I would like to begin by conveying my warmest greetings to His Majesty King Felipe VI, and by thanking the New Economy Forum for allowing me this opportunity to speak to you on this very special day.
We are living in turbulent times, marked by polarisation and fragmentation and by uncertainty and conflict. During this difficult period, the value of the Ibero-American community is more important than ever. A community that transcends geography and national borders. Built upon a shared history and culture. And which, above all, is founded upon a shared desire to walk together into the future.
This community could not be fully realised without an institution such as the Ibero-American General Secretariat. Or, of course, without the legacy of the people who have led it over its two decades of history.
I therefore believe that it would have been hard to choose a more deserving recipient of this year’s Forum Europa Prize. I send my warmest congratulations to the General Secretariat, which is more than worthy of this recognition, and to its three Secretaries-General to date: Enrique Iglesias, Rebeca Grynspan and Andrés Allamand.
Thanks to their personalities, their vision and their leadership, they each exemplify the extraordinary value that this institution has brought to our
Ibero-American community. Because institutions go beyond the people within them. But it is those very people who give them life, meaning and purpose.
Enrique Iglesias laid SEGIB’s foundations from its inception back in 2005. With his experience and his in-depth knowledge of both sides of the Atlantic, Enrique set in motion a project that had yet to be defined. He turned a good idea into a solid institution that was built to last, preparing the groundwork for what was to come.
For her part, Rebeca Grynspan took over that legacy and consolidated the organisation, leading it towards maturity. With the 2014 Veracruz Summit, she launched a process of renewal and modernisation, strengthening
Ibero-America’s institutional architecture and strengthening its cooperation mechanisms. At the same time, Rebeca introduced an approach that was more inclusive and committed to sustainable development.
Lastly, since 2022, Andrés Allamand has taken on the challenge of relaunching the Ibero-American project against a particularly difficult backdrop. And he is doing so by involving civil society and the private sector, and by including the parliamentary dimension. In short, by activating the Ibero-American community’s social capital, going beyond mere intergovernmental cooperation.
Three different but complementary leaderships. Three stages inspired by the conviction that we in Ibero-America have much to gain when we walk hand in hand.
As the first Ibero-American to become President of the European Council, I feel a particular pride. At a time when so many spaces for understanding are being weakened, Ibero-America reminds us of the importance of cooperation and reaffirms that multilateralism is an essential tool. These values also define the European Union, and we will continue to defend them tirelessly.
This prize is therefore much more than a well-deserved recognition of an institution and the people who have led it. It is also a recognition of how international relations should be viewed. But the Ibero-American space and the Ibero-American General Secretariat are not just a good example and a legacy that we need to preserve. Above all, they represent a space of the present, brimming with life.
A community whose heart beats to the rhythm of our languages, our culture, our entrepreneurs, our artists, our scientists and, above all, the ties that link millions of Ibero-Americans around the world.
And it also represents, of course, a promise for the future. The promise that, despite our differences, there will always be much more bringing us together than there is keeping us apart. That is the spirit that the Ibero-American General Secretariat has been able to preserve and strengthen over these two decades. And it is also the spirit we must all continue to cultivate together.
Thank you very much for your attention and many congratulations.
| Visit the website |