This meeting represents a great opportunity to create a good climate of mutual understanding from the outset of relations between the two Heads of Government. A good climate of understanding is particularly important because of the strength of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, as well as for the need to maintain a coordinated strategy within the framework of the European Union and due to the challenges it is facing. President Macron has stated that he will prioritise European policy, which could open a window of opportunity to boost this coordination within the framework of the EU at a time marked by two fundamental questions: Brexit and the reflection on the future of the EU.
The meeting will allow Spain to stress that it is a strategic partner in achieving a priority goal for both countries: enhancing the process of European integration. Coordination between the two countries is necessary in order to share initiatives and proposals from the initial stages of deliberation processes. This "spirit of Versailles" - in allusion to the informal summit that took place on 6 March at Versailles Palace between France, Germany, Italy and Spain - could significantly contribute to boosting the European project at a key moment for its future.
In this regard, it should be pointed out that the meeting is framed within the reflection process launched by the European Commission with the publication of the White Paper on the Future of the European Union, presented on 1 March, and the five sector documents reflecting on the social dimension, globalisation, the future of the Economic and Monetary Union, European defence and European finance.
Bilateral relations
Spain and France have achieved an excellent level of understanding on various important bilateral issues, such as counter-terrorism and the fight against drug trafficking, the control of external borders and energy interconnections.
The two meetings with the highest profile that have taken place recently were the visit by Their Majesties the King and Queen, from 2 to 4 June 2015, and the 25th Spain-France Summit, that took place on 20 February 2017 in Malaga. Also noteworthy were the visit by former Prime Minister Valls to Madrid in 2014, where he was granted an audience by His Majesty the King; the meeting between the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Alfonso Dastis, in December 2016, with his then French counterpart, Jean-Marc Ayrault; and the meeting between the Spanish and French Home Affairs Ministers on 9 June 2017 in Luxembourg.
Fight against terrorism
At a bilateral level, Spain and France maintain excellent cooperation on home affairs matters, which is particularly visible in the fight against the terrorist group ETA. During the 25th Spain-France Summit on 20 February, a Declaration of Intent was signed to hand over the assets and documentation seized from the terrorist group ETA which were in possession of the French authorities. This handover could decisively contribute to resolving some of the crimes committed by the terrorist group.
Immigration
Spain and France cooperate in the fight against illegal immigration, collaborate in controlling migratory flows on the Atlantic Coast and in the Strait of Gibraltar and close to the borders with Ceuta and Melilla, through joint analysis and investigation teams and joint patrols.
Energy interconnections
On 4 March 2015, the Energy Interconnection Summit was held in Madrid, in which the Heads of State or Government of France, Portugal and Spain took part, together with the President of the European Commission, the Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy and the President of the European Investment Bank. This resulted in the Madrid Declaration, which sets out the strategy to connect the Iberian Peninsula with the internal energy market.
The three governments also identified a series of priority interconnection projects and set up a new South-West Europe High-Level group on interconnections.
Furthermore, President Macron included working towards achieving the single energy market in his election manifesto.
Trade relations
France is Spain's biggest customer and second biggest supplier. It is the fourth largest investor with an investment stock of close to 40 billion euros, and is the 13th ranked country in terms of receiving Spanish investment, with a stock of 10 billion euros.
Trade exchanges amounted to 68.87 billion euros and each year Spain receives 11.4 million inbound French tourists.
Pool Moncloa / Diego Crespo / Archivo