Current membership consists of 32 countries. In addition to the 12 founding countries, four new members joined during the Cold War: Greece and Turkey (1952), West Germany (1955) and Spain (1982).

Spain and NATO. Did you know that it was a Spaniard who guided NATO through its first major peacekeeping operation? Find out what actually triggered Spain to join NATO in 1982 and why its accession was so important for the Alliance. Read about Spain’s early years as …

A referendum on the Spanish NATO membership was held in Spain on Wednesday, 12 March 1986. Voters were asked whether they ratified the national Government 's proposal for the country remaining a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which it …

Jan 23, 2025 · The politics of military spending. Spain joined NATO in 1982, a year after the young, isolated democracy survived a coup attempt by its armed forces and seven years after the end of the 40-year military dictatorship led by Gen. Francisco Franco.Under a 1986 referendum, a narrow majority of Spaniards voted to stay in the alliance, but it wasn’t until 1999 that the country that is now Europe ...

Mar 11, 2024 · At present, NATO has 32 member countries. These countries, called NATO Allies, are sovereign states that come together through NATO to discuss political and security issues and make collective decisions by consensus. NATO was created by 12 countries from Europe and North America on 4 April 1949.

Following the end of the Franco regime, newly democratic Spain chose to join NATO in 1982. In 1990, the negotiators reached an agreement that a reunified Germany would be in NATO under West Germany's existing membership.

1 day ago · “Spain's commitment to reach 2% of defense spending by 2029 is firm,” the statement said. Embed share Spain struggles to meet NATO defense target, as Trump demands huge additional spending

Spain became NATO's 16th member on 30 May 1982. NATO is an international political and military organisation whose aim is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.

Jul 9, 2024 · The EU’s fourth-biggest country by population and economic size, Spain will this year spend less on defence as a proportion of GDP than any other country in the 32-member alliance, according to...

Sep 13, 2024 · At 1.28%, Spain is dead last, and Madrid’s path to hitting the target is littered with obstacles. Vladimir Putin’s aggression along NATO’s eastern border brutally highlighted the perennial failure of most alliance members to honor their commitment to the 2% threshold.