Eduardo González
The People’s Party Parliamentary Group in Congress has asked the Government to attend the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara “with a clear, common, and coherent position, without disagreements between the parties that make up the Executive, and with a firm message regarding Spain’s commitment to Euro-Atlantic security.”
In a non-binding motion registered on June 12 for debate in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Congress, the People’s Party (PP) points out that the NATO Summit, to be held in Ankara on July 7 and 8, 2026, “will take place at a decisive moment for Euro-Atlantic security” due to “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the persistence of hybrid threats against European democracies, the deterioration of stability in the Middle East, pressure on strategic maritime routes, the proliferation of drones and anti-drone systems, cyberattacks, disinformation, and the vulnerability of critical infrastructure.”
In this context, it continues, “NATO remains an essential pillar for collective defense, deterrence, Euro-Atlantic stability, and the protection of democracies against conventional, hybrid, and technological threats.”
Therefore, it warns, “Spain must attend the Ankara Summit with a clear, responsible, and coherent position, consistent with its international commitments, but also with its own strategic interests,” because “our country cannot simply follow the priorities of other allies or attend such an important event without a defined national agenda.”
In this context, the People’s Party (PP) believes that “Europe’s security is at stake in the east, but also in the south.” “The priority given to the eastern flank, fully justified by the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the threat that Russia represents to European security, should not translate into neglect of the southern flank,” it states.
“For Spain, the Mediterranean, the Sahel, the Maghreb, the Middle East, and the African Atlantic are not peripheral areas, but rather regions directly linked to our national security, the stability of our borders, our trade and energy routes, and the protection of our citizens,” the PP Group warns.
“The deteriorating situation in the Sahel, the expansion of jihadist terrorism, the advance of transnational organized crime, illicit trafficking, the instrumentalized pressure of migration, maritime insecurity, the strategic competition from authoritarian actors, and the growing presence of Russia, China, and Iran in the southern neighborhood necessitate strengthening a comprehensive allied vision,” it continues.
“Spain, given its geographical position, operational experience, and knowledge of the Western Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Sahel, must play an active role in defining this agenda,” because, “for Spain, situated in a strategic position between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, these risks are not abstract,” the PP asserts.
“The Ankara Summit must therefore serve to reaffirm the unity of the allies, maintain support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression and, at the same time, strengthen the Alliance’s effective attention to the southern flank” and, in this context, “Spain must advocate that the security of the Mediterranean, the Sahel and the African Atlantic form a central part of the allied agenda, with special attention to the fight against terrorism, maritime security, the protection of energy and trade routes, the prevention of hybrid threats, the control of illicit trafficking and the protection of critical infrastructure.”
Spanish Parliament
“The Government must explain to the Spanish Parliament what position Spain will defend, what its national priorities are, what commitments it intends to undertake, and how these agreements will affect national security, Spanish foreign policy, and our position within the Atlantic Alliance,” it continues.
Therefore, the non-binding resolution urges the Government to “reaffirm at the NATO Summit in Ankara Spain’s commitment to the Atlantic Alliance, collective defense, the transatlantic bond, the unity of the allies, and compliance with its international obligations in matters of security and defense” and to “guarantee that the Government attends the NATO Summit in Ankara with a clear, common, and coherent position, without disagreements among the parties that make up the Executive, and with a firm message regarding Spain’s commitment to Euro-Atlantic security.”
It also calls on the Government to advocate for “the recognition of the southern flank as an effective strategic priority for NATO, with special attention to the Mediterranean, the Sahel, the Maghreb and the Middle East, due to its direct impact on the national security of Spain and Europe” and to promote “a strengthened allied agenda for the southern flank focused on combating terrorism, maritime security, protecting energy and trade routes, preventing hybrid threats, controlling illicit trafficking and protecting critical infrastructure.”
