A Second Transition, or More of the Same? Spanish Foreign Policy under Zapatero

Abstract

This text explores the extent to which José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's foreign policy during his first term (2004–8) as prime minister should be seen primarily as a reaction to (and a rejection of) that of his immediate predecessor, José María Aznar, or whether it is best interpreted as an original, proactive response to changing domestic and international circumstances. It concludes that, although Zapatero's administration was essentially reactive at first, it gradually acquired some unexpected, novel traits of its own, which contributed fresh ideas to the debate over Spain's foreign policy identity and its role in an increasingly globalised world.

Keywords:

• Spain
• Foreign Policy
• Zapatero

Notes

[1] The haste with which it was carried out may have been related to the fact that elections to the European parliament were due on 13 June 2004, which the PSOE narrowly won with 43 per cent of the vote against the PP's 41 per cent.

[2] El Mundo, 26 April 2004.

[3] Author's interviews with State Department officials, Washington, DC, May 2006.

[4] Zapatero gave Bush personal assurances that Spain would send more troops to Afghanistan at their very first meeting, during a NATO summit in Istanbul in June 2004 (Valenzuela 2007).

[5] Financial Times, 15 June 2004.