Willpower or Legacy? The Barcelona Process and Historical Allusions in the Justification of Spain’s Mediterranean Policy (1995-2011)

Historical references used by political representatives throughout time might reveal changes in the way policies are justified to society. For Spain, promoting Euro-Mediterranean relations within the framework of the Barcelona Process meant circumventing a certain traditional vision that saw Mediterranean policy as a legacy. Allusions to the past were often avoided, with preference to looking towards the future as a stimulus for regional cooperation. Nevertheless, Spanish foreign policy converged with the French and Italian outlook in grounding the European Union Mediterranean agenda on a shared historical discourse. However, the development of such discourse would not match the ultimate goal of enhancing regional cohesion, weakened the Barcelona Process itself, and undermined the European Union’s legitimacy as international actor in the Mediterranean.