Patxi Aldecoa: "Russia is playing for its future, Putin has made a radical mistake"

The Spanish political scientist and internationalist, with a PhD in Political Science and a degree in Economics and Political Science and Administration, Patxi Aldecoa came to the microphones of the latest "De Cara al Mundo" to talk about the near future of the Conference on the Future of Europe. On the other hand, Aldecoa analysed the unanimity that exists around the Conference on Russia's radical mistake.

Could the invasion of Ukraine have destroyed the Conference on the Future of Europe or is it now more in the spotlight than ever?

I believe and hope that it has not destroyed it, but that it has given it more resonance and its conclusions more scope and effectiveness. The point about the Conference is that it is not being followed in Spain as it is in other countries. Russia's aggression against Ukraine in Spain has had an important effect, civil society has realised that the European Union needs to strengthen its foreign policy.

Do you expect conclusions in the plenary that will take place in a few days in Strasbourg?

We have not yet had more than working groups, I assume that there will be a condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and, in turn, an act of solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Bear in mind that it is already a partner country of the European Union and there will be a full institutional reaction. Right now, members of civil society and citizens are participating in the Conference itself, which has expressly invited them.

We have the Versailles declaration where political leaders have made statements and left their reflections, but in a situation like this, civil society must speak out...

Civil society has been demonstrating successively, the Spanish European movement the day after the conflict broke out condemned Russia's actions, the international European movement did the same ten days later, and so on. We professors of international law, some five hundred of us, have signed a declaration condemning the events, which is also very well-founded. Therefore, civil society has spoken out on the matter, I would dare say, except for the press, which has been very slow, and in some cases has taken a position of distance from what is happening. There is a spontaneous solidarity movement on the part of civil society, and the media are more interested in photos than in analysis and support.

Is Europe's future at stake at the moment?

I have no doubt that Russia is playing for its future. Europe's future is very solid; Russia, on the other hand, has lied itself into a dead end.

It does not bode well for Putin...

Putin has made a radical mistake, indiscriminate force cannot be used, it is undoubtedly a criminal act, even if he had every reason to do so. Putin has been wrong from top to bottom. There is unanimity in the Conference, nobody doubts Russia's radical mistake.