Dear President Moreno,
Dear friends of the Partido Popular family,
It is a great pleasure to be with you today — to listen, to share ideas, and above all, to express how proud we are in Europe to rely on the Partido Popular and its leaders, Alberto Núñez Feijóo in Spain and Juanma Moreno here in Andalusia.
While Europe watches with concern the loneliness surrounding the Sánchez government, the Partido Popular stands out as a beacon of hope — for Spain and for Europe.
This is no coincidence. The Partido Popular and the EPP are at center and are pivotal to make reforms happen, as we care deeply about the daily lives, concerns, and aspirations of our citizens.
In the European People’s Party, we understand better than anyone the diversity of Europe’s regions, their challenges and their strengths. We are committed to ensuring that no region and no citizen is left behind. Working side by side with Juanma Moreno at the European Committee of the Regions allows us to make sure that the needs of Spanish regions — and especially Andalusia — are properly addressed in Brussels.
Through Juanma, I have come to understand just how vital agriculture is for this region. Andalusia feeds not only Spain, but also Europe, through its high-quality products and hardworking farmers. The EPP is the party of farmers — and we stand firmly against cuts to agricultural funding in the next Multiannual Financial Framework.
Juanma has been a strong and respected voice in Brussels over the past months on the future financial framework of the EU, and he has been heard. He has been convincing; he has been a defender of cohesion policy, solidarity and the common agriculture policy.
As rapporteur on the next MFF, I will work closely with him to defend the interests of Europe’s farmers and rural communities, because we value your work and we know how essential this sector is to regions like Andalusia.
Water is another crucial issue — both as a lifeline for agriculture and as a potential threat through droughts and floods. As rapporteur for the opinion on “A Local and Regional Roadmap for Water Resilience,” Juanma is ensuring that Europe supports local and regional authorities in managing water more efficiently. Together, we are pushing for more funding for local water solutions — including nature-based projects, agro-ecological practices, and water retention initiatives — to strengthen climate resilience.
For us in the EPP, cohesion and competitiveness are two sides of the same coin. There should be no competition between them. Andalusia is a clear example of a region where place-based policies, structural funds, skills development, and economic diversification go hand in hand.
Together with Juanma, I will continue to defend cohesion policy as the cornerstone of European solidarity and development — ensuring that regions remain key partners in shaping and implementing EU policies. Next year will be key, and we need strong voices from the EPP to defend our policy: one of these voices is the one of Juanma in his region and in Europe; a voice which is well received in Europe, as he has already shown his ability to mediate and hear all stakeholders, like he did as rapporteur in the past, a reason why he was nominated as the First vice president of the Committee of the regions, with unanimous support of all political families, beyond the EPP.
In a region where agriculture and tourism (climate dependent sectors) are vital to the economy, climate policy must be designed in a way that supports sustainable growth. I want to thank Juanma for his leadership in promoting an environmental agenda that balances ambition with realism — protecting nature while safeguarding jobs and competitiveness. Andalusia is showing Europe that green and growth can go together.
Thanks to Juanma’s leadership, Andalusia became from being a peripherical region to be at the heart of the European project and at the centre of the largest political family in Europe, the EPP.
Dear Friends,
We can talk about agriculture, water, cohesion, and competitiveness — but none of these will succeed without respect for the rule of law. Sadly, what we see today from the Sánchez government undermines the very foundations of democracy and justice.
Europe needs Spain — and Spain needs the Partido Popular. Under the leadership of Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Juanma Moreno, I am confident that the people of Spain will continue to turn to you to deliver the change they seek: a change in vision, in direction, and in the political landscape after years of stagnation.
Juanma, you and your team have already brought renewal and progress to Andalusia — transforming it into a model of good governance and opportunity. I am sure that this Congress marks another important step forward — not only for Andalusia but for all of Spain.
Good luck — and thank you.