Work

EUPopLink Country report - Spain

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This report examines the evolution of Spain's relationship with Europe and the European Union (EU), focusing on how populism and Euroscepticism have developed within a political system that remains predominantly pro-European. Following the democratic transition, European integration became a central pillar of Spain's modernization and political legitimization, supported by a broad consensus among both elites and public opinion. While this consensus was challenged during periods of economic and political crisis, support for European integration has remained comparatively resilient. After the 2008 financial crisis, Podemos on the radical left and Vox on the radical right incorporated elements of Euroscepticism, though in distinct ways. Podemos advances a form of soft Euroscepticism, criticizing neoliberal EU policies and political elites while maintaining a fundamentally positive view of the European project and advocating institutional reform. In contrast, Vox promotes a more nationalist and confrontational discourse, portraying EU elites as part of a "globalist" agenda and advocating a restructuring of the EU toward greater national sovereignty. Despite the rise of these challengers, mainstream parties-namely the PSOE and the PP-have maintained strong pro-European positions. This report shows that Euroscepticism in Spain is largely context-dependent and expressed mainly through criticism of specific EU policies or elites rather than through a rejection of European integration itself. Overall, Spain continues to exhibit a predominantly pro-EU party system and public opinion. Although populist actors have increased the visibility of Eurosceptic narratives, these remain largely moderate, episodic, and unlikely to challenge the broad societal and party-political consensus in favor of European integration.

Source: Open Research Europe

DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.23477.1

Authors: Juan Roch, Luis Ramiro

Institutions: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia

Language: English

Topic: European Union Policy and Governance

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $841