MADRID – Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, battered by years of political setbacks since 2018, is leveraging U.S. President Donald Trump’s attacks as a surprise boost, positioning his opposition to the Iran war as a path to electoral revival before the 2027 vote.
Sanchez’s circle sees his defiance, rejecting U.S. use of Spanish bases for strikes on Iran, tapping into the nation’s pacifist leanings. “It’s a clear opportunity,” said Complutense University politics professor Cristina Monge. “Spain is an openly pacifist country.”
Trump’s March 3 tirade labeled Spain a “terrible” ally, threatening to sever ties over the base refusal and slamming its leadership. Sanchez fired back on March 4, refusing “blind and servile compliance,” while his party donned Spanish flag T-shirts ,a conservative symbol, in parliament.
Polls reflect the shift: Sanchez’s Socialists hold at 28%, trailing centre-right rivals by two points, but 68% of Spaniards oppose the U.S.-Israeli Iran campaign versus 23% support. Trump fares poorly, with 76% negative views and a 2.5/10 rating from Real Instituto Elcano – below even China’s Xi Jinping.
Officials note Trump’s barbs lift Sanchez’s ratings without active provocation. A March 6 40dB survey in El Pais showed stronger backing for Sanchez’s stance than opposition leader criticism. Sanchez hailed alignment with “international law” and a public majority, invoking 2003 anti-Iraq war protests that toppled a pro-U.S. conservative government after Madrid bombings.
Past clashes, rejecting NATO spending hikes, targeting social media, cozying up to China – have defined tensions since Trump’s 2025 return. Allies like France’s Macron bolster Sanchez, mirroring Canada’s Mark Carney poll gains against Trump pressure.