ABSTRACT
Note: This chapter was written in cooperation with Miguel Angel Martinez, M.P. and Ambassador Fernando Alvarez de Miranda
Spain became a signatory to the North Atlantic Treaty on 30 May 1982 and is, therefore, the last country to have entered the North Atlantic Alliance. Spain’s decision was taken in the midst of fierce political debate. In general, the centre and rightwing parties, both at the national and regional levels, supported entry into NATO. The parliamentary left, including the Socialists and Communists, and a great many left-wing extra-parliamentary groups opposed the decision, bitterly at times.
