Atlanticism and Europeanism: Spanish Public Opinion on Security Policy in Comparative Perspective
Wasson, Megan M.
2013
- This paper analyzes public opinion in Spain on NATO and on the European Union's Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) and Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Spanish public opinion is analyzed within the context of Spanish interests and by comparison with public opinion in the other EU member states of France, Italy, Germany, the UK, and Poland. The public opinion analysis is based on ... read morethe German Marshall Fund's Transatlantic Trends survey questions from the 2000s, often supplemented with analysis of other survey questions from earlier decades. I also make use of two multivariate regression models to determine influences on support for European-centric and Atlantically-oriented security policy preferences. Spain is a strong EU member, and as Spain is a democracy that must be mindful of citizens' opinions, public opinion in Spain will likely having bearing on future EU policy. In the 2000s, the Iraq War severely damaged Spanish opinion on both the US and NATO, and EU security policy became a concrete reality, setting the stage for greater support of EU security measures. However, I find that the majority of Spaniards still favor a strong EU-US security relationship. A significant portion of Spaniards, and Europeans, also support both the CFSP and CSDP. It seems that Spaniards want the EU to be a strong world leader, but within the context of the EU-US security relationship.read less
- ID:
- hq37w0541
- Component ID:
- tufts:UA005.004.074.00001
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