‘For the last thirty years, Spanish foreign policy has had a single (though double-barrelled) objective: first, integration in Europe; secondly, integration of Europe.’
(Torreblanca 2010, p.10).
Not quite a decade after twelve European countries agreed on a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), national foreign policies among the EU have ‘significantly been changed, if not transformed, by participation over time in foreign policy making at the European level’ (White 2001, p.6). This, indeed, says little about the nature and direction of the changes that occurred and whether these conduced to general foreign policy convergence among EU member states or perhaps even fostered greater divergence.
In recent years, Europeanisation processes of national foreign policies have attracted more and more scholarly attention. While some case studies focus on the European impact on Central and Northern European states, for instance the Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland (Tonra 2001), others evaluate the distinctive features of the ‘Big Three’ – France, the United Kingdom and Germany – in EU foreign policy-making (Wong 2006; Gross 2009; Aggestam 2011 Forthcoming). In contrast, EU states in the Southern periphery have substantially been described as adaptive laggards that ‘displayed remarkably resilient and distinctive features of state tradition and political culture despite the pressures of the EU’ (Featherstone and Kazamias 2001, p.2). One of these countries, Spain, joined the European Union at a time when joint efforts to encourage a common foreign and security policy framework were still in the early stages of development. It will be argued below that Spain, at first assumed to be an enfant terrible within the European foreign policy framework, turned out to be an enfant sage with greater ambitions. From the viewpoint of social constructivism, the changing behaviour as well as the active role that Spain took very early in European foreign policy will be portrayed.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. The Europeanisation of National Foreign Policies: Theoretical Approaches
1. The Europeanisation of National Foreign Policy: Against all odds?
III. Foreign Affairs between European Union and the Member State: The Case of Spain
1. EU’s Impact on Spanish Foreign Policy Administration
2. Towards Europeanisation of Spanish Foreign Policy?
IV. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the Europeanisation of Spanish foreign policy since the country's accession to the European Union in 1986. It seeks to understand how institutional and normative pressures from the EU have influenced Spain's foreign policy-making, shifting it from a formerly isolated national approach toward a more integrated, multilateral stance within the European framework.
- Theoretical conceptualization of Europeanisation processes (uploading vs. downloading).
- Institutional adjustments within the Spanish foreign policy administration.
- The transition of Spanish foreign policy behavior from bilateralism to multilateralism.
- The role of identity and social learning in aligning national foreign policy with EU objectives.
- Case studies on Spanish policy towards Latin America and the Mediterranean region.
Excerpt from the Book
I. Introduction
‘For the last thirty years, Spanish foreign policy has had a single (though double-barrelled) objective: first, integration in Europe; secondly, integration of Europe.’ (Torreblanca 2010, p.10).
Not quite a decade after twelve European countries agreed on a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), national foreign policies among the EU have ‘significantly been changed, if not transformed, by participation over time in foreign policy making at the European level’ (White 2001, p.6). This, indeed, says little about the nature and direction of the changes that occurred and whether these conduced to general foreign policy convergence among EU member states or perhaps even fostered greater divergence.
In recent years, Europeanisation processes of national foreign policies have attracted more and more scholarly attention. While some case studies focus on the European impact on Central and Northern European states, for instance the Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland (Tonra 2001), others evaluate the distinctive features of the ‘Big Three’ – France, the United Kingdom and Germany – in EU foreign policy-making (Wong 2006; Gross 2009; Aggestam 2011 Forthcoming). In contrast, EU states in the Southern periphery have substantially been described as adaptive laggards that ‘displayed remarkably resilient and distinctive features of state tradition and political culture despite the pressures of the EU’ (Featherstone and Kazamias 2001, p.2). One of these countries, Spain, joined the European Union at a time when joint efforts to encourage a common foreign and security policy framework were still in the early stages of development. It will be argued below that Spain, at first assumed to be an enfant terrible within the European foreign policy framework, turned out to be an enfant sage with greater ambitions. From the viewpoint of social constructivism, the changing behaviour as well as the active role that Spain took very early in European foreign policy will be portrayed.
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: Outlines the core objective of the study regarding Spanish foreign policy integration and introduces the scholarly context of Europeanisation.
II. The Europeanisation of National Foreign Policies: Theoretical Approaches: Examines different theoretical strands of Europeanisation, emphasizing top-down processes and their influence on national political systems.
1. The Europeanisation of National Foreign Policy: Against all odds?: Discusses the challenges of measuring Europeanisation in the CFSP due to its intergovernmental nature and the importance of social constructivist approaches.
III. Foreign Affairs between European Union and the Member State: The Case of Spain: Analyzes the specific administrative and policy transformations in Spain following its EU accession.
1. EU’s Impact on Spanish Foreign Policy Administration: Explores how Spain restructured its administrative bodies to create a centralized "gatekeeper" system for EU foreign policy matters.
2. Towards Europeanisation of Spanish Foreign Policy?: Evaluates the substantive shift in Spain’s foreign policy, particularly its integrationist approach regarding Latin America and the Mediterranean.
IV. Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, confirming that Spain successfully transitioned to a multilateral, European-integrated foreign policy approach.
Keywords
Europeanisation, Spanish Foreign Policy, CFSP, European Union, Integration, Institutionalism, Foreign Policy Analysis, Multilateralism, Social Constructivism, Mediterranean, Latin America, Diplomatic Networks, Policy Adaptation, Governance, Foreign Affairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The paper focuses on the Europeanisation of Spanish foreign policy, analyzing how the country aligned its national interests and administrative structures with the European Union after joining in 1986.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Central themes include theoretical approaches to Europeanisation, institutional restructuring within the Spanish government, and the substantive alignment of Spanish foreign policy with EU regional priorities.
What is the central research question?
The research explores how Spain, initially feared to be an obstructive force, adapted its foreign policy behavior to become a proactive and integrated player within the European framework.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The study employs a qualitative analysis based on new institutionalism and social constructivism to evaluate policy changes and the emergence of a new Europeanized identity.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section investigates the theoretical definitions of Europeanisation, the impact of EU accession on the Spanish administrative apparatus, and specific case studies like Spain's involvement in Latin American and Mediterranean diplomacy.
Which keywords characterize this study?
The study is characterized by terms such as Europeanisation, Spanish Foreign Policy, CFSP, Integration, Multilateralism, and Social Constructivism.
Why was Spain initially considered an "enfant terrible"?
Observers feared that Spain would adopt a nationalistic strategy of obstructionism in foreign policy, similar to the behavior shown by Greece in the early 1980s, due to its transition from a long period of isolation.
How did the Spanish government adapt its administration for EU foreign policy?
Spain centralized its foreign policy coordination by merging relevant secretariats and creating high-level, efficient networks that allowed for a single, coherent national voice in Brussels.
How does the Mediterranean policy illustrate Spain's Europeanisation?
Spain utilized its role as a gatekeeper to the Mediterranean to stabilize its own regional interests while simultaneously aligning those interests with broader European goals, notably through the Barcelona Process.
What role does the "logic of appropriateness" play in this analysis?
It is used to explain that Spanish foreign policy actions were not merely cost-efficient, but norm-based efforts to fulfill the role of a reliable, democratic partner within the European Union.
- Quote paper
- Ron Böhler (Author), 2011, The Europeanisation of National Foreign Policy through EU membership: The Case of Spain, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/376556
