THE STATE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. Reforming Europe in a time of war

89 pressing issues and the EU’s ongoing agenda should not lead to the need for reform being overlooked. With July 2023 only months away, we still do not know if the context will allow the major operation of Treaty revision to be launched. The Spanish Presidency has to read the political situation intelligently and dy- namically to extract maximum benefit from a volatile, changing context, one that will surely be very demanding and which requires an ambitious response from the EU. Based on these political conditions, Spain must de- fine its position and strategy, seeking to argue for a formal revision of the Treaties led by a Convention or proposing concrete solutions linked to the management of specific issues, on a case by case basis. The first route would entail an ambitious reform, capable of adapting European political and institutional structures to enable the EU to react and to adopt joint decisions in the face of developments, in a legitimate, democratic manner. The second solution should be seen as provisional, as it is neither the most democratic nor the most effective, but we may nevertheless have to settle for it for the time being. If Spain is to have the capacity to influence and lead change in the EU, it requires at least three things: a strategic reform project; the strength and capacity for action which depend, in turn on two factors – the polit- ical will to exercise leadership and the internal stability and strength of the government; and, finally, to construct alliances with other European centres of power. It is important to identify an objective for reform, one that is motivating and that can be sold to the more reluc- tant Member states and then to their citizens, anticipat- ing substantial improvements in the operation of the EU and its political outcomes.To guarantee this strength and capacity for action, the Spanish government must put all its energy and political capital into the European agenda. Internal stability and strength as national elections approach may appear difficult to achieve, but the best response in this situation would be to seek to reach an agreement with the opposition with respect to the Presi- dency programme, in order to present it as a policy of the Spanish state, holding it above the political fray during an electoral period. Finally, to successfully implement any ambitious reform, whether total or partial, it is vital to form coalitions with Member states and institutions as a platform for seeking to convince others, unblocking resistance and building a consensus position. Recommendations The Spanish Presidency must consider reform of the EU as a central goal: a major formal revision of the Treaties, if the context allows it, with limited adaptations, agreed case by case, if no other solution is possible. Because if its timing, the Spanish Presidency will be key in presenting European citizens with an inspiring pro- ject when they go to the ballot box in May 2024. This means that delivering more transnational, more demo- cratic European elections is a priority. To guarantee the success of its initiatives, the Presi- dency must work on a project and a strategic approach and invest all its political capital in building coalitions and consensuses with EU institutions and other Member states. Because the Presidency coincides with national elec- tions, the Spanish government should agree its agenda for the Presidency with the main opposition party and others, with the aim of making it a State policy, raising it above the political fray and seeking to ensure its success. Bibliography 1 Aldecoa Luzárraga F, Guinea Llorente M (2008). La Eu- ropa que viene: el Tratado de Lisboa. 2.ª edición. Ma- drid: Marcial Pons. Barbé E (2020). Relaciones Internacionales. 4.ª edición. Madrid: Tecnos. 1  Todas las páginas web aquí citadas han sido consultadas por última vez el 3 de octubre de 2022.