Quick Facts
- Population: 48,196,693
- Capital: Madrid
- Official Language: Spanish
- System of Governance: Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
- Monarch: King Felipe VI
- Prime Minister: Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón
- GDP: 1.4 Trillion
- Currency: Euro
Introduction
Spain’s shift to democracy in 1978, solidified by its new Constitution, also signaled a move from isolationism to greater international collaboration. This was followed shortly by Spain’s entry into NATO in 1982 and the European Union in 1986.
Spain consistently ranks as the EU’s fourth most populous and economically significant nation by GDP. As of July 2023, Spain holds the presidency of the EU Council. The United States maintains a robust relationship with Spain through these global entities. It stands as the EU’s primary trading partner and consistently appoints a U.S. military officer as the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
History of U.S.–Spain Relations
Spain was the first country to colonize North America, beginning with present-day Florida in the 1500’s, and expanding northwards from Central America into the American Southwest and up along the Pacific Coast. Spanish colonies coexisted in relative harmony with the United States, and established diplomatic relations with them in 1783. An important early diplomatic event between the two countries was the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819, through which the U.S. obtained Florida from Spain and Spain gave up its rights to the Pacific Northwest.
The Spanish-American War of 1898 emerged from conflicting interests in Spanish-ruled Cuba. It led to Cuban independence, the U.S. gaining Puerto Rico and Guam, and the U.S. purchasing the Philippines. During the 20th century, Spain dealt with internal conflict, which caused their neutrality in World War I and limited engagement in World War II. As a result, Spain stood as the sole surviving Fascist state in Europe after the war. For a long time, it followed isolationism, but in the two decades after World War II, Spain started welcoming tourism and collaborating with the U.S. Soon after the war, the two countries signed the Pact of Madrid. This pact allowed the U.S. to establish military bases on Spanish soil in exchange for military and economic assistance. This marked the beginning of lasting U.S.-Spanish cooperation.
This cooperation grew stronger when Spain became a democracy in 1978. Besides joining NATO and the EU, Spain collaborated with the U.S. in various military efforts, including the Gulf War in 1990, the post-9/11 conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Although Spain has consistently followed the U.S.’s lead in these endeavors, domestic disagreements over participation in Iraq and disagreements between the two on relations with Cuba marked a short-lived deterioration of the U.S.-Spain relationship, which improved after Spain committed to increased involvement in Afghanistan.
Strategic Interests
- Military and Defense: Spain’s geographic location, with easy access to North and West Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Middle East make it a crucial nexus for U.S military bases, allowing the U.S to project its power globally. The two countries have recently committed themselves to cooperate on “promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration… strengthening defense cooperation… [and] defending democracy, human rights, and gender equality.” Spain has also provided 480 military personnel to the Global Coalition Against Daesh/ISIS and has participated in training thousands of Iraqi military personnel.
- Diplomatic: Spain and the U.S’s mutual commitment to democratic values and principles is frequently cited by officials of both countries as the basis for their cooperation. Spain’s history and common language with Latin America enables the creation of strong relations between Spain and Latin American countries. This, coupled with the United States’ geographical proximity to the region, creates an alliance that can exert significant influence in Latin America. The United States and Spain’s commitment to promoting safe and orderly migration in Latin America and the Caribbean is further strengthened by Spain’s membership in the Organization of Ibero-American States. Spain’s current presidency on the Council of the European Union can also serve to give the U.S. greater influence in the EU through Spain. Spain is a leader regarding strategy innovation within NATO.
- Economic: The United States is one of the leading foreign investors in Spain, and both are the top two foreign investors in Latin America. Spanish foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States was $37.4 billion in 2016, and U.S. FDI in Spain was $68.2 billion in the same year. The United States is Spain’s second highest import partner outside of the EU. The two are cooperating in the field of renewable energy, partly to reduce European dependence on Russian fossil fuels. To further bolster this partnership is the fact that Spain is a leading force in renewable energy, specifically wind power.
Spain, the U.S., and China
Spain leans towards China for imports, with 9% coming from China compared to 4% from the United States. While the U.S. and Spain share similar political values, economic dynamics play a role. The Trump Administration’s protectionist policies and competition with China can push Spain to align more closely with the U.S. Despite this, Spain’s reliance on China for imports and telecommunications networks complicates the decision to move away from China. Spain has been under mounting pressure from the United States concerning their utilization of Huawei’s telecommunications system, due to raised security worries. This primarily stems from China’s exploitation of “crucial infrastructure to gather intelligence on potential vulnerabilities and [using] spear-phishing to conduct cyberespionage in order to acquire technological capacity and economic and security intelligence.”
In the face of a bipolar global economic system, Europe—with Spain included—is attempting to position itself as an alternative to both the United States and China. Spain’s relative openness towards China can put Spain’s relationship with the U.S at risk, and if U.S-China relations continue deteriorating and becoming more antagonistic, Spain might feel alienated from the U.S and forced to pick a side.
