Belgium & Spain: a century of cordial relations

On 21 January 1921, the diplomatic "legations" (envoys) of Spain in Brussels and of Belgium in Madrid were upgraded to full embassies. Shortly afterwards, King Albert and Queen Elisabeth made a state visit to Spain. So in 2021 we celebrate an important anniversary!

Both countries have maintained highly cordial relations for over 100 years. This is partly down to the character of the former Marquis of Villalobar, the very first Spanish ambassador to Belgium. As early as WWI (1914-1918), he represented Spain's solidarity with occupied Belgium. This ‘guardian angel of Belgium’ is said to have saved or protected thousands of lives through his diplomatic and humanitarian actions. He even managed to prevent a bombardment of Antwerp and Brussels.

Belgium, in turn, showed its solidarity with Spain during the Spanish civil war (1936-1939). Then, thousands of Belgian households took in over 5,000 Spanish children, etched into memory as ‘los niños de la guerra’ or ‘the war children’. Some returned home, while others remained. Belgium also acted as a host country for a great many Spaniards who wanted to leave their country behind during the civil war and the Franco regime.

In 1950s and 60s, thousands of Spaniards emigrated to our country looking for work. They settled down in Liège, Charleroi, Vilvoorde and Hasselt, among other places. Many of them returned to their homeland from the 1980s onwards, but a large proportion remained. It is presently estimated that over 100,000 Spaniards or citizens of Spanish origin are living in Belgium.

For Belgians, Spain is of course much sought-after as a holiday destination. In 2019 – so just before corona – no less than 2.5 million compatriots visited Spain. 31,800 Belgians are registered with the 4 Belgian consulates in Spain who are actively living there.

As should now be clear, Belgians and Spaniards take a warm view of one another. This can also be seen in trade relations. In 2020, Spain was our country's 7^th biggest customer, accounting for 11 billion euros. We mainly supply chemical substances, transport equipment and machines. We chiefly buy transport equipment, chemical substances and base metals from them. At 8 billion euros, Spain ranks 11th in the top 15 major suppliers (2020). For Spain itself, Belgium is the 9^th most major export nation. This means Spain offers a great many opportunities for economic diplomacy (see box).

The Mediterranean country is also important to Belgium as a ‘like-minded’ actor. After all, both countries have a shared vision and standpoints on a whole raft of topics on the world agenda. These include human rights (LGBT+, etc.), initiatives against the death penalty, an effective gender policy, climate change, the Sustainable Development Goals, the battle against terrorism and so on. That makes Spain a true ally within the EU and the international institutions.

Although diplomatic relations are more than smooth already, this anniversary nonetheless presents a unique opportunity to highlight our bond even further. Despite COVID-19, several actions are being planned by both sides. For example, our embassy in Madrid is posting a photo (Facebook and Twitter) illustrating 100 years of relations on social media every Monday. The Belgian world hit ‘Eviva España’ (Samantha, 1971), which also became popular in Spain, was dusted off. There will also be a series revealing who the Belgians living in Spain are. In addition, a meeting has been arranged between both Ministers of Foreign Affairs, namely Sophie Wilmès and Arancha González Laya, in which they will commit to regular consultation.

Belgium and Spain are clearly minded to take this century of friendship, solidarity and collaboration further in a spirit of cordiality.