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Europe and the west’s double standards over the wars in Ukraine and Gaza threaten to undermine its global standing, the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has warned, describing the response to Israel’s assault on the Palestinian territory as one of the darkest episodes of international relations in the 21st century.
In an interview with the Guardian before talks with UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, in London on Wednesday, the socialist leader also said the US under Donald Trump was trying to end the post-second world war, rules-based global order it had originally created.
He also defended the benefits of migration and blamed traditional rightwing parties for breaking the consensus over the response to the climate emergency by copying the policies of their populist rivals.
Sánchez – the first senior European leader to accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza – said he was pleased that other European nations were following Spain’s lead in recognising a Palestinian state, but accepted Europe’s response had been poor.
“It is a failure,” he said. “Absolutely. It is also the reality that, within the European Union, there are countries that are divided when it comes to how to influence Israel. But in my opinion, it’s not acceptable and we can’t last longer if we want to increase our credibility when it comes to other crises, such as the one we face in Ukraine.
“The roots of these wars are completely different but, at the end of the day, the world is looking at the EU and also at western society and asking: ‘Why are you doing double standards when it comes to Ukraine and when it comes to Gaza?’”
Speaking as he attempts to reassert himself on the international stage and move past a series of damaging corruption allegations that have battered his administration and fuelled calls for a snap general election, Sánchez said he was pushing Europe to do more, including punishing Israel financially.
“What we’re now witnessing in Gaza is perhaps one of the darkest episodes of international relations in the 21st century, and in this regard what I have to say is that Spain has been very vocal within the EU and also within the international community,” he said. “Within the EU, what we have done so far is advocate to suspend the strategic partnership that the EU has with Israel.”
Sanchez, who has clashed with Donald Trump over Spain’s refusal to meet the US president’s demands to spend 5% of GDP on defence, said Spain was a “reliable partner” in Nato. He said he was committed to preserving “the best relationship with the US”, regardless of who was in the White House – and despite Trump’s isolationist actions.
“With all due respect, we have a pragmatic approach in our relationship with the US,” he said. “At the same time, I think we have a different vision on how to face the challenges that the world and our societies are facing. And I think there’s a big mistake with leaving the Paris agreement and reducing contributions to aid programmes and to the World Health Organization. But at the end of the day, our societies are facing global challenges that don’t understand borders, and we need to strengthen our cooperation and collaboration.”
But he also said that the US’s withdrawal from global institutions could allow others to play a greater international role.
“The most shocking reality that we’re facing is that the principal architect of the international order – which is the US after the second world war – is now weakening this international order, and that’s something that’s not going to be positive for US society or for the rest of the world, especially western countries,” he said. “That is why I think there’s an opportunity for the European Union and also for the UK.”
He added that while still being loyal to the “transatlantic bond”, European countries could strengthen their power and influence – if they acted morally and consistently.
“What does it mean? It means that we need to avoid these double standards. It means that we need to reinforce our commitment when it comes to the green pact. It means that we need to have a humanitarian and moral vision – and also a pragmatic one – when it comes to migration.”
He added: “In politics, as in life, when you leave a gap, there’s always someone who’s going to fill it. And I believe that that’s what we’re also witnessing when it comes to some eastern Asian countries.”
Wednesday’s meeting in London will be the first significant bilateral summit between the two countries’ leaders for more than a decade. It was made possible by the UK and Spain striking a deal over Gibraltar’s future, ending the long-running dispute over the territory after Brexit and easing the movement of people and goods across the border.
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While Starmer and his Labour government have taken an increasingly hard line on immigration, Sánchez has been forthright about the benefits it can bring.
“The dilemma that western societies are facing is whether we decide to be an opening-up and growing society, or a closing-off and shrinking society,” he said. “And so far, I believe that the vast majority of citizens in Spain understand quite well that migration is also an opportunity and not only a moral duty. It’s an opportunity to respond effectively to the challenges that we are facing when it comes to economic growth and when it comes to the labour market or helping to finance our welfare state in the present and the future.”
Sánchez, who announced a 10-point plan earlier this week to help Spain mitigate the effects of the climate emergency, also warned that efforts to tackle the crisis were being undermined by rightwing parties adopting the far right’s narratives in the hope of electoral gain.
“Of course, there’s a far right that denies the reality of the climate emergency,” he said.
“The problem that we’re now facing is that there are traditional rightwing parties that perhaps don’t deny the scientific reality, but which act and behave as if climate change doesn’t exist. And this is the biggest problem. I think that traditional rightwing parties – not the far right – trying to transform the scientific evidence on climate change into ideological and political struggles is the biggest mistake that rightwing parties are committing. And this is something we’re facing in Spain.”
He was speaking after the UK Conservative party said it will aim to “maximise extraction” of oil and gas in the North Sea if it wins power, copying Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” election slogan.
Sánchez, whose party, administration and family have faced a slew of damaging corruption allegations over recent months that have threatened to topple his minority government, said he was committed to cracking down on graft, and to transparency.
Asked whether he had confidence in Spain’s justice system given his claims that his wife is the victim of a rightwing and far-right judicial smear campaign, he said: “The large majority of judges in Spain fulfil their obligations and do their jobs … But there are some judges that are playing politics, and that’s a reality we’re facing not only in Spain but also in many other democracies – especially when it comes to progressive forces or progressive governments.”
Sánchez said his minority government was delivering economically and socially and would continue to do so. “Of course these corruption scandals were very difficult for us to accept, but the political project is broader, and I think the most important message that I’d like to explain to my citizens is that the direction of the country that we started seven years ago is the correct one, and it’s not an abstract one,” he said.
He said the opposition parties offered no real alternative, only “a regression”, adding: “What we’re witnessing in Spain is the political collapse of the traditional party, not only in substance, but also in style, because it’s copying the far right.”
