King Felipe VI urges EU to pursue strategic autonomy, calling past scepticism a spur at Barcelona business forum
Speaking at the Cercle d'Economia in Barcelona, King Felipe VI of Spain called on European states to accelerate integration and pursue strategic autonomy, reminding sceptics that the bloc has a history of turning distant aspirations into reality.
A royal call for European unity
King Felipe VI of Spain used his speech at the 41st Reunió del Cercle d'Economia in Barcelona to champion deeper European integration and the pursuit of strategic autonomy. The event, held at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya, runs from Monday to Wednesday and this year debates Europe's strategic independence in the face of competition from the United States and China. The King described the discussion as "sugerente" (suggestive) and directly addressed doubters.
A los más escépticos habría que recordarles que una de las constantes en la construcción de una Europa unida ha sido convertir en realidad aquello que parecía una aspiración lejana, incluso una utopía.
He framed the European project as a shared space of coexistence, freedom and prosperity, built on will, trust and shared responsibility among member states.
Marking 40 years of Spanish membership
The King tied his pro-European message to a domestic milestone: the 40th anniversary of Spain's accession to the European Communities. He called the decision to join a historic one that profoundly transformed the country and noted that support for EU membership remains one of the few enduring political consensuses in Spanish society. Barcelona, he said, has been one of Spain's great gateways to Europe in commerce, thought and culture.
Pertenecer a la Unión Europea ha sido un factor decisivo en la modernización y apertura de España.
Honouring Martin Wolf
The occasion was the presentation of the sixth Premi Cercle d'Economia a la Construcció Europea to Martin Wolf, associate editor and chief economics commentator at the Financial Times. The King praised Wolf for embodying a demanding form of journalism that explains complexity without distorting its essence, calling such work indispensable for the quality of public debate and the strength of democracies.
Un periodismo capaz de explicar la complejidad sin desnaturalizar su esencia, al simplificarla, resulta hoy indispensable para la calidad del debate público y la fortaleza de nuestras democracias.
Cercle d'Economia president Teresa Garcia-Milà said the award recognised serious and solvent journalism in an era of post-truth and disinformation. John Carlin, who introduced Wolf, described him as "más que un periodista" (more than a journalist).
Wolf's warning on totalitarianism
Accepting the award, Wolf, the son of Jewish refugees who fled the Nazis to London, warned of the risks of resurgent totalitarianism in Europe and praised the values of cooperation and solidarity. He acknowledged the EU's success but cautioned against complacency.
Hoy la UE es un gran éxito, está en un momento de crisis y lo que funcionó en el pasado no lo hará necesariamente en un futuro.
The King also recalled Wolf's commentary during the Brexit debate and the euro crisis, noting that his reflections underscored the importance of preserving the European project at a time of growing international uncertainty and the need to equip European integration with robust institutions.
A forum with a pro-European tradition
The Cercle d'Economia award has previously gone to figures central to the European project. Past recipients include Mario Draghi (2021), Ursula von der Leyen (2022), Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski (2023), BioNTech co-founders Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci (2024), and the Erasmus Programme (2025). The King's appearance continues a tradition of royal participation in one of Spain's most staunchly pro-European business forums.
