Spain's Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, has publicly demanded that Popular Party (PP) leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo formally distance himself from comments made by former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy about the French national football team. Speaking in Brussels, Albares called Rajoy's recent opinion piece, in which the former leader claimed the French team plays “without Frenchmen,” unacceptable and called for a clear repudiation from the current PP leadership.
Albares criticized what he sees as a pattern of the PP undermining Spain's foreign policy. He accused the party of seeking to disrupt diplomatic relations, including through boycotts and sabotage, particularly with France and Morocco. He also cited Mexico. The minister insisted that Feijóo, as leader of the basic opposition party, should reject Rajoy's statements and stop questioning Spain's ties with longstanding partners.
He also called on the digital outlet El Debate, which published Rajoy's article, to remove the piece and issue a correction clarifying that the views expressed do not reflect the publication's stance. Albares said rhetoric that could be interpreted as racist or xenophobic does not represent Spain and urged the PP to reconsider its approach to international relations.
The dispute comes amid wider tensions over the Spain-France Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, signed at the Barcelona summit in January 2023. The PP challenged the agreement before Spain's Constitutional Court and blocked its ratification in the Senate. The court upheld the treaty, but the PP rejected ratification in a Senate vote in September 2026, information from La Vanguardia. The vote coincided with French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Spain; the newspaper reported that the timing was deliberate. The treaty became a prominent diplomatic issue as well as a parliamentary dispute.
Albares argued that the PP's actions on the treaty, alongside its comments about the French football team, make it hostile to France. He also accused the party of taking antagonistic stances toward Morocco and Algeria and spreading unfounded claims about Algerian gas supplies, despite Algeria's reputation as a reliable energy partner. The minister also pointed to what he described as attempts to strain relations with Mexico.
Albares questioned the rationale behind the PP's foreign policy, asking on what grounds the party justifies actions he says run counter to Spain's interests and European commitments. He stressed that understanding Spain's priorities goes beyond language skills and called on Feijóo to make clear that he does not share Rajoy's views. The minister urged the PP to stop undermining Spain's internationally recognized foreign policy and support the country's relationships abroad.
Spain's foreign policy has traditionally focused on maintaining strong ties with neighboring countries and basic partners in the European Union. The 2023 treaty with France was intended to deepen bilateral cooperation, while the Senate vote showed that ratification can remain politically contested even after a constitutional challenge has been rejected. Disputes over such agreements can affect the political climate around cross-border cooperation and shared projects. The current controversy also highlights the sensitivity of political statements about national identity and international partnerships, particularly when made during a high-profile diplomatic visit.
