The Spanish Senate voted 142 to 106, with one abstention, to block ratification of the friendship treaty with France. The PP's absolute majority in the Senate made the result possible, EFE reported. Spain's Congress had already approved the Tratado de Amistad with France, but the Senate decision leaves the country unable to complete ratification.
Pedro Sánchez received Emmanuel Macron at the Palacio de la Moncloa as the Senate setback unfolded. At the gala dinner in the Palacio Real, Macron said he believed the treaty would eventually move forward. The dispute is still unresolved.
Macron and Sánchez signed the agreement 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 both chambers still had to approve it. RTVE reported that the court's finding could not replace a parliamentary vote.
In practice, Spain cannot complete ratification under the current Senate vote. Approval by Congress was not enough.
Macron arrived in Spain on Tuesday and is completing his 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 welcomed 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.
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.
France and Spain's public message focused on trade and cooperation. The Senate had just blocked the legal route needed for their basic friendship agreement. Earlier Ceuta coverage also connected the visit's border dispute with the treaty's parliamentary setback.
The Senate has rejected the agreement, while Macron expects it to advance eventually. The Constitutional Court found no conflict with the Constitution, but its ruling cannot replace parliamentary approval.
