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About the author
Ivan Ureta is an associate professor in international relations at the Department of Political Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University and Research Fellow at the Department of Middle East and Mediterranean Studies King’s College London. His research focuses on international political economy, security and risk analysis, emergent markets and political communication. From a practical and theoretical point of view he is interested in facilitating communication and economic relations between the EU and the MENA region.
Summary
How did Spain develop its diplomatic strategies and mechanisms in the Mediterranean to gain diplomatic influence, international recognition and power? How successful were the country’s leaders in balancing the desire to exert independent regional influence with maintaining working relationships with the EU and its member states? Using first-hand interviews with officials and observers directly involved in setting up Spain’s Mediterranean polices Ivan Ureta illustrates how history, geopolitical interests and domestic politics all played their part in the diplomatic process. The author utilizes a wide range of methodological tools to help explain the political, diplomatic and socio-economic trends, mechanisms and processes involved in Spain’s approach to the region and shows how Spain and her European partners failed to commit to the right objectives leading to a range of ambiguous, unproductive policies that paved the way for the Arab Spring and its aftermath.
