Spain’s Senate on 29 September 2026 rejected ratification of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation with France. The vote was 142 against, 106 in favour and one abstention. The vote took place on the first day of French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Madrid.
The document was signed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Macron in Barcelona in January 2023. The treaty was intended to deepen bilateral cooperation and regular consultations between the two governments. France has already completed ratification. In Spain, the Congress of Deputies approved the text in June 2026, but the upper house, where the People’s Party (PP) holds a majority, blocked the agreement.
The main sticking point was a clause providing for ministers from each country to take part in the other government’s cabinet meetings at least once every three months. The People’s Party and Vox regarded the provision as constitutionally questionable. Spain’s Constitutional Court ruled on 23 September that the treaty was compatible with the Constitution after a clarifying interpretation: a minister from the other country would attend “on the margins” and in a separate meeting. That ruling did not end political opposition in the Senate.
The rejection coincided with Macron’s reception by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia and with talks between the French president and Sánchez. At a gala dinner in the Royal Palace, Macron said the treaty “will be achieved.” The Senate’s refusal raises questions about next steps: the Spanish government could return the text to Congress for another vote, but with the current composition of the upper house ratification remains blocked.
The decision has prompted questions about the state of Spanish-French relations during a visit that was meant to underline the two countries’ strategic partnership.
