A 142-106 Senate vote has stopped Spain from ratifying its friendship treaty with France. The defeat came during Emmanuel Macron's two-day state visit to Madrid.
The vote ended 142 to 106, with one abstention. The PP's absolute majority in the Senate made the result possible, according to EFE. Spain's Congress had already approved the Tratado de Amistad with France. The Senate decision now prevents the country from completing ratification.
Pedro Sánchez received Emmanuel Macron at the Palacio de la Moncloa as the defeat took center stage. Macron later said at the gala dinner in the Palacio Real that he believed the treaty would eventually move forward. The dispute stayed open.
The Spanish Senate rejected the treaty by 142 votes to 106, with one abstention. The result was made possible by the People’s Party’s absolute majority in the upper chamber.
The agreement was signed by Macron and Sánchez at a bilateral summit in Barcelona in January 2023. It calls for deeper cooperation and more regular consultations between the French and Spanish governments. The text also allows French ministers to take part in the Spanish Consejo de Ministros, a clause that drew scrutiny in Spain.
Last week, the Tribunal Constitucional said the treaty did not conflict with the Carta Magna. That removed the constitutional objection, but not the need for approval in both chambers. RTVE reported that the court's finding could not replace a parliamentary vote.
The practical result is direct. Spain cannot complete ratification under the current Senate vote. Congress approval was not enough.
Macron arrived in Spain on Tuesday and is completing a two-day state visit on Wednesday. He met Sánchez and joined Felipe VI at a forum on trade between the two countries. The king and doña Letizia received him with military honours at the Palacio Real. Macron later attended the traditional gala dinner with his wife. AFP reported that the Senate vote coincided with the first day of his official programme in Madrid.
The treaty was signed by Emmanuel Macron and Pedro Sánchez in Barcelona in January 2023 to deepen bilateral cooperation and establish more regular consultations between the French and Spanish governments.
Ceuta added another issue to the royal reception. In his dinner speech, Felipe VI called for closer cooperation among EU states after what he described as the mass intrusion of tens of thousands of people into Ceuta while violating a Spanish border. He said the border was also European and called the episode unacceptable.
The public message from France and Spain focused on trade and cooperation. The Senate had just blocked the legal route needed for their main friendship agreement. The earlier Ceuta coverage also linked the visit's border dispute with the treaty's parliamentary setback.
Two positions now face each other. The Senate has rejected the agreement. Macron expects it to advance eventually. The Constitutional Court found no conflict with the Constitution, but that ruling cannot replace parliamentary approval.
The treaty remains a political promise rather than an operative Spanish commitment. Congress and constitutional review have cleared it. The Senate vote has stopped ratification in Spain for now.
