From the La Toja Forum, Spain’s Minister of Economy presents his vision of the challenges facing Spain and the European Union in a changing international context. Carlos Cuerpo analyzes the recent trade agreement with the United States, which he finds useful for reducing business uncertainty, but ultimately insufficient. He warns of the impact of a "China shock" on key sectors such as steel, defends Spain’s commitment to renewable energies as drivers of competitiveness and investment, and argues that immigration is essential to sustaining economic growth and should not be stigmatized.

"When I arrived in Brussels, I realised that we don't know enough about China," warned Jamil Anderlini, POLITICO Europe's regional director, at the La Toja Forum. Spain, often seen as 'China-friendly', hardly debates strategic ports or Huawei. Strategy or ignorance? Our editor and director, Marc López Plana, concludes in his European Compass column that if Spain fails to approach "its relationship with Beijing in an informed, conscious and strategic way, particular interests will prevail over those of the State."

The former Prime Minister of Israel, who is taking part this week in the La Toja Forum, calls for an end to the offensive on Gaza to guarantee the "immediate return of the hostages" and laments that, "in order to reach the murderers of Hamas, many innocent people have died." In a conversation with the vice president of 'Agenda Pública', Rodrigo Pinedo, he is critical of Netanyahu and emphasizes that "the only possible way" to achieve lasting peace is through a "comprehensive understanding on the two states."

"We are not heading toward a neatly divided world of a new Cold War," instead "many states are pursuing a strategy of multi-alignment," notes Thorsten Benner. The director of the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi) in Berlin analyzes the example of Saudi Arabia, which moves between Germany, the United States, China and Pakistan, to understand "an increasingly inhospitable world" through this "multi-alignment strategy."

This week, Spain will be an epicenter in the ongoing debate around U.S.–European relations. Marc López Plana, editor and director of 'Agenda Pública', remarks on the hypothesis he plans to advance when he moderates a session at the La Toja Forum with POLITICO Europe director Jamil Anderlini, Andalucía president Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, former EC vice-president Margaritis Schinas, and former Biden advisor Amanda Sloat. The topic will be ‘How to preserve the transtlantic alliance in the age of Trump’.

Journalist Ruth Ferrero speaks in 'Agenda Pública' with Teija Tiilikainen, director of the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats. Tiilikainen explains the centre’s main areas of action, highlighting "electoral interference, the widespread manipulation of the information space, instrumentalized migration, or attacks on critical infrastructure." Europe has already suffered such attacks, with the elections in Romania or the destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline, and the centre’s role is to "prevent and better understand" these threats.

In what seem the final steps toward approval of a trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, Socialist MEP Javi López sees a chance to "demonstrate whether (the EU) can act as an autonomous player… or else resign itself to being a minor power." López, who serves as vice-president of the European Parliament, believes that the trade alliance – in which "Spain has played a key role" – will mean "resilience and reliability" for Europe and "opportunities and modernization" for Mercosur.

Bruno Retailleau is destined to be one of the big names in French and European politics in the coming years. According to Oxford political scientist Giovanni Capoccia, both he and his ideology are facing "the most momentous political change in liberal democracies." At a time when "ambiguity is not a government strategy," Retailleau "outlines three pillars for a renewed Western identity" which Capoccia analyzes rigorously.

Marc López Plana, editor and director of 'Agenda Pública', recounts a recent trip to Warsaw that coincided with incursions into Polish airspace by Russian attack drones; later that same week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with Pedro Sánchez in Spain. "I was given to understand that we Spaniards believe that Russian missiles will never reach Madrid," López Plana recalls. "But if we fail to open and lead the debate on Spain’s defense, then others in Europe will do it for us."

New weekly feature from 'Agenda Pública': Publication director and editor Marc López Plana takes the pulse of Spain and Europe and examines the relationship between domestic and European politics – not merely two sides of the same coin, but two elements of an increasingly interrelated equation in which Spain, a key country for European stability, can play a decisive role.

'Agenda Pública' travels to Florence, home of the European University Institute (EUI), to talk to its president, Patrizia Nanz. The EUI is a leading European research center which, in Nanz's words, is equivalent to a "laboratory for Europe". At the same time, the president of the institution laments that "the European Union is in crisis" and "universities are under attack", while acknowledging that "reforms of political institutions" are necessary.

History professor at Bentley University, Cyrus Veeser, explains that tariffs "undermined cooperation and world peace" eight decades ago in the United States. At that time, Secretary of State Cordell Hull's influence made it possible to "significantly reduce tariffs" and "benefit both sides." This historical figure is contrasted with Donald Trump by the economic history expert, who warns that in the current situation, "conflict in the commercial sphere can lead to actual military conflict".

France faces historic fiscal adjustments amid economic resilience and pending a vote of confidence in Bayrou's government on September 8. "The government is aware that far-reaching reforms will be required to tackle the treasury's serious problem with tax collection," warns Miguel Ortiz Serrano, PhD in Economic History. Despite this, French society has "low tolerance for rising social inequality."

Retired General and former Commander of the U.S. Army in Europe Ben Hodges talks to 'Agenda Pública' about the future of NATO, Donald Trump, and the geopolitical situation. The war veteran, who will be present at the next edition of the La Toja Forum, asserts that the concept of European strategic autonomy is "a phrase without substance" and points out that "Trump wants to have the same power a vers Putin."

