Spain – Surging Ahead!

Spain recently secured victory in the World Cup, but the celebrations revealed a far more striking aspect – the energy, confidence and forward-looking spirit of the nation. A foreign journalist in Madrid noted that Spaniards were singing, "I'm Spanish, Spanish, Spanish!" which highlighted the mood of the country. However, the journalist argues that this wasn't just a resurgence of Spanish nationalism.

What felt different was the pride in change, as Spain is increasingly defined by momentum, rather than its recent political past or complicated history. The country is surging ahead, and there's plenty of political drama to keep up with. Next month, Pedro Sánchez, Europe's longest-serving left-wing leader, will face a general election.

If re-elected, tensions between Sánchez and Donald Trump, as well as Spain and the United States, could remain part of the backdrop. Spain has also been unusually open to courting Chinese manufacturing conglomerates, and its path to legal status for potentially hundreds of thousands of undocumented individuals could have far-reaching social and geopolitical consequences.

This willingness to try things that other countries may hesitate to touch makes Spain infinitely more interesting to watch and report on. For a foreign correspondent, this momentum shows no sign of stopping.