Overview
- The Élysée and the Spanish government announced on Monday that President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Spain on Sept. 29–30 for a two-day state visit that includes a gala dinner with King Felipe VI and a meeting with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
- French and Spanish officials say the talks will prioritize protection of democracy and youth, responses to risks from social networks and artificial intelligence, and shared approaches to the situations in Ukraine and the Middle East.
- This will be the first state visit by a French president to Spain since 2009, a formal diplomatic move meant to reaffirm close bilateral ties after years without a presidential state visit.
- The 2023 Treaty of Friendship signed by Macron and Sánchez remains unratified in Spain because of opposition from the Spanish right, a domestic political factor likely to shape public debate and parliamentary reaction to any outcomes.
- Officials intend the visit to align Franco‑Spanish positions on EU digital and security rules, which could affect future EU policy decisions and how social platforms and AI are regulated in both countries.