Spain and the United States - Real Instituto Elcano

42
SPAIN AND THE UNITED STATES
without negotiating a gradual withdrawal. 43 Zapatero also angered the
administration by privately or publicly urging other countries to withdraw their
peacekeeping troops. Spain slipped from 8 th to 9 th position in 2004 in the Harris
Poll of the United States’ 25 closest allies (12 th in 2002). The sharp rise in 2003
was due to the previous government’s support for the invasion of Iraq.
In a pointed snub to Zapatero, Aznar, who stepped down as PP leader
before the election, was the first foreign dignitary invited to the White House
after the US election, while Bush never returned Zapatero’s congratulatory
call. Meanwhile, Rodrigo Rato, the economy supremo under Aznar, had moved
to Washington as the managing director of the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), a job which traditionally goes to a European but which, nevertheless,
needs the support of the US. 44 Rato’s appointment was very much seen as a
recognition of the sound economic management under Aznar, and a “prize”
similar to that of the Socialist Javier Solana winning US support in 1995 to be
NATO’s Secretary General. Javier Rupérez, Aznar’s last ambassador to
Washington, stayed in the United States as the first executive director of the
newly created UN Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED). The
importance that the Socialists attached to patching up relations with
Washington and forging a new modus vivendi was underscored by
sending Carlos Westendorp, a former foreign minister and the mastermind of
the European Union’s Transatlantic Agenda in 1995, as ambassador to the
United States in 2004.
The rhetoric between the two sides was initially hostile. George
Argyros, the outgoing US ambassador in Madrid, boycotted the official
commemorations on October 12, 2004 (Columbus Day) because at the 2003
ceremony Zapatero (before becoming prime minister) had remained seated
when the American flag passed by. José Bono, the defence minister, inflamed
passions when he said that Spain was “no longer subordinated” or “kneeling”
before the United States. Such playing to the gallery did nothing to endear the
government to the White House.
The Socialists unwisely made no secret of their hope for a victory by John
Kerry in the November 2004 presidential election, although Kerry had also
criticised the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. It was by no means certain that
his foreign policy would have been much more to their liking. Bush won a
second term, however, and the Socialists had to begin to mend fences.
43. The full scope of Spain’s contribution to Western security through peace-keeping operations over the
past 25 years is not generally appreciated. Spain has participated in 60 of them and has sent more than 50,000
troops abroad. At the time of writing this book, there were troops in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Haiti, Indonesia and
Kosovo. According to a Pentagon report to the US Congress, Spain is the sixth country in supplying naval forces
abroad and the third in infantry.
44. In 2000, the US vetoed Europe's nomination of German Deputy Finance Minister Caio Koch-Weser
for the IMF's top job.