Spain: the Emir of Qatar, on an official visit, arouses controversy

Handshake between the Emir of Qatar Tamin bin Hamad al-Thani (left) and Pedro Sanchez, the head of the Spanish government.

May 18, 2022. AFP - GABRIEL BOUYS

Text by: François Musseau Follow

3 mins

The Emir of Qatar Tamin ben Hamad al-Thani was received with great fanfare in Madrid: high-flying reception, luxury dinner, medals from the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies awarded, Order of Isabel the Catholic.

But the economic fallout expected with this visit did not prevent criticism from falling on the government.

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From our correspondent in Madrid,

This exceptional reception is linked to the strategic importance of this visit: with his economic team, the Emir announced investments of 4.7 billion euros, especially in renewable energy and the digitization of society.

The visit of the Emir of Qatar took place, and yet the controversy continues.

With the staging of an intensive relationship between Spain and Qatar, criticism has multiplied.

Especially from the Catalan and Basque nationalists and even more so from Unidas Podemos, the strategic ally of the ruling socialists.

 In the eyes of their spokesperson Pablo Etchenique, the economic agreements with Qatar are “ 

obscene, in the case of a country which would exploit foreign workers, and which would marginalize women, homosexuals and transsexuals

 ”.

For the Catalan separatist leader Gabriel Rufian, it is immoral to accept money from a tyrant, thus paying the price of blood.

Nearly 5 billion euros of investment

However, the socialist Pedro Sanchez, the head of government, seems very happy with the visit of the Qatari emir.

And for good reason, beyond the some 5 billion euros of investment, Qatar is becoming a strategic ally in the midst of the energy crisis of which

the war in Ukraine

is at the origin.

Madrid wants to “armor” itself in terms of supply.

Spain has increased its gas imports with the United States by 30%, provoking the wrath of environmentalists because the extraction of this gas is highly harmful to the environment.

Madrid also wants Qatar as a supplier, the Gulf country being one of the world's leading producers of this hydrocarbon.

It is true that Spain depends less on Russian gas than other European countries, but it must reduce its dependence on Algeria.

Because if Spain imports large quantities of Algerian gas, mistrust has been in order lately.

Moving away from Algeria, moving closer to Qatar

Algerian gas, via the Medgaz gas pipeline which crosses the Mediterranean in a straight line, represents 43% of the supply for Spain.

However, because of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the Socialists have modified their diplomacy by getting

closer to Morocco

on the question of Western Sahara, and therefore by moving away from Algeria, Rabat's great rival on this subject.

So much so that today, the supply of Algerian gas is no longer guaranteed, especially since

Italy has just signed an agreement to increase its imports

.

Conclusion, gas from Qatar becomes crucial.

And so, by extension, relations with Qatar become crucial.

In the eyes of Madrid, this is priceless.

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  • Spain

  • Qatar

  • Economy

  • Energies

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  • Diplomacy

  • pedro sanchez

  • Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani