ABSTRACT
The new Spanish democracy has had to face simultaneously two serious challenges which affected the very nature of the state: regional devolution and European integration. As regards the EU, membership has had a positive effect on Spain. The country has succeeded in breaking its centuries-long frustrating political isolation, and its democracy has become stronger in the process. Spain's entrance into the EC in 1986 was quite unanimously supported by political parties, interest groups and public opinion. For Spain, European integration has not only meant economic, social and political modernization; it has also allowed the country to recover its lost place in the European arena. Such a wide consensus allowed the country to face membership in the EC without serious problems of national identity. On the contrary, for a ‘pluri-national’ country like Spain, belonging to Europe has helped it to find a new ‘common’ identity. In addition, the EC has been perceived – at least until recently – as a source of benefits in terms of political stability, economic growth, regional assistance and foreign investments. However, such a consensus has also meant the absence of political debate about the real impact of Spain's incorporation into the process of European integration, including the Maastricht Treaty, which coincided with a phase of economic prosperity (1986–91). while the initial idyllic image of the EU has now given way to a more realistic, balanced evaluation, European integration, now defined in terms of monetary union, remains a top priority for Spanish authorities. Officially, the national interest continues to be identified with the Community, viewed as an emerging sovereignty, which will require wider political powers.
