Secretary. January 19th, 2024
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Valladolid on Friday 19 January, in a ceremony attended by the Vice-President of the Red de Fundaciones Universidad Empresa and Manager of the General Foundation of the University of Valladolid, Jorge Izquierdo.
Borrell began his long discourse, recalling that the UVa was an ‘initiatory’ part of his university career, which he passed through 41 years ago in a ‘short period of time’ due to the ‘profound changes in Spanish politics’ and taking over the General Secretariat of the Budget and then the Treasury of the government of Felipe González.
In his speech, he reviewed the international situation and considered the current moment to be one of ‘the greatest global geopolitical risk since the Cuban missile crisis’. Mentioning that ‘Europe has rediscovered the harshness of a rough, conflictive and dangerous world’ for which it was ‘unprepared’, with wars coming up in Ukraine, which is causing a ‘serious risk of disintegration in Europe if the conflict is very long-lasting’, and in the Near and Middle East.
The event was also attended by the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, the Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo, the Government Delegate, Nicanor Sen, and the Regional Minister of Education, Rocío Lucas.