The Real Instituto Elcano (RIE) presented its annual barometer on Monday, the survey it has been conducting for 45 editions to analyze the impact in Spain of current international issues. While they have detected that the feeling of European identity is increasing among Spaniards, there is also a decrease in citizens who believe that being one of the 27 is important.
As explained by Carmen González-Enríquez, the main researcher at RIE, "the feeling of European identity, of being European, is increasing. The European identity of Spaniards has increased from 6.5 to 7.7 on a scale of 1 to 10 since 2014," she said. And although 83% believe that EU membership is positive, this figure has decreased by 8 points since 2021, the last year it was asked about. "We see a recurring issue year after year, which is that in Spain, European identity coexists with little knowledge and interest in the EU: only half say they understand how the EU works, and they only partially understand it, the EU is very complex," she analyzes.
Among Spanish citizens, the importance of strategic autonomy in times of difficulty is evident, which is why the majority advocate for more investment in European industry, border control, and armament. However, there is a decrease in those who support investing in renewable energies. "We once again find massive support for NATO, at 85%, which has increased since the last time we asked." In questions about support for Defense spending, 57% believe that Europe should invest more in armament and defense. Specifically for Spain, 49% are in favor of the government spending more on defense.
The barometer also asked about the rapprochement between the European Union and China, a geostrategic move that Spain has been supporting since Donald Trump came to power. 59% believe that there is no danger in this positioning, but 36%, more than a third, believe there is. Respondents who see a threat have indicated concerns that the approach with the Asian giant could lead to economic consequences with the United States. "The situation in China has made Spaniards more aware of the need to be able to compete and to achieve a single market and therefore be more capable of competing," explains the main researcher.
"Spaniards are very pessimistic, they are convinced that the war will not be won and that recovering territories is not possible," summarizes González-Enríquez. "They are also not optimistic about the possibility of the war ending soon." There is only one point of contention, regarding whether a Russian victory could result in greater territorial gains, 48% believe it is possible. 75% believe that Europe should continue sending military support to Ukraine, and 52% support Spain considering sending troops. "It is a very high percentage because generally when we have asked Spaniards about military intervention, the response is almost always cold, it is a no."
"We have asked citizens to give us a sympathy rating for countries, and for the first time, the United States is below China, which has never happened before," emphasizes González-Enríquez. Italy, Ukraine, Palestine, and China are above the USA, which receives a score of 5.1. "In terms of sympathy towards international leaders, the President of the USA is at an all-time low." Topping the ranking is Zelenski, followed by Macron, Meloni, and Xi Jinping, who scores a full point higher than Donald Trump.
"The United States historically does not enjoy sympathies in Spain, whether due to the colonial era, proximity to Franco, or military bases," the researcher analyzed.
Regarding Gaza, "we see a slight change in the response to the question of Who is more responsible for what is happening in Gaza? The percentage of those who think that both parties are responsible has increased." While in 2024, 50% blamed Israel, now 46% hold Netanyahu responsible, while another 46% believe that Hamas also wants to continue the war.
60% of respondents believe that the two-state solution is the best way to resolve the conflict. This year, the percentage of citizens (82%) who describe what Israel is doing in Gaza as "genocide" has also increased. 78% of citizens believe that Europe should recognize Palestine, and there is also an increase in the perception that the EU should impose sanctions on Israel, while the perception that Israel is doing what is necessary to defend itself from Hamas terrorism has decreased by 5%.
"Despite the critical perspective of Spaniards towards Israel in the conflict, we have seen that antisemitism is not increasing," stated González-Enríquez, supported by 56% of respondents giving a rating of between 6 and 10 for their level of sympathy towards Jews. "This indicates a great maturity among the Spanish people, that we are able to distinguish what is happening in Gaza from the Jewish people is very good news," commented the researcher, who recalled that after the 11-M attacks, there was no increase in anti-Islam sentiment. "I think this has to do with Spain's exercise of separating terrorism from the Basque people, which taught us to separate terrorism from the Islamic people, and now the same is happening here," she opined.