Illa and Costa reaffirm need to strengthen EU amid global tensions 

The President of the European Council, António Costa, visited Barcelona this Tuesday. He and Salvador Illa, the President of Catalonia, reaffirmed the "need to strengthen the European project" in light of the current geopolitical context.  

Illa and Costa met at Barcelona's Palau de la Generalitat, their second meeting after one in Brussels on February 20. 

As in that meeting, Illa also emphasized the government's "pro-European commitment" and stressed that one of his administration's top priorities is to achieve official status for the Catalan language in the European Union.  

Cercle d'Economia 

Costa took part in Tuesday's Cercle d'Economia economic conference in Barcelona, a forum for discussing major challenges facing the economy, Europe, and global affairs.  

During this speech, Costa warned US President Donald Trump that a tariff war "makes no sense" if he wants the European Union to strengthen its strategic autonomy in matters of continental security.  

"If we are to take on more responsibility for our defense, we need to strengthen our economy," the European leader stated during the conference.  

Costa called for a "reinvention" of the EU budget and an increase in the EU's own resources, especially to fund security. 

Regarding military affairs, Costa specifically expressed support towards the defense plan from Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. This plan aims to increase military spending to 2% of GDP. 

Stability in Catalonia

Costa also celebrated the fact that Catalonia's economic leadership has "returned" with a "new boost of stability and confidence," as reflected in the return of company headquarters that left during the 2017 independence push – "major firms coming back home." 

"I’m pleased to see that Catalonia has returned to actively contribute to Spain's stability and growth," he added.