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Santiago Abascal, president of VOX, intervened during the control session in the Congress of Deputies in Madrid, questioning the international diplomatic relations that the government promotes with the United States and other countries, to which the president of the Government responded, Pedro Sanchez“You are strong with the weak and servile with the powerful.”

Santiago Abascal is the president of VOX, a Spanish political party founded on December 17, 2013, with a far-right, ultra-conservative and ultra-nationalist ideology.

The president of VOX has criticized Sánchez for his anti-Trump stances, while he votes in favor of the "big tariff" in Brussels, the European Green Pact, to the point that he accused Pedro Sánchez that if Spain is affected and included among the countries with US tariffs, it will be his fault, "Mr. Trump has said that he will exempt Italy from the tariffs because he likes it," commented Santiago Abascal.

On the subject of tariffs, Abascal said, “if tariffs come, it will be your fault. Because Mr. Trump has said that he is going to exempt Italy from tariffs because he likes Meloni. And you, instead of being minimally diplomatic, have become cocky,” addressing Pedro Sánchez.

Abascal, who is also the leader of the European Patriots party, has wanted to present himself as an ally of US President Donald Trump in Europe, even if the 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports affect Spain.

In this sense, Sánchez, the socialist leader, has challenged people to “cry out” against Trump, telling the president of VOX, “I don't think you will do it, you are strong with the weak, but you are servile with the powerful, as you have shown.” 

At the site, they added that, “the situation in Gaza is not resolved with a real estate deal. It is done by defending and claiming that Palestine is for the Palestinians and Israel is for the Israelis,” said Sánchez, as the Spanish party VOX has supported Trump’s idea of building a “resort” in Gaza and carrying out the expulsion of millions of Palestinians from the territory. 

You may be interested in: “It's unfair”: Marcelo Ebrard, Secretary of Economy of Mexico, on the imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum imposed by Trump

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Mexico's Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said it was "unfair" for the United States to impose tariffs on imports of Mexican steel and aluminum, as President Donald Trump has decreed, since Mexico imports much more of these steelmaking materials from the United States than it exports.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump signed proclamations imposing a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum entering the United States across the board, effective March 12.

In the specific case of Mexico, the decree notes that “Imports have also increased above historical trade norms in numerous key product lines, such as long reinforcing bars, which have experienced import increases of 1,678 percent from Mexico.”

In this regard, Ebrard said during President Claudia Sheinbaum's morning press conference that this is false.

“Mexico imports more steel from the United States than it exports. There is no such thing as a 1,600 percent increase. The United States sells us more, so this tariff is not justified. I am talking about aluminum and steel,” he said.

“It is unfair! According to President Trump's own arguments, because we have, I repeat, more imports from the United States than exports,” he emphasized.

The official explained that Mexico is the main destination for total steel product exports from the United States, representing 52 percent of its global exports by the end of 2024.

According to the US government's own information, Ebrard explained that the US surplus has been 1.2 million tons per year on average since 2015, while in 2025 it will reach 2.3 million tons. In contrast, Mexico's exports to the United States have returned to 2015-2017 levels.

"If it were to be imposed starting March 12, it would be a very unusual case because a tariff would be imposed on a country to which the United States sells the most," he said.

Marcelo Ebrard said that the instruction he has from President Sheinbaum is: number one, consultations with the new administration to present the information we have; however, the US Secretary of Commerce must be ratified this week by the Senate, in order to have an official bilateral meeting. As well as the head of the USTR (Office of the US Trade Representative).

“Next week, I will have personal communication, via Zoom or as determined, with both of them to present Mexico's arguments.” 

The Secretary of Economy called for common sense to avoid “shooting ourselves in the foot.”

“Because this, President Trump sometimes says, is common sense; well, we take him at his word: common sense, not a shot in the foot. Not destroying what we have built over the last 40 years.”

In this regard, President Claudia Sheinbaum said that she has been working for months with the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit on different alternatives to this proclamation, in order to arrive at the meeting with the U.S. authorities with everything they need to know about it.

In this regard, he stressed that he is confident that the arguments will be heard. “Persuade and insist. Persevere and move forward,” he added.

You may be interested in: International leaders back Mexico after President Sheinbaum negotiates with Trump