Spain’s economic crisis and prolonged negotiations over forming a new government after two inconclusive elections have inevitably limited Madrid’s capacity to remain fully engaged in European and foreign affairs – answered Paweł Zerka to Judy Dempsey.
Despite these obstacles, Spain managed to remain active on several crucial fronts. In March 2016, the country became a member of the International Syria Support Group. Together with France, Spain prepared a resolution on Syria, which was however vetoed by Russia at the UN Security Council. Spanish Foreign Minister José García-Margallo has been the one to constantly remind other Europeans of the necessity to engage in resolving the economic crisis in Venezuela. And earlier in October, Spain (together with Italy) joined Germany and France in their proposal for an EU defense union.
The results of these actions are either mixed or still to be seen. Either way, the benchmark lies elsewhere, as Spain has previously shown a capacity to exercise more substantial foreign policy leadership. The current geopolitical context demands far more Spanish attention. Madrid, if it wished, could play a much stronger role in the resolution of the refugee crisis, eurozone reform, or the security of sub-Saharan Africa. Spain should also prove its value in keeping the transatlantic bonds together and fostering the EU’s much-awaited rapprochement with Latin America.
It is to be hoped that political stabilization at home will enable Spain to face the music and demonstrate its foreign policy potential to the fullest. Just enough will no longer be enough.
The comment above is a part of Judy Dempsey’s Strategic Europe article Is Spain’s Foreign Policy Underperforming? – on the foreign and security policy challenges shaping Europe’s role in the world. To read the article, please visit: http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/64953.
