SOCIETY spoke with the new Ambassador of Spain to Austria, H.E. Maria Aurora Mejía Errasquin, about Austrian-Spanish relations, the importance of Gender Equality for her government, Spain’s EU Presidency in the second half of 2023 and her work as diplomat.
You have been accredited as Ambassador of Spain to Austria in June 2024, how would you describe the current status of relations between the two countries?
Bilateral relations between Spain and Austria are excellent. We have a common history and culture. Since Emperor Charles V, the Habsburg monarchy symbolized the united Europe of those years; this is also the reason why we have very similar collections in our main museums, such as the Kunsthistorische Museum in Vienna, the Museo del Prado or the Galería de las Colecciones Reales in Madrid. Today, we also share our membership of the European Union and we are both defending a system of values that makes us proud.
Their Majesties King Felipe and Queen Letizia visited Vienna in January 2022, to inaugurate the exhibition “Dalí and Freud: an obsession” at the Belvedere museum; and President Sánchez chose Austria as the first country he visited on his preparatory tour of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union last year. Our trade and tourism relations are growing in both ways, and there are more and more students in Austria interested in learning Spanish.
On the other hand, the community of Spanish residents in Austria has doubled in recent years, especially with young artists and scientists, who I believe are bringing a great added value to Austrian society.
You have been Ambassador at large for the Promotion of Gender Equality Policies in the cabinet of the President, how is the situation in Spain in regard to women´s rights and equality today?
Spain is, globally, at the head of the protection of women’s rights. Back in 2007, Spain already approved the Organic Law for Effective Equality between Women and Men, the most advanced law in the world at that time. Today, we have a government with more women than men; and its three vice presidents are women.
Spain obtained a score of 76.4 points out of 100 in the latest European Gender Equality Index of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), for the year 2021. The increase of 1.8 compared to 2020 not only places the country 6.2 points above the EU average (70.2 points), but has also brought Spain to fourth place, behind Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark.
The study also shows the data for 2021 compared to 2010. A period in which Spain has increased by 10 points, progressing towards gender equality at a faster rate than the European average.
And the Spanish foreign policy is a “feminist foreign policy”: Spain has integrated the objective of gender equality as a distinctive element in its foreign policy.
You also served as Head of the Coordination Office of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union. What, in your opinion, is Spain´s role within the EU?
Spain is the fourth largest economy in the European Union and Spanish society is highly pro-European.
Since its accession, Spain has actively participated in the development and deepening of the most important European policies: the Common Agricultural Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy, the Internal Market, the energy and transport policy, the industrial policy and the educational, cultural and social policy. In recent years, Spain has also supported a reorientation of these policies to respond to the major challenges of the 21st century: a health policy capable of responding to cross-border health crises; a fair ecological transition for a sustainable and circular economy; environmentally responsible agricultural and fisheries policies; a strong social policy that promotes decent living conditions for all; a gender equality policy that serves as a real global benchmark; a safe digital transition that leaves no-one behind; and an inclusive industrial policy that fosters innovation, competitiveness and the strategic autonomy of the EU.
Spain has played an active role in the construction of the European project, being involved in the negotiation of the Treaties of Amsterdam (1997), Nice (2001), the failed Constitutional Treaty (2004) and Lisbon (2009). In the same way, it has very much contributed to the development of policies in diverse areas, such as the European citizenship, the cohesion policy, the cultural and linguistic diversity, the judicial cooperation or the fight against terrorism, as well as making its mark on foreign relations, especially with regard to the EU relations with Latin America and the southern shore of the Mediterranean.
The European Union is the natural framework for political and economic development of our country. For this reason, Spain assumes its responsibilities by currently promoting a more effective, more democratic Union, closer to citizens, and capable of responding to the challenges and needs of the new century.
Spain supports the reinforcement of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in the coming years, through greater financial, budgetary and economic integration, and with greater democratic legitimacy.
Spain held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, for the fifth time, in the second half of 2023, with very important achievements, such as the reform of the electricity market, the Critical Raw Materials Act, the Media Freedom Act, or the final agreement on the Migration and Asylum Pact.
You are an experienced diplomat, having served in Romania, Denmark and Brazil, as well as at the Permanent Representation of Spain to NATO, and as Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, what are the advantages and disadvantages of working in this field?
The job of a diplomat is wonderful. It allows you to represent your country in very diverse places and circumstances, which is a source of pride, and it offers very enriching experiences. To be a diplomat, you have to have a vocation, not only to serve your country and defend its interests, but also to be very open-minded, to work for the understanding between different peoples, societies and cultures and, ultimately, to work for peace in the world.
But, although it is a fantastic job, perhaps the most complicated thing is to maintain a nomadic life and combine it with personal and family relationships. For example, children are greatly enriched by living in different countries, which makes them more open and tolerant, in addition to having the opportunity to learn other languages, but at the same time it can be difficult for them to develop personally with so many changes, schools, friends, etc. They need a very strong and serene personality to adapt to the different circumstances every time.