“It is really important that Europe does not give in,” stated Joseph E. Stiglitz at a press conference held prior to being awarded an honorary doctorate by Menéndez Pelayo International University (UIMP) at an event at the Magdalena Palace in Santander.
“To give in means abandoning the sovereignty of Europe,” he considered.
Joseph E. Stiglitz warned that the trade and fiscal policies promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump generate economic chaos, weaken the rule of law, and undermine intellectual property rights.
The economist also highlighted that decisions made by the Trump administration since taking office in January represented a “180-degree turnaround” in American economic tradition, with anti-globalization policies, tax cuts for the wealthy, and a relaxation of institutional oversight, which, in his opinion, caused instability both internally and externally.
“Intellectual property, essential for market balance, was controlled and led to a kind of bazaar where anything goes,” he emphasized.
Stiglitz also warned of the effects of the “Trumpism” attacks on science and universities that will “harm progress and individuals,” as a sense of fear has taken hold among students in the United States.
Many students currently fear deportation for expressing critical opinions and avoid returning to their countries during holidays for fear of not being able to re-enter the United States.
“Those who have lived under authoritarianism, like Spain, know what that means. The United States has never experienced a dictatorship, and now we see what happens if the system fails,” he said, reiterating that universities must continue to defend democratic values in the face of such pressures.
Stiglitz took the opportunity in his speech to highlight the international role of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whom he praised for his leadership at the “Democracy Forever” event, recently held in New York with other countries.
Coming from a Jewish family, the Nobel Laureate in Economics also addressed the situation in Gaza, which he described as “a genocide, both human and academic.”
He criticized attempts to silence debate at universities and public forums, recalling the words of Pedro Sánchez at Columbia University, where the Spanish prime minister stated that criticizing Israel is not anti-Semitism.
