Clavijo echoes “no to war” but demands Pedro Sánchez appear before Congress

The president of the Canary Islands government, Fernando Clavijo, said on Wednesday that he supports a “no to war” position regarding the conflict in the Middle East. At the same time, he called on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to appear before the Congress of Deputies to explain Spain’s position.

“Things are more complicated than a slogan or a bumper sticker,” he told journalists, emphasizing that “nobody wants war,” but that “life’s realities are far more complex than a simple ‘no to war’” because there are “many, many interests.”

Clavijo acknowledged that the international situation is “very complicated” and that no one knows “how it will end.” For that reason, he believes Sánchez should go to the lower house to “account for himself, explain the reasons behind the decisions, and, above all, listen to the rest of the political forces.”

“Nobody wants war, but obviously we live in a complex world, and the country’s interests should be informed and decided in the Congress of Deputies,” he highlighted.

Beyond merely sharing the “no to war” sentiment, Clavijo cannot understand why the prime minister has not yet appeared before Congress or spoken with parliamentary groups, noting that “this is a decision that involves the whole country” and that “things must be done with respect for the separation of powers—legislative, executive, and judicial.”