Leading Europe during challenging times: the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. EUMA Papers Vol. 7, No. 1, January 2010

Gungor, Gaye. (2010) Leading Europe during challenging times: the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. EUMA Papers Vol. 7, No. 1, January 2010. [Policy Paper]

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Abstract

Spain assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1, 2010 with a clear and ambitious set of priorities, with the economic recovery being the most pressing one ahead. Spain’s Presidency comes at challenging times for the country, the European Union (EU) and the world. European economies have been hit hard by the worst financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression. Spain’s presidency also coincides with the beginning of the new Treaty of Lisbon rules. A period of institutional change lies ahead for the EU, and Madrid is committed to steer the Union through the institutional chaos that might be associated with the Lisbon Treaty. Spain’s key ambition and greatest challenge is, however, to get the Union out of the crisis. Now that Europe’s largest economies are growing again, a sense of optimism is taking hold in European capitals.

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