Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez. Photo: Screengrab
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday called for reforms to the United Nations system, including eliminating veto power in the Security Council to make it more representative.
“We must end the right of veto in the United Nations,” he said during an interview published by Spanish digital newspaper El Diario.
The prime minister said it was “curious” that Russia and the United States remained permanent members of the Security Council while, in his view, both countries were “bringing a lot of instability to the world with the wars in Ukraine and also in Iran”.
He said reform should expand representation to major global actors, including India, African nations, China and Brazil, to make the UN system more representative.
Sanchez defended Madrid’s opposition to the war involving Iran, saying the government’s “no to war” stance was based on principles and respect for international law.
He said Spain’s position reflected a consistent foreign policy approach and had resonated beyond the country.
“When we said ‘no to war’, there was a wave of pride in being Spanish not only within our country, but also among many societies across the world,” he said.
Sanchez rejected criticism from opposition parties who accused his government of taking an electoral stance against the conflict.
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“This war was not provoked by Spain. It was a war driven unilaterally by two nations,” he said. “We are not going to resolve the situation of instability in the Middle East with such a flagrant illegality.”
He also dismissed concerns about potential US retaliation for Spain’s refusal to support the conflict.
“Being an ally of the US does not mean saying yes to everything,” Sanchez said, stressing that defending international law had guided Spain’s position in recent conflicts, including Ukraine and Gaza.
The Spanish leader also argued that Europe must continue defending a rules-based international order.
“The world is changing, but the values and principles of the European Union should not change,” he said.
Last week, Sanchez doubled down on his opposition to the attack on Iran by the US and Israel, warning that the conflict risked triggering a major global disaster.
Sanchez was responding after President Donald Trump threatened to cut trade with Madrid over its position on the conflict and its refusal to allow US aircraft to use jointly operated naval and air bases in southern Spain for the offensive against Tehran.
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“We’re not going to be complicit in something that’s bad for the world, nor contrary to our values and interests simply to avoid reprisals from someone,” Sanchez said in a televised address to the nation.
Sanchez, among the most outspoken critics of both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said governments existed to improve people’s lives and lashed out at leaders who “use the fog of war to hide their failure” at home.
“This is how humanity’s great disasters start … You cannot play Russian roulette with the destiny of millions,” he said.