"Only Sabine Weyand, the Commission's chief trade negotiator, remained stern-faced," notes Thorsten Benner about the photo of Trump and Von der Leyen following the unequal trade agreement between the EU and the US. For the director of the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi) in Berlin, "Brussels is only as strong as its member states allow it to be," and Europe chose to give in to gain time. But he warns: "The impending China shock is much more existential than the Trump shock."

Security expert Alberto Bueno proposes the creation of a European Emergency Unit as a public policy measure to strengthen citizen security and European integration. With permanent brigades and its own resources, it would enable "the consolidation of the promise of European protection." The analyst stresses that "Spain is in a position to promote it and place itself at the forefront of the EU agenda."

The writer and academic will be one of the participants in the upcoming edition of the La Toja Forum, which comes at a pivotal moment for atlantic relations. In a context of a "right-wing revolution against the liberal state and its achievements," the former Canadian politician calls for "political will" to address the "gulf" between "social expectations" and the "revenue capacity of the liberal state." And while he does not ask leaders to do "what we do not ask of ourselves", he places his trust in those who have "the courage to take an unpopular path and stick to it till it turns out to be the right path."

Javi López, Vice-President of the European Parliament and Social Democrat MEP, laments that the trade agreement reached between European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and US President, Donald Trump, "is unbalanced in its substance and degrading in its form." "The pact accepts impositions unworthy of a longtime ally and represents an alarming decline in autonomy for the European continent. For the EU, this agreement is nothing short of a vast strategic mortgage", he denounces.

According to MEP Hana Jalloul, the European Union "has compromised its moral and political credibility" by failing to adopt "a coherent and decisive position" to halt "escalation in the Middle East" via sanctions on Israel and guarantees to "protect human rights". Furthermore, given the current geopolitical context, the EU must "take an active role", configure a unified approach, and rely on "strategic alliances" with the Gulf countries and other partners.

Jonás Fernández, MEP and S&D coordinator, argues that the success of the euro and the advance of integration have left the Eurogroup "without a raison d'être", which has become an intergovernmental "obstacle" to the deepening of the economic union.

The PP MEP Adrián Vázquez Lázara stresses that international trade has been "the real engine that has allowed us to achieve the longest period of peace, stability, and prosperity in our history". He praises the single market as "one of the greatest achievements" of the EU. Aware that the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Trump administration and "dependence on third countries" have brought to light "fissures", he calls for "more integration, more strategic investment and recovering the self-esteem of the founding spirit".

New alliance to position Spain before European institutions. 'Agenda Pública' and Prensa Ibérica, the leading group in regional and local press in our country, are launching a new joint phase in Brussels: for the first time, Spanish media will have a physical presence in the European capital with regular activities. This marks a milestone in the Spanish media landscape, aimed both at strengthening Spain's influence at a critical moment for the world and at fostering a better understanding of the geopolitical situation among Spanish citizens.

The 'Staatsräson', which has defined Germany's support for Israel, has become an excuse for blind support for Netanyahu's government. Thorsten Benner, director of the GPPi, argues that it is time to abandon this anachronistic formula and open a nuanced debate to better substantiate Israel's security, the two-state solution and the fight against anti-Semitism.

Verónica Delgadillo, mayor of Guadalajara, Mexico, converses with 'Agenda Pública' during her tour of Europe. In an international scenario marked by geopolitical uncertainty, she defends a vision of international cooperation in which cities take on a leading role: building bridges, innovating and leading.

The PP MEP Adrián Vázquez Lázara believes that "the European left, instead of adapting and building solutions, has been trapped in protest and puritanism, without a roadmap for the day after stopping the extreme right". Against this, he calls for a centre-right that is committed to Europe, to "social cohesion", to the rule of law and to a "market economy that values effort and rewards growth".

Agenda Pública will address the challenges facing Spain and the European Union on a monthly basis in Brussels. Today, we are joined by Social Democrat MEP Hana Jalloul, who is Vice-President of the Socialist International and also the European Parliament's rapporteur for Saudi Arabia. In this conversation with Agenda Pública, Hana Jalloul takes an in-depth look at the European Union's relationship with Arab countries and defends Spain's role: "Being the only European leader invited to the Arab League Summit and making a proposal with the Palestinians to take the blockade of Gaza to the United Nations: that is leadership.*

Poland goes into a crucial presidential run-off that will measure the strength of Donald Tusk's project to restore democracy and the country's weight in Europe. With a narrow lead for the liberal Rafał Trzaskowski over the PiS candidate, Tusk's ability to overcome presidential obstruction and consolidate change is at stake, with important implications for the EU.

This is a newly created position in the European Commission. The new Defense Commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, provides an in-depth analysis of the current situation in Europe in Agenda Pública: "We cannot complain that 340 million Americans do not want to permanently defend 450 million Europeans against 140 million Russians", he states.

After Portugal's third election in three years, radical right Chega has surged to second place. Frederico Ferreira da Silva, Research Fellow at Lisbon's Institute of Social Sciences, analyses the results and Chega's choice: back a centre-right government or follow the Meloni way and lead the opposition in a country facing mounting socio-economic challenges.

It promises growth, strengthens Europe's global projection and brings two continents closer together. But the EU-Mercosur agreement is still stuck, with France leading the opposition and the agricultural sector on the warpath. Economist Miguel Ortiz explores why this pact remains unsigned and what role Spain can play in breaking the deadlock.