Spain’s Parties Split Over Royal Visit to Saudi Arabia

Economic and security interests clash, and so do foreign policy and domestic priorities. Some Spanish political leaders are criticizing a potential multibillion dollar contract for Spain to build warships for Saudi Arabia. King Felipe’s visit in support of the deal was delayed once due to political gridlock, and members of the left-leaning party Podemos vehemently oppose rescheduling the visit or the deal. Thousands of jobs depend upon the state-owned shipbuilding company at the center of the contract. In a broader context, El País posits that Spain may want to preserve “long-standing trade ties to Saudi Arabia,” but critics suggest that the visit and contract put Spain in the position of taking sides in multiple conflicts in the Middle East. Beyond arms and warships, Madrid has a $7 billion contract to link two holy cities of the kingdom, Medina and Mecca, by high-speed rail. Catalonia’s two main parties oppose the visit due to Saudi Arabia’s undemocratic government, possibly because of the region’s own interest in using elections to achieve self-determination and independence. – YaleGlobal