Spain rejects proposal for NATO membership referendum

Spain’s lower house of parliament, the Congress of Deputies of Spain, has rejected a proposal by the left-wing party Podemos (We Can) to hold a referendum on the country’s membership in NATO.

Podemos had called on the government to organise “a referendum on Spain’s membership in NATO.” However, the proposal failed to secure parliamentary approval, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

As previously stated on X by party secretary-general and former Minister for Social Rights (2021–2023) Ione Belarra, no citizens under the age of 58 — representing around 80% of the population — had voted on Spain’s NATO membership. “Let us defend democracy by giving the people a voice,” she wrote.

Spain joined NATO in 1982. In 1986, the country held a referendum on continued membership in the alliance, as pledged by the Socialist Party upon coming to power. The referendum saw a turnout of 59.4%, with 56.85% voting in favor of NATO membership and 43.15% against.

By Vafa Guliyeva