The migrant crisis in Ceuta and the events that followed have reopened the older debate between the priorities of different regions of Europe. In particular, writes Financial Times in an opinion article (by British journalist Janan Ganesh), the European divide is especially seen in the split between Northern Europe – a region that perceives Putin’s Russia as a greater threat – and Southern Europe – whose geographical position predisposes it to various other problems, sees climate change as a fiercer enemy.
When the Spanish Prime Minister labeled some European states as “selfish” last weekend, even his allies must have flinched. Not because Pedro Sanchez lacked arguments. Several governments were proposing the literal isolation of Spain following the influx of migrants in Ceuta. Some had misrepresented the situation, writes FT.
The issue is that many regard Sanchez himself as an unyielding defender of national interest. He rejected NATO’s objective of allocating 5% of GDP to defense, arguing that Russia will not send its “troops over the Pyrenees”. Countries on the other side of those mountains considered that his statement did not show much solidarity.
The north and south of Europe increasingly live in different mental universes. The dominant concern of the north is Russia. If Vladimir Putin does not become more lenient in the twilight of his life, the situation will not change anytime soon.
The South, less exposed to this threat, can invoke other priorities. One of them is climate change, whose effects vary depending on latitude. Sanchez once suggested that Spain’s efforts to combat this should be included in defense spending. The wildfires this summer make it harder to dismiss his argument as a mere rhetorical device.
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