Проблемы интеграции Испании в НАТО

Abstract

May 30, 1982 is considered the official date of Spain's accession to NATO, but it remains controversial both in public and political opinion of the country. As a matter of fact, there was no real dialogue between the parties from the World War II and up to Franco's death. The absence of a clear position of the issue of NATO from the 50s to the early 80s was also determined b y active military cooperation with the US. The early 80s saw the start of the evolution in the authorities' position on the issue of accession to the alliance. Whereas joining the bloc had not been regarded as urgent before, it became now one of the foreign policy priorities. On October 28, 1982 general elections took place in Spain, where the Spanish socialist party gained a landslide victory. The new government declared the beginning of "a period of consideration and suspension of talks on Spain's military integration to NATO". In the context of this declaration a referendum was held on March 12, 1986 where the Spanish people expressed their wish for the country to j o i n NATO. Spain's problems of accession to NATO were either determined by the situation at that time or where artificial and far-fetched. Before 1975 there was no question of Spain being accepted in NATO because of the hostility to Franco's regime, but with his death n ew prospects have opened for the country. However, complicated political situation in the country and the necessity of structural reforms did not leave the young democratic state the time to get down to the detailed elaboration of integrational problems. Besides, the country cooperated actively with the U SA on defence issues which took off some pressure in the talks with the organizations for security. It was only when L. Calvo-Sotelo came to power in 1981 that the official procedure of accession began which was completed on May 30, 1982. In 1997 Spain became a member of the military organization of the bloc.