Attending the first SI Presidium meeting under the leadership of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu called upon his peers to stand united against multiple crises and condemn the populist leaders in the region that question solidarity with Ukraine. Ciolacu drew attention to the need for a coherent response to address migration, support economies affected by the war, stimy inflation, and bolster regional security – especially of countries adjacent to the war zone.

“The voice of the most important social-democratic leaders in the region, but also globally, must be heard in Central and Eastern Europe. From this point of view, we propose to organize in Bucharest a regional or thematic seminar, to which we invite the parties from the region and the leadership of the Socialist International to discuss exactly about our common vision in the context of the war in Ukraine and the challenges we face.

On security issues, we have an increase in NATO’s presence on the Eastern flank. I take the opportunity to thank my friends in Spain and President Sanchez for their support. There is a lot of talk about increasing the defense production capacity, but at the moment things are not moving to the needed level. Strategic autonomy is not yet ensured at the European Union level. The Socialist International can be a tool for creating those democratic alliances that we need to achieve this goal.”