It is a reversal of fortune for Spain, and comes at a time when the other weighty European players are off kilter, distracted by coming elections (Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands), wobbly economies (France, Italy), domestic political upheavals brought on by referendums (the out-of-EU-heading U.K) or the ascendance to power of anti-EU, anti-liberal governments (Poland).
But Spain, which last played a prominent role on the larger European stage in the first years of the 21st century, returns to a different kind of Europe, riven by crises and doubts. It is hardly clear what domestic stability and any renewed influence could be used to accomplish at the European level, beyond making a stronger play for top jobs in Brussels and strengthening the ranks of firmly pro-EU countries. The cloud of a Catalan push for independence later this year could also prematurely end a period of relative domestic tranquility. [...]
Spain is almost alone in Europe in having no anti-EU political forces in parliament, and Rajoy doesn’t have to call an election until 2020, though his Popular Party only has a third of the seats in parliament, potentially limiting his ability to negotiate in Brussels. [...]
The most obvious symptom of its declining influence in Brussels is the lack of Spanish officials in key EU posts — quite a come-down for a country that had three presidents of the European Parliament between 1989 and 2007, not to mention Javier Solana in the post of EU foreign policy chief from 1999 to 2009 and Pedro Solbes and Joaquín Almunia in top economic jobs in the Commission from 1999 to 2014. Spain’s current representative on the Commission, Miguel Arias Cañete, is the more junior of two commissioners dealing with the energy portfolio.
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