A Franco-Spanish summit under the sign of tributes this Monday, March 15 in Montauban, since nine years ago, the city was in shock. On Thursday March 15, 2012, Mohamed Merah fired point blank at three paratroopers. A meeting that should allow progress on several political issues such as binationality, terrorism or the revival of European economies.
To view this Twitter content, you must accept cookies Social networks.
These cookies make it possible to share or react directly on the social networks to which you are connected or to integrate content initially posted on these social networks. They also allow social networks to use your visits to our sites and applications for personalization and targeting advertising.
Emmanuel Macron and Pedro Sanchez arrived shortly before noon
French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrived in front of the prefecture of Tarn-et-Garonne, around 11:45 am, with a little delay on the announced timing. The sector is obviously cordoned off, traffic is impossible there. The two leaders begin a bilateral meeting in the prefect’s office.
Two highlights are expected today: the signing of an agreement on the recognition of Double nationality for 150,000 French people who live in Spain and the 200,000 Spaniards who live in France. “A historic convention, which will probably be called the Montauban convention“, declared the Head of State on the spot.
And then a tribute will be returned to the last President of the Spanish Republic Manuel Azana, buried in Montauban.
To view this Twitter content, you must accept cookies Social networks.
These cookies make it possible to share or react directly on the social networks to which you are connected or to integrate content initially posted on these social networks. They also allow social networks to use your visits to our sites and applications for personalization and targeting advertising.
If Montauban was bruised by the attacks of 2012, it is also the city where was buried Manuel Azana in 1940. A great figure of Spanish republicanism. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will therefore symbolically and officially pray at the grave of Manuel Azana. He had already come in 2019 but the Spanish community and the refugee children could not follow this express trip.
Perpetuate memory and history
Joseph Gonzalez Ocaña is president of the Spanish Republican Memory Association 82. He explains why this trip by Pedro Sanchez is so symbolic and historical for the Spanish community in the Occitanie region.
“To understand this importance, we must understand the historical dimension. In 1975, when democracy arrived in Spain, a defense movement in memory of the Spanish exiles of the Spanish Civil War was formed. Since then, the daughters and sons of immigrants Franco-Spanish have taken up this torch which defends dual nationality “, he says. An essential tribute for the memories of the exodus of 500,000 Spaniards to France between 1936 and 1939. This is called the Withdrawal.
Beyond political questions, this visit by the Spanish Prime Minister aims to perpetuate the memory and a common history between the two countries. A link between France and Spain reinforced by dual nationality and therefore by this government meeting in symbolic land.
