Spain Defies Trump on NATO Spending and Iran as Elections Approach

Countries around the world have adopted different strategies for navigating the Trump White House. Some try flattery and appeasement. Others keep a low profile. Spain, under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has chosen a path of frank disagreement, according to Foreign Policy.

Madrid has refused to follow Washington's call for NATO members to increase defence spending to 5 percent of GDP and has rejected President Donald Trump's request to use Spanish bases in the war with Iran. On issue after issue, from immigration to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, Spain's left-wing government has publicly forged a course that runs counter to a global trend of right-wing policies.

The divergence has drawn a sharp response. In July, Trump called Spain a "wasted cause" and a "terrible partner" in NATO and threatened to cut off trade.

Now the argument moves to Spanish voters. Sánchez's government faces elections in November, and Spaniards will decide whether the country's foreign and domestic policy is something they see as reasonable.

Writing in Foreign Policy, editor Ravi Agrawal interviewed Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares on the FP Live program about how Madrid weighs the trade-offs of following its progressive agenda while risking the ire of the world's biggest economy.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Spain is the most visible NATO member openly defying Washington's demand for 5 percent of GDP defence spending and refusing basing rights for the war with Iran.
November's election will test whether defying the United States is politically survivable for a European government.
Other allies are watching to see whether Spain faces consequences or emerges unscathed.

Background

Defence spending has been a recurring point of friction between Washington and its European allies, and Spain has historically been among NATO's lower spenders, making it a natural target for US pressure. Sánchez, a centre-left prime minister, has governed while much of Europe and the Americas has shifted to the right, and his government has publicly positioned Spain against that current on immigration and the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. The November election is the first direct popular verdict on that positioning.

Key Perspectives

Sánchez government: Madrid's position, as discussed by Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, is that Spain can pursue its progressive agenda while accepting the trade-offs with Washington. The Trump White House: Has branded Spain "a wasted cause" and "a terrible partner" in NATO and threatened trade retaliation. Spanish voters: November's election is their chance to judge whether the government's foreign and domestic policy is reasonable. Critics/Skeptics: The concern is that symbolic defiance could cost Spain access to the world's largest economy and isolate it within NATO without changing Washington's behaviour.

What to Watch

The outcome of November's election and the fate of Sánchez's coalition.
Whether Washington follows through on its threat to cut off trade with Spain.
Any new US requests for Spanish bases or fresh NATO spending demands.
Whether other European governments copy Spain's public defiance or close ranks with Washington.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Background

Key Perspectives

What to Watch

Sources