Spain PM-We Will Reach Migration Pact Even w/o Hungary & Poland

Speaking in Madrid alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez statesthat the EU will reach an agreement on asylum and migration during his country's six-month period holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. Says that this will happen with or without agreement from Hungary and Poland, who held up any agreement being reached at last week's EUCO summit in Brussels.

• Sanchez states that "It will be very important for Spain, even symbolic," to reach an agreement, given Spain's position as one of the major migrant routes into the EU from MENA alongside Italy and Greece.
• Says that migration is not a unanimity issue, claiming that under EU treaties a pact could be reached via a qualified majority, overcoming Hungary and Poland's objections. This would risk a major falling-out between Polish/Hungarian gov'ts on one side and Brussels and Madrid on the other. EU-Hun/Pol relations already strained due to rule of law issues.
• Migration and asylum remains one of the major political issues across the EU, and has been seen as providing a boost to right-wing parties that have seen an increase in support in a number of EU members including Italy, Finland, Germany, and Spain (where the right could come into gov't at the end of the month following the 23 July election).