— The Director-General for Foreign Relations and the EU, Jesús Gamallo, inaugurated a new edition of the ‘Encontros Virtuais Xunta-UE’ on the perspectives and challenges of the new European Commission executive.

— Sonia Vila, head of IDEA, the advisory center for the President of the European Commission, presented the community viewpoint, while Ana Ramos, the director of the Galicia Europa Foundation (FGE) office in Brussels, outlined Galicia’s priorities.

Brussels, February 6, 2025. The Director-General for Foreign Relations and the EU, Jesús Gamallo, inaugurated a new edition of the ‘Encontros Virtuais Xunta-UE’, the debate forum between the Galician government and European institutions. During the session, the perspectives and challenges of the new European Commission executive, the second one led by Ursula von der Leyen, were discussed.

Sonia Vila, acting Director-General and head of the unit responsible for IDEA, the advisory center for the President of the European Commission—soon to join the team of Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs, and Strategic Preparedness—presented the community viewpoint. Meanwhile, Ana Ramos, Director of the Galicia Europa Foundation (FGE) office in Brussels, reviewed Galicia’s priorities at the start of the new institutional cycle.

Gamallo described the ‘Encontros Virtuais Xunta-UE’ as essential for bringing the European Union closer to Galicia.

At the opening, Jesús Gamallo emphasized the importance of bringing the European Union closer to Galicia through initiatives like the ‘Encontros virtuais Xunta-UE’which he considered crucial for transferring European priorities to the Xunta. The Director-General explained that in order to defend Galician interests in Europe, it is essential to understand how European policies are designed and to bring the experience of the FGE from the ground.

Regarding the priorities of the new von der Leyen Commission, Jesús Gamallo highlighted issues such as EU enlargement and strategic autonomy, security and defense, and climate neutrality. These priorities, according to the President of the Commission as quoted by the Director-General, focus on strengthening the future of Europe in the coming years.

Context

Since 2020, more than 600 representatives of the Xunta have participated in the 45 editions of the ‘Encontros virtuais Xunta-UE ‘ The Galicia Europa Foundation launched this initiative during the pandemic to inform about the EU’s response and the design of the 2021-2027 programming period, which has evolved into a monthly forum to discuss the most relevant issues on the community agenda for Galicia.