William Chislett

Madrid

Researcher at Real Instituto elcano Blog

Distinguished Senior Fellow Elcano think tank, Madrid, FT Mexico (78-84),The Times Spain (75-78), author or 20 books. Spanish by Royal Decree

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Articles

Forty years on from signing up to the EEC

2 weeks ago | realinstitutoelcano.org | William Chislett

Forty years ago this month Spain signed the to the EEC, sealing the country’s return to democracy, following the end of the Franco dictatorship, securing its economy in the world’s largest trading bloc and triggering reforms to modernise the economy and infrastructure through billions of euros of funds. Since 1986, when, along with Portugal, it was incorporated into the EEC, expanding the bloc’s membership to 12 countries, Spain has changed a lot.
The impact of the NGEU funds begins to be felt

1 month ago | realinstitutoelcano.org | William Chislett

Spain is approaching the final year for executing the remaining €36.5 billion of the almost €80 billion of non-repayable grants from the NextGenerationEU (NGEU) programme, which began in 2021 to help countries recover from the economic and social damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and build a greener, more digital and more resilient future.
The main challenges facing Spain

1 month ago | chronicle.gi | William Chislett

In this abridged extract from the latest edition of his book ‘Spain: What Everyone Needs to Know’, journalist and author William Chislett, a former a correspondent of The Times of London in Madrid and the Financial Times in Mexico, and a regular face at the Gibraltar Literary Festival, analyses the main challenges currently facing Spain.... Continue Reading Register free to get 10 premium articles/month.
Spain under pressure to spend more on defence

2 months ago | realinstitutoelcano.org | William Chislett

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez successfully persuaded the EU to rebrand its multi-billion euro initiative, originally called ‘Rearm Europe,’ designed to boost the bloc’s military power amid concerns that the US might withdraw its security guarantees. However, he is facing opposition domestically, where political support remains limited for raising Spain’s comparatively low defence expenditure.
Some brighter spots in education

Mar 10, 2025 | realinstitutoelcano.org | William Chislett

Spain’s early school-leaving rate has more than halved over the past 20 years, from a shocking 32.2% in 2004 to 13% in 2024, but is still well above the EU-27 average and that of neighbouring (and poorer) Portugal, whose rate dropped from an even higher 39.3% to 8.1% (see Figure 1). Figure 1.
The middle class recovers

Feb 11, 2025 | realinstitutoelcano.org | William Chislett

More than 50 years ago, towards the end of the Franco regime, General Vernon Walters, Deputy Director of the CIA, visited the dictator to find out what might happen after he died. Franco told Walters not to worry as he had ‘left something that I didn’t find on taking over the government of the country 40 years ago’. Walters thought Franco was referring to the armed forces. But Franco said: ‘The Spanish middle class.
A buoyant economy, marred by an overheated property market

Jan 21, 2025 | realinstitutoelcano.org | William Chislett

Spain had a good 2024, earning it the accolade of the ‘best-performing rich-world economy’ from The Economist, based on its GDP growth, the rise in share prices, inflation, unemployment and the primary balance. This year also looks healthy except for the growing crisis over the lack of housing.
MICHAEL REID, Spain: The Trials and Triumphs of a Modern European Country. New Haven/London: Yale University Press. 2023. 315 pp.

Nov 21, 2024 | dialnet.unirioja.es | William Chislett

Ayuda Buscar en la ayuda Buscar en la ayuda MICHAEL REID, Spain: The Trials and Triumphs of a Modern European Country. New Haven/London: Yale University Press. 2023. 315 pp. [1] Real Instituto Elcano, Madrid Localización: Bulletin of Spanish Studies, ISSN-e 1478-3428, ISSN 1475-3820, Vol. 101, Nº 8, 2024, págs.
Spain’s complex demographic reality

Nov 18, 2024 | realinstitutoelcano.org | William Chislett

In 2023 there were 100,000 fewer births and 43,000 more deaths in Spain than in 2013. There have been more deaths than births every year since 2015. But for the influx of immigrants the population would have declined substantially –instead it has increased from 46.6 million to 48.6 million–. Not only is the annual number of babies born continuing to decline, but the number of voluntary abortions increased dramatically last year.
The ups and downs of Spain’s centuries-long economic development

Oct 30, 2024 | realinstitutoelcano.org | William Chislett

The evolution of Spain’s economy over the past 750 years to its current position as the world’s 15th largest in terms of nominal GDP (and 34th in per capita GDP) has been a long and winding road, with alternating periods of stagnation and growth.