The June 2026 edition of the IRMO Brief, authored By Carlos Uriarte Sánchez and Paula Pavičić Pérez, deals with the 40 years of accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Union, becoming two of only 12 members states. The EU has served as a driver of modernization, rights and opportunities, from cohesion funding to mobility and social programs, as well as a framework that has helped consolidate democracy. For the EU, Spain and Portugal have contributed not only economic weight, but also geopolitical expansion, a stronger Atlantic and Mediterranean presence, closer ties with Latin America, Africa, and even Asia. Spain and Portugal have evolved from peripheral states into central actors within the EU, and the Iberian Peninsula has become one of the Union’s most effective platforms for building global alliances. The authors also analyze Spain’s “360-degree” approach in European security that includes not just Eastern deterrence, but also focuses on instability in the Sahel, migration pressures, maritime security, and the Mediterranean.
40 years of Spain and Portugal in the EU: From Periphery to Geopolitical Influence
