By Victoria Waldersee
MADRID, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Pedro Sanchez’s thinly veiled criticisms of U.S. policy play well with his voters but are irritating Spain's powerful ally, where political advisers close to the White House warn the Socialist prime minister to watch his step.
From condemning the United States’ intervention in Venezuela to pushing for stricter controls of social media platforms and opting out of NATO's defence spending target, Sanchez has taken a strikingly defiant tone on issues key to the U.S. agenda.
More than once, the Spanish leader, one of a dwindling number of left-leaning voices in Europe, has pointedly framed his policies in contrast to President Donald Trump’s.
SPAIN'S SANCHEZ READY TO RESIST TRUMP IN WORD AND DEED
In an op-ed in the New York Times, he said “MAGA-style leaders” were fooling the public on the supposed evils of migration, and that his own plans to crimp digital platforms were “making social media great again".
Supporters say he is sticking to long-held positions popular with voters and with allies in the southern hemisphere, where Europe wants to strengthen ties to reduce dependency on the U.S. and China.
But advisers close to the Trump administration say he is tempting fate, in particular with his refusal to spend more on defence, which has prompted numerous rebukes from Trump.
Benjamin Leon, a longtime Republican donor sworn in last week as U.S. ambassador to Madrid, told U.S. senators at his confirmation hearing that he would press Spain to commit to the U.S.-led NATO alliance’s spending target of 5% of GDP, an amount Sanchez has resisted.
Sanchez's refusal to let vessels transporting weapons to Israel dock in Spain has prompted a U.S. investigation that could result in restrictions on Spanish shipping to the United States.
Asked about ties with Sanchez, a U.S. State Department spokesperson highlighted Leon's posting and said the U.S. looked forward to working with Spain on "common challenges".
“I want to get along with Spain," said Wilson Beaver, senior adviser on defence at the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank in Trump’s orbit. "It’s Prime Minister Sánchez getting in the way.”
Joshua Trevino of the America First Policy Institute said Spain "nearly stands alone in its willingness to be on the wrong side of the U.S. on all these issues".
SANCHEZ AT ODDS WITH EUROPEAN ALLIES TOO
Spain's European allies have mostly opted to humour Trump and keep their differences private in the hope that this will advance their agendas, or at least soften his hostility.
But some have also been frustrated by Sanchez, notably his refusal to match their defence spending plans.
“He’s playing to a domestic anti-Trump and anti-American audience to great effect, leaving both transatlantic and European solidarity at the wayside,” said one European diplomat, who declined to be named.
Sanchez is in a tight spot at home, where scandals and disputes with splinter parties have stalled his legislative agenda. Foreign policy provides an opportunity to project strength, analysts and pollsters said.
Historians say he is drawing on long-standing resentment of the U.S., rooted in the support it gave Spain's late right-wing dictator Francisco Franco after World War Two in exchange for the use of military bases.
In a YouGov poll last month, 66% of Spaniards had an "unfavourable" view of the U.S., even more than the 45% before Trump's second term began.
Sanchez's other foreign policies also enjoy broad support. According to surveys, most Spaniards view Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, something Israel denies, and condemn the U.S. intervention in Venezuela.
And in an Ipsos poll, over 80% supported Sanchez's proposal to ban social media for those under 14.
On defence, Spaniards are more divided, but left-leaning voters support his lower spending pledge, polls indicate.
“These are areas where he can set the agenda, offsetting the image of paralysis and reinforcing his profile as a bulwark against the far right,” said Paula Canas, analyst at GAD3.
Some in the conservative opposition blame Sanchez for Spain's exclusion from a bloc set up by the U.S. to trade critical minerals, and from preparatory meetings for December's G20 summit of industrial and developing nations.
SANCHEZ HAS MORE TO GAIN FROM TOUGH LINE
Yet Sanchez seems unabashed.
A person familiar with his policy development said he had a “nose” for international affairs and, though unafraid to speak his mind, knew where the "red lines" were.
Three sources close to Sanchez said ties with the U.S. remained strong, and there was no sign of diplomatic communication drying up.
His supporters can point to Greenland, where Trump’s threats of annexation drove European leaders to take a vocal hard line that secured a retreat.
“The current administration will respect you if you defend your interests, not if you project weakness and pretend to be what you are not,” said Arancha Gonzalez Laya, a dean at Paris's Sciences Po university and former foreign minister to Sanchez.
“Many European leaders have tried to appease Trump. Spain has no desire to change or hide its policies ... That stands out because of the silence of others.”
Spain's trade deficit with the U.S. also makes it less vulnerable to punitive trade tariffs than heavy exporters such as France or Germany, said Ignacio Molina, senior fellow at Spain’s Royal Elcano Institute.
“Sanchez has an incentive to continue this path. It's very difficult for the U.S. to punish Spain," Molina said. "He has more to gain than to lose."
(Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, additional reporting by Aislinn Laing in Madrid, Lili Bayer in Brussels, Michael Martina in Washington; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
