Spanish foreign policy: navigating global shifts and domestic crises

Abstract

Spain’s foreign policy is often seen as the result of three structural changes: Europeanization, democratization and societal modernization. This contribution complements this assessment by analyzing the effects of three major international factors (the end of the Cold War, September 11 and the global financial crisis) and several mutually reinforcing crises (economic, political and territorial) on Spanish foreign policy. While there were no changes in the priorities of Spain’s foreign policy, there were noticeable variations when it comes to the capacity to act, the means and strategies to reach foreign policy goals and the preferred allies and partners. With noticeable exceptions, such as Aznar’s Atlanticist turn (1996–2004), continuity prevails, which is illustrated by Spain’s continuous desire to be recognized as a middle power; the priority it gives to European integration, Latin America and the Mediterranean; its active involvement in multilateral frameworks; and its concern for unresolved territorial disputes with Morocco and the United Kingdom. Rather than pointing to a single driver or a sole inhibitor of foreign policy change, the authors argue that the combination of domestic and global factors offers a more accurate picture of how Spain’s foreign policy has navigated global shifts and domestic crises since the end of the Cold War.