Executive summary[1]
The growing presence and proactivity of the Global South represents a structural change in the international system, requiring a strategic overhaul of relations between Spain and the European Union (EU) and this heterogeneous group of countries. The evidence shows that these relations go beyond development aid and are already substantial and growing, not only in trade and direct investments, in scientific and technological cooperation but also in terms of diplomacy and security. This reconfiguration must therefore be extended to all dimensions, and a more integrated approach is called for.
First, it is essential to jettison reductionist attitudes that conceive of the Global South as a homogenous bloc or that simply address geographical criteria. Instead, a strategy that is sensitive to the political, economic and social characteristics of each country, region and interregional grouping needs to be devised.
Secondly, it is advisable to construct these new relations on the basis of recognising shared interests and values and the strategic potential of such alliances in a more fragmented global landscape. The growing assertiveness of the Global South in international forums and its greater economic and political protagonism underscore the need for a more structured and sustained political dialogue on the part of Spain and the EU.
Lastly, it is crucial to move towards more coherent governance of foreign policy towards the Global South, achieved through greater governmental and multilateral coordination and by abandoning an exclusively donor-recipient mentality. Spain benefits from a unique portfolio of assets –historical, cultural, institutional and economic– that enable it to play a key role in this new scenario.
[1] The authors would like to extend their sincere thanks to Ana Ballesteros, Marta Driessen, Miguel Otero and María Santillán O’Shea, whose comments have resulted in significant improvements to the analysis.
Image: World map with glowing connecting lines. Photo: Yuichiro Chino / Getty Images.
