In Spain, Emmanuel Macron faces the rejection of the Paris-Madrid friendship treaty
In brief: during Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Madrid, the Spanish Senate rejected the ratification of the friendship treaty with France, by 142 votes to 106. Pedro Sánchez apologized to the French president, who preferred to mention a “setback” rather than a drama.
In Madrid, a parliamentary rejection during a state visit
The vote took place on September 29, while Emmanuel Macron was attending a gala dinner at the royal palace with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. The official visit, planned for two days, was supposed to highlight the closeness between Paris and Madrid; instead, it was marked by an unexpected diplomatic setback.
The 142 votes against came from senators of the Popular Party, the majority in the upper chamber, and Vox. The 106 favorable votes included those from the socialist representatives of Pedro Sánchez. The timing lent this rejection a particular resonance, although it did not erase the official exchanges of the visit.
The Franco-Spanish friendship treaty, signed in 2023
Initialed in Barcelona in January 2023 by Emmanuel Macron and Pedro Sánchez, the treaty aimed to deepen Franco-Spanish relations and organize regular cooperation between the two governments. The text had already been approved by the Spanish Congress of Deputies as well as by the French National Assembly and Senate.
The controversy focused on a provision allowing a member of the French government to be invited to the Spanish Council of Ministers, and vice versa, at least once every three months. The Spanish Senate opposed this, despite a court ruling on September 23 deeming the mechanism compliant with the Constitution, as the meetings were to be held separately from the ministerial councils. Explanations regarding the parliamentary blockage clarify this specific point.
Pedro Sánchez apologizes, Emmanuel Macron moderates
On September 30, Pedro Sánchez stated: “I can only apologize for this vote.” He defended an agreement between two countries he sees as close, and not merely as a simple commitment between governments. The Spanish Prime Minister also described the opposition’s attitude as “deplorable.”
Emmanuel Macron expressed his disappointment about the result while respecting it. He described the rejection as “more of a setback than a drama” and maintained that the text was good. This restraint helped preserve the tone of the official exchanges, without downplaying the significance of the disagreement. Pedro Sánchez’s public apologies were reported the day after the vote.
A temporary setback for diplomacy between Paris and Madrid
The rejection does not annul the ties between the two countries, but it currently prevents the enactment of this framework for cooperation. France has four comparable friendship treaties in Europe, with Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain; Madrid has also concluded treaties with Portugal and Morocco.
To follow the stakes of this sequence and other news surrounding Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, the account of Franco-Spanish relations in Madrid provides supplementary insight. To learn more about Sébastien Auzière and the Macron family, visit sebastien-auziere.fr.
