Overview
- The report finds Spain lost centrality in Brussels in 2025 even as EU decision-making shifted further toward security and defense.
- Spain raised defense spending above 2% of GDP but rejected deeper increases pressed by Washington, a stance that carried reputational costs among some European elites.
- Ties with the United States deteriorated as the EU accepted 15% tariffs to avert a broader trade conflict, reflecting a defensive posture in Brussels.
- Spain increased its visibility in multilateral forums and approved a new Europeanist External Action Strategy but left pending issues such as the Gibraltar framework, customs in Ceuta and Melilla, and the use of co-official languages in EU settings.
- Elcano situates these outcomes in a harsher global landscape shaped by President Trump’s return, a stalled war in Ukraine, and a worsening Sahel with expanding armed groups and Russian paramilitary presence.