Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares summoned the Argentine ambassador to Madrid after Argentine President Javier Milei verbally attacked Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his wife, Albares said on Monday.
Argentina’s ultra-liberal leader Milei took part in an election rally organized by Spanish right-wing populist party Vox for the European elections in Madrid on Sunday, where he harshly criticized Sánchez’s left-wing government and described the prime minister’s wife, Begoña Gómez , as “corrupt”. .”
In an initial reaction to Milei’s outburst, Sanchez said: “What we saw yesterday in Madrid shows the danger that this right-wing extremist international represents for societies like ours, in which democracy is based on the pillars of economic progress, social justice and of coexistence.” .”
Respect was essential even in relations between governments with different ideological views, he said.
Albares previously told state broadcaster RTVE that a “public apology” was demanded from Milei, or action would be taken. Madrid has already recalled its ambassador to Buenos Aires for consultations and “for an indefinite period”.
According to RTVE and other local media, Madrid is considering severing diplomatic relations over the incident. A government spokesman in Buenos Aires initially ruled out an apology.
Albares accused Milei of “interfering in Spain’s internal affairs” and said that “a foreign head of state does not visit a country to insult its institutions”.
On Sunday, Spain’s top diplomat spoke of a “frontal attack on our democracy, our institutions and Spain”.
At the rally in Madrid, which was attended by around 11 thousand participants from Europe, the USA and Latin America, Milei was celebrated as a “rock star”, according to the newspaper El Mundo and other media.
During his speech, the Argentine president, who describes himself as an “anarcho-capitalist”, said that we must say “no more to the damned and cancerous socialism”. He also stated that socialism leads “to slavery or death” and that social justice is “always unjust.”
The meeting was also attended by foreign far-right leaders, right-wing populists and national conservative politicians, including Marine Le Pen of the French party Rassemblement National, André Ventura of Portugal of the right-wing populist Chega party, and minister Israeli Department of Social Affairs. equality, Amichai Chikli.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni joined us via video conference and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sent a message in which he described the European Parliament elections from 6 to 9 June as “a great struggle common” against a Europe that promotes “mass illegal migration”.
