Besides Italy, Spain has recorded more COVID-19 deaths than any other country in the world.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez today called for a new European ‘Marshall Plan’ to rebuild economies following the COVID-19 crisis, warning that the EU risks collapsing entirely unless it shows “unwavering solidarity” with all its member states.

“Europe was born out of the ashes of destruction and conflict. It learned the lessons of history and understood something very simple: if we don’t all win, in the end, we all lose,” Sanchez wrote in The Guardian.

“We can turn this crisis into an opportunity to rebuild a much stronger European Union. But to do so, we need to implement ambitious measures. If we continue to think small, we will fail.”

“The United States responded to the recession of 2008 with a stimulus package, while Europe responded with austerity. We all know the outcome. Today, when we are on the brink of a global economic crisis of an even greater magnitude than that of 2008, the US has implemented the greatest mobilisation of public resources in its history.”

“Is Europe willing to be left behind? It is time to break with old, national dogmas. We have entered a new era and we need new responses. Let us hold on to our positive values and reinvent the rest.”