Spanish economy? (...) How will Brexit affect you? (...) What about Catalonia?

Merkel never loses a minute of his agenda, but begins to pay more attention to the young leader of the PP before his rise in the polls and that his relationship with Pedro Sánchez is no longer as optimistic as 14 months ago when the newcomer to Moncloa la He entertained Doñana and unexpectedly supported her on issues such as immigration.

Married, according to the sources consulted, he explained to Merkel that the Spanish economy was in a good tendency to leave the crisis behind until the motion of censure of 2018, but that afterwards the deceleration has been accentuated to the current worrying level. He told the chancellor his economic program to relaunch the economy and, on Catalonia, that his policy, if he wins, will be firmer than Sanchez's to avoid the current impression of instability in the fourth country of the Eurozone. The closing of Merkel and the vast majority of the EU with Spain and against a secession in a member state of this caliber is overwhelming and they want the fire to go out as soon as possible. The chancellor does not want additional crises in her year of withdrawal.

At his press conference in Brussels, Sánchez admitted, without saying who, that other European leaders asked him "about the acts of vandalism in Catalonia." It is not for less. To the tension on Brexit and the weakness of the German economy, any additional instability in a country of the weight of Spain is worrying for the euro. That without forgetting that the new European Commission, under the presidency of the German Ursula Von der Leyen , will not be able to replace that of Jean Claude Juncker in time for the European Chamber's veto to three commissioners.

Precisely Van der Leyen, also of the European People's Party, held another meeting with Casado and asked similar questions to Merkel's, emphasizing the images that came from Barcelona. Good news is that the German transmitted to Casado that she is aware of the importance of strengthening the Euroorder so that cases such as the former president of the Generalitat, Carles Puigdemont do not happen. Less encouraging is the future new president of the European Council and current Belgian prime minister, Charles Michel . To questions of this newspaper, its official spokesman says on the Puigdemont case that “in Belgium there is separation of powers; the Belgian Government does not have to rule on a judicial procedure. Logical, but worse is your answer on this other question: On the Catalan question in general, does Charles Michel respect Spanish democracy? "Without comments, nothing more can be added to the fact that we are not talking about legal proceedings," says its spokesman.

This unusual Belgian liberal already outraged Rajoy when he was in Moncloa for his 1-O statement before police images in the illegal consultation: "We condemn all forms of violence and reaffirm our call for political dialogue." So without nuances about your European partner.

Sanchez sat with Michel in the European Council and, in exchange for accepting him as the new president of the European Council, has asked him to include a Spanish official in his cabinet. Moncloa's plan is to ensure that he will not adopt any stunned position that complicates the already devilish situation with Catalonia.

"In our contacts with the Spanish Government, they are restless and nervous with Catalonia," they assure this newspaper in the team of Von der Leyen, who sees how this disaster will coincide with his already difficult new stage at the head of the Community Executive. Sanchez was very defensive at his press conference in Brussels about his policy of "moderation" in Catalonia as if he, always reckless, did not agree with himself that it is the best thing he can do in this electoral campaign. The questions of Merkel and Von der Leyen show that the management of the leader of the PSOE in Catalonia is not only being examined by the Spaniards. The smoke of Barcelona also reaches the euro.

The ephemeris: coal fund

A mistake in Brussels is expensive and you have to show your teeth. Ten years after Spain initiated a policy of closing coal plants, the European Commission proposes the creation of a new fund for Germany and Poland, which are the countries that are taking the longest to take the plunge. This fact caused a serious reproach of the economic adviser of Moncloa, Manuel de la Rocha , to the promoter of the idea, the European Commissioner of Budgets, Günther Oettinger , during his visit to Madrid. De la Rocha reprimanded the German, quite rightly, how unacceptable it would be to focus the new fund, initially endowed with hundreds of millions, in just the conversion of German and Polish mining areas. The German commissioner is outgoing, but he has already launched the project and, according to his surroundings, Brussels will take into account the Spanish position. We will see.

The character: Princess and businessmen

The King wanted to give maximum relief to the successful premiere of his daughter as the protagonist of the Princess of Asturias Awards and, although it is not easy to attract Oviedo to Ibex leaders on a Friday afternoon, there was an important deployment of economic power. The president of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán , that of El Corte Inglés, Marta Álvarez , that of Acciona, José Manuel Entrecanales , that of Iberia, Luis Gallego or the financial Alicia Koplowitz wrapped up, among others, Princess Leonor . CEOE CEO Antonio Garamendi personified business support. The support of large companies and banks is particularly important for the King to support the Princess of Asturias Foundation as well as the Princess of Girona Foundation and its board of directors host various representatives of economic and financial power. La Infanta thanked him in his careful speech.

To follow: More and without sectarianism

The King wanted to give maximum relief to the successful premiere of his daughter as the protagonist of the Princess of Asturias Awards and, although it is not easy to attract Oviedo to Ibex leaders on a Friday afternoon, there was an important deployment of economic power. The president of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán, that of El Corte Inglés, Marta Álvarez, that of Acciona, José Manuel Entrecanales, that of Iberia, Luis Gallego or the financial Alicia Koplowitz wrapped up, among others, Princess Leonor. CEOE CEO Antonio Garamendi personified business support. The support of large companies and banks is particularly important for the King to support the Princess of Asturias Foundation as well as the Princess of Girona Foundation and its board of directors host various representatives of economic and financial power. La Infanta thanked him in his careful speech.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Catalonia
  • PP
  • Spain
  • Mariano Rajoy
  • Barcelona
  • Angela Merkel
  • Pedro Sanchez
  • Pablo Casado
  • PSOE
  • Belgium
  • Carles Puigdemont
  • European Comission
  • Galicia

Turn of the page The thousand and one faces of Sánchezstein

Spanish Grandstand

Turn of the page: Sanchez's frog jump