Will Spain remain a small country?
José M. de Areilza
May 8, 2009
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform (CER) in the UK, visited Madrid a couple of weeks ago. He did his research about Spain’s policy towards the European Union and his conclusions have just been published in a bulletin of the CER (http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/bn_spain_may09.pdf ). His acute analysis reminds me of a famous phrase coined by Santiago Tamaron, “the price of lucidity is pessimism”. Don’t miss it!
2 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. | TrackBack URI | bookmark on del.icio.us.
Leave a comment
Advertencia de Protección de Datos:
Los datos personales capturados con ocasión de la utilización del formulario de comentarios (nombre/apodo, dirección de correo electrónico, sitio web y dirección IP), serán incluidos en un fichero del propietario del sitio web y se publicarán (excepto su dirección de correo electrónico y su dirección IP) en esta página con la finalidad de permitir opinar públicamente al lector, así como para en su caso contestar al comentario o consultas que formule. Podrá ejercitar sus derechos de acceso, de rectificación, de cancelación y de oposición en lo referido a dichos datos personales dirigiendo un correo electrónico a la dirección: datos.personales@blogeuropa.eu.
----
Privacy notice:
Please be informed that by using the comments form, your personal data (name/nickname, e-mail address, website and IP address), will be included in a file owned by the website proprietor and published along your comment (except for your e-mail and IP addresses), in order for the reader to publicly comment, as well as -should that be the case-, to respond to any comment or query that readers may have made. You will be able to exercise your rights to access, rectify, cancel and oppose such personal data by sending an e-mail to the following address: datos.personales@blogeuropa.eu.
the article makes painfully evident the lack of ambition from our leaders in playing any significant role in European and world affairs.
This is something a large section of the Spanish public seems to endorse.
What a pity! We do have some strengths that conveniently played could boost Spain’s international relevance. In any case I just wonder what is to be done to overcome this sorry state of affairs.
Comment by Spanish diplomat — May 12, 2009 @ 2:47 am
Mr. Grant is right about the lack of strategic direction over the last years, largely determined by parochial politicians all-too focused on domestic policy. It is unquestionable our country is punching below its level, in the Balkans, in Afghanistan, etc -and that is something perceived abroad.
This being said, the article is poorly grounded and very, very shallow. The examples about the president´s lack of fluency in foreign languages (how many world leaders are?) or the siege of the Foreign Affairs Ministry are simply absurd. And it is inaccurate that the Spanish or the PSOE people are irreversibly Anti-american; that is not what the polls say and in any event, not worse than other EU countries. If only some people within the government/party had more leverage over Moncloa or Ferraz…
In any case, some of the criticisms levelled against this government may be levelled against every EU big country, for the overall lack of leadership in Europe is a tragedy.
Anyway, as i said, disappointingly simplistic for the Director of a good, reputed think-tank -anybody could have written this piece, copying and pasting some newspapers´articles…
And by failing to provide any policy options, the author´s ultimate purpose reveals nothing but a vain attempt at bashing Zapatero and his people.
Comment by Borja — July 12, 2009 @ 4:15 pm