VIEWS FROM THE CAPITALS

Spring 2010

by Deniz Devrim

Spain has taken up the rotating EU presidency at a crucial moment in the European project, and the presidency also presents a unique opportunity for Spain to redefine its role within today’s enlarged EU of 27 member states.

This follows last year’s lively debate among Spanish opinion leaders on Spain’s status within the enlarged EU. Some hold Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero responsible for what they say is Spain’s vanishing influence within the Union, and claim that Spain has been absent in global economic and foreign policy debates during his tenure. They say in comparison to his predecessors Zapatero has not made adequate efforts to create alliances with other EU leaders.

Critics include José Maria de Areilza who was foreign policy adviser to José María Aznar, Zapatero's predecessor, and José Ignacio Torreblanca, head of the Madrid office of the European Council on Foreign Relations. They say that Spanish foreign policy lacks vision and consistency and that contradictory statements by the Prime Minister make his foreign policy appear to be more the sum of its parts than a coherent concept of Europe or Spain’s place in the world. These accusations quickly drew a rebuttal from Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos, who has pointed to what he calls the committed multilateral and constructive approach of the Spanish government.

Spain is widely seen as one of the EU’s success stories, yet it has consistently failed to wield much strategic influence. It is counted among the larger EU member countries and has broad global interests, notably in South America, but it has been increasingly difficult to define Spain’s position.

So how can Spain reinforce its voice on the EU stage? One way to boost its image as a heavyweight would be to abandon its label as a recipient of EU financial assistance. Doing so could completely transform Spain’s image, strengthen its weight in the negotiation of individual items and allow it to play much more an important part in shaping the EU’s future.

Another step that Spain could take to engage more closely with the political heart of the EU would be to combine traditional Spanish interests like Latin America and the Mediterranean with new areas. Raising such issues as enlargement and relations with EU’s eastern neighbours on the agenda, and defending a stronger EU foreign policy, would give Spain a louder voice. And to reverse the prevailing negative discourse in Spain, Madrid could seek allies in other member states that come in favour of further enlargement.

Spain’s six-month EU presidency also gives it an opportunity to lay the foundations for a new approach to the rotating presidencies. For the first time in EU history, its presidency runs in parallel with the permanent Presidency held by former Belgian prime minister Herman Van Rompuy. The delicate balance of cooperation between the two will be closely observed. Spain’s balancing act means that it must assert a strong and competent presidency so as to raise Spain’s profile on the EU stage, but as well as putting European interests above its national ones it must also cede powers to the EU institutions in line with the Lisbon treaty.