ABSTRACT
The Spanish presidencies of the European Union were crucial for the enhancement of Spanish foreign policy. Nevertheless, the 1995 presidency must be regarded as the most successful of the three. The main reason is that Felipe Gonza´lez was able to project Spain as a firm member of the European Union. The Euro-Mediterranean partnership approved in Barcelona in November 1995 has to be regarded as the biggest achievement of Spanish foreign policy since the transition to democracy. But we shall appraise the three presidencies individually before making a final assessment.
