Javier Solana: "In 2024, half of the world's population will be able to vote in more or less democratic elections, and this will determine the future"

Professor Solana began with a strong statement: "We are Europeans, and the coordinates now are different from before the outbreak of the two conflicts we have, the two wars". In this regard, he explained that, for the first time in many years, in 2024 half of the world's population will be able to vote in more or less democratic elections (depending on the country) and that this can cause important changes that will shape the future. "We will have elections and two wars". In Taiwan, the elections have already taken place, "and China did not like the results at all"; in February Russia will vote, then Indonesia, India, England, Mexico... and in November, in the United States, there will be an election that will be important for Europe. "If Trump wins, it will be complex because Trump does not care about Europe at all", said Solana, "we will be left alone and this should give us food for thought".

On the role of the United Nations and other international organizations and the impossibility of resolving major conflicts, Solana stated that he was in favor of reforming them and putting "the best" in charge (i.e., very competent, very well prepared people). "These people exist, and I know it's complicated to resolve conflicts, but it's worse not to do anything". He went on to add, The Secretary General of the United Nations has not visited either Kyiv or Moscow, he explained, and often a gesture is more important than it seems. I have experienced situations in which gestures are more important than words”.

On the role of more developed countries and their responsibility in geopolitics and aid to less developed countries, Solana said: "We suffered Covid, but a year after the virus emerged, we already had the vaccine. It was an effort that we are still not fully aware of what it entailed: many minds working together; it was a collective effort”. The countries of the South are increasingly distant from those of the North and we, the North, have a great responsibility, he said.

On the war in the Middle East, Javier Solana explained that Israel has a problem: "there are two peoples and one state. As long as there is no Palestinian state there is no solution, but Israel, or rather, Netanyahu, does not want a Palestinian state. Israelis must stop voting for Netanyahu". "Peace", he said, "is not a code or a document, peace is not killing".