France and Spain strengthen diplomatic ties as Macron begins Madrid state visit

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French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Madrid on Tuesday for a two-day state visit aimed at giving fresh political momentum to relations between France and Spain, with European cooperation, economic ties and shared strategic interests high on the agenda.

Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, were officially welcomed by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia at the Royal Palace. The programme includes a gala dinner hosted by the Spanish royal couple, while Macron is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday at the Moncloa Palace.

The visit is the first state visit to Spain by a French president since Nicolas Sarkozy travelled there with Carla Bruni in 2009. It comes at a time when both governments are seeking to deepen cooperation while facing a range of European and regional challenges.

Europe at the centre of the agenda

The French presidency has highlighted the broad convergence between Paris and Madrid on European affairs. Both governments have advocated greater European strategic capacity in areas including economic security, defence, energy and industrial policy.

Macron is also expected to address young people during an event at Complutense University of Madrid, with the protection of democratic institutions and young users in the age of social media forming part of the discussion.

The issue has become an increasingly prominent policy subject in both countries. Sánchez has previously backed the establishment of a minimum age for social-media access, while France has also pursued restrictions aimed at protecting minors online. In September, Sánchez recalled that France and Spain had jointly called for a minimum age for access to social networks a year earlier.

Economic cooperation moves into focus

The economic dimension will take centre stage on Wednesday, when Macron and Felipe VI are due to open a Franco-Spanish economic forum bringing together business leaders.

The meeting with Sánchez at Moncloa will then provide the main political setting for discussions between the two governments, followed by a joint press conference. The agenda places bilateral economic cooperation alongside broader European priorities.

The two countries already maintain extensive links in trade, industry, infrastructure, research, energy and cross-border cooperation. The 2023 Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in Barcelona was designed to give those relations a more structured political framework.

Treaty ratification gains momentum

The state visit comes shortly after Spain’s Constitutional Court removed a major obstacle to the ratification of that treaty.

On September 23, the court unanimously ruled that the agreement did not conflict with the Spanish Constitution. The case had centred on provisions concerning contacts between ministers from the two countries. The ruling clarified the constitutional basis of the disputed provision and opened the way for the ratification process to advance.

For Paris, the development provides a favourable backdrop to Macron’s visit. The treaty had been signed in Barcelona in January 2023 but its progress through Spain’s parliamentary process had encountered opposition.

Ceuta adds a sensitive regional dimension

The bilateral discussions are also taking place against the backdrop of the migration crisis that struck Ceuta in late July.

During the crisis, Macron expressed solidarity with Spain and offered French assistance, including through Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.

The episode continues to have domestic political consequences in Spain. Sánchez has since reported to Congress on the government’s management of the crisis and announced measures intended to strengthen Ceuta’s public services, border management and institutional support.

The issue therefore adds another layer to the broader European discussion surrounding migration, border management and cooperation between member states.

A relationship being given renewed political weight

Macron and Sánchez have maintained broadly pro-European positions, although their political relationship has not always been presented as particularly close. Their governments have nevertheless found common ground on several international and European questions.

The Madrid visit provides an opportunity to translate that convergence into a more visible bilateral framework, particularly through the economic forum, the implementation of the Barcelona treaty and cooperation on shared European priorities.

Rather than marking the beginning of Franco-Spanish cooperation, the two-day visit is intended to consolidate an already extensive relationship and give it greater political visibility at a moment when Europe faces simultaneous economic, security and geopolitical pressures.