White House leaves Spain off invite list to world economic crisis summit

Spain, the world's eighth largest economy, will not be attending the summit on the world financial crisis the White House is convening in Washington on Nov. 15.

Saudi Arabia's coming. Ditto Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Turkey and the European Union. Oh yes and the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, the president of the World Bank, the United Nations secretary-general, and the chairman of the Financial Stability Forum have also been invited to participate.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto insisted there was no deliberate intention to exclude Spain, which has a Socialist prime minister. He explained that the G20 was formed by the world's economic giants, the G-7, plus some emerging economies back during the market crisis there in the 1990s. Instead, the White House invited Madrid to convey its thoughts through the European Union.

Spain, pressing for inclusion, is not amused. The IBEX Spanish stock market is hitting record lows, food costs have risen by 60% over the last 18 months, and tourism, a mainstay of the economy, is down, says the government.

All of which led Spain's minister for industry, Miguel Sebastian, the other day to blame President Bush for the world economic crisis.

"It's evident that the crisis started in the United States," he said Wednesday. "There are only 13 days of Bush left, and they will [come to an end] quickly." (Sebastian of course meant 13 days to the election. There are months left of the administration.)

Democrat Barack Obama, during his first debate with Republican John McCain, noted the Arizona senator's stated resistance to meeting with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, a Socialist who was elected in 2004 and reelected this year.

During the debate at Ole Miss, an incredulous Obama said, "He [John McCain] even said the other day that he would not meet potentially with the prime minister of Spain, because he -- you know, he wasn't sure whether they were aligned with us. I mean, Spain? Spain is a NATO ally."

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images of Nissan workers in Barcelona protesting job cuts on Oct. 23, 2008

Comments

[Anonymous]

Why is this interesting? Spain is not part of the G20. Bush only invited G20 countries. Simple.

[Chris]

Spain is one of our allies. Spain is effected by the money hungry fat cat republican/conservative caused financial crisis in America which is effecting the entire planet and it is obvious that if they were not invited, its for the purpose of Spain supporting Obama and the Bush Administration sees Spain as a threat to the Bush Policies and John McCains campain. What is wrong with the Republicans. How can we we promote democracy around the world when we are selective about our political relationships?

[Francisco Martinez]

Spain is not only the 8th largest world economy, it is the third largest world investor, the second largest investor in Latin America and the fourth largest in the US. Its multinationals are among the first in telecommunications( Telefonica), banking ( Santander, BBV), energy( Repsol, Iberdrola, Endesa...), infraestructure ( there are five Spanish firms among the 10th world's largest), retailing ( Zara, Mango...) and so on. Spain is an influential country in the European Union, Latin America, the Magreb and the Middle East. It has become in the last five years the fourth largest trading partner and one of the main donors to South Saharan Africa. It is also the sixth largest world donor. Over the last six years has received more than five million immigrants ( second only to the US). Its language and culture are shared by more than 400 million people. Not inviting Spain and inviting the likes of Canada, South Corea or Argentina is simply nonsense.

[Luis Martinez]

Spain is the 8th largest world economy, the third largest world investor, the second largest investor in Latin America and the fourth in the US. It is one of the main wold donors. It has leading multinationals in banking, telecommunications, infraestructure, retailing, food, renewable energies and so on. Its language and culture ares shared by more than 400 hundred million people. It is influential in the EU, Latin America, Magreb, the Middle East and Subsaharan Africa. Not inviting Spain and inviting the likes of Canada, Argentina or South Korea is nonsense.

[JULIO]

It amazes me on how quik countries like spain and the Eu blame the USA for economic troubles in their lands,But never give due credit when their economies prosper.Spain should not put blame on the USA when its down on hard times.Spains economy is identical to the USA But on a much smaller scale with a few exemptions.Obviously spain mimicked the us system of economics because it works by most part.THe spanish public should stop expecting the government to wipe their asses and solve all their problems.the spanish love social programs but complain when their take home pay is very little. Viva el socialismo.no es necessario a trabajar quando el govierno te mantenga.ole!!

[julio]

can someone explain to me How turkey, Argentina and india get invited to washington before spain!!I Iam baffled

[Raul]

Julio, Spain is not blaming the USA, Spain just to be present in the meeting that will decide how to deal with the world problems.

Spain is a big player now, and the spanish banking system can be an example. Spanish banks are pretty solid, Santander is now the biggest bank in the Euro area, and one of the top banks in the world, thanks during the crisis has save/buy banks in the UK and in the USA(Sovereing). Despite the huge housing crisis in spain ( of which nobody blame anybody but the spanish market) the banks in spain are in good condition.

The solution of the crisis wont be effective if is playing politics from the beginning.

Yes, Spain is not a member of the G8, the 8 riches countries, and Canada is, why? canada is not richer than spain and has less foreign influence. Spain is not a member of the G20, because the G20 was form during the Asian crisis, and at that time and during that crisis Spain was not able to help much.

[Spaniard]

Spain:

Historically, one of the powers of europe and world

Today:
8th GDP - mor than Canada or similar
3th largest world investor
Economical and political influence in Latin America, etc - More influence than Canada, South Korea, Turkey, Italy...

South Korea, Turkey or Argentina and not Spain? Why?
GDP SPAIN 1450 million USD

GDP Canada 1440 million USD - In this area of world are the US. Then, why Canada and not Spain?
GDP South Korea 950 - In the same area (geography), China and Japan. Then, why South Korea and not Spain?
etc, etc...

Spain can´t be marginalized. Is the only medium-big economy in this situation. It's not in the G8, nor in the G20 - Spain must be in one global group. If not in G8, at least in G20 or G21. This situation must be corrected.

Sorry for my english. I agree with Francisco Martinez. It seems that Spain is a country of Sun and Beach for the world

[Breogan]

We (Spain) don´t want to be part of new Illuminati/Evil New World Order.
Watch videos (Engame, The arrivals, World war 3 secret...).

[Matthew: Spaniard/American]

This is completely ridiculous that Spain is being snubbed and not invited to attend the conference. Hopefully Barack Obama will be elected president and there will be no more of these petty and petulant backlashes against countries whose governments don't completely agree with Bush and the Republican foreign policy agenda. Viva Espana!

[Angelina]

Forget economic rankings: I hope the USA will invite Spain. The world is changing rapidly and the USA will need friends everywhere. Spain withdrew its troops from Irak because the Spanish thought it was not a just war, but Spain has soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and like the USA was attack by Islamic terrorist. So not inviting Spain is not very clever.

[iron man]

SPAIN WITHDREW ITS TROOPS AFTER THE TRAIN BOMBING. THEY LOOKED IN THE FACE OF EVIL AND BLANCHED. THEY DON'T DESERVE TO BE THERE.

[POM POM GIRL]

Harness Capitalism To Fight Terrorism

The war on Terror must be fought on every front and must be fought long term. We are putting the pressure on our enemies financially but how expansive or well are we doing it. In addition to attacking them and their finances directly we need to get creative and even let capitalism help:
* Bounties encourage cooperation. Put a bounty on the top 10 known terrorists in every country in the World. Not just Al Qaeda but all internationally recognized terrorists. Drop leaflets. Encourage witness protection for informants with no blood on their hands. If legal, create private donation funds for this.

* Drop flyers displaying the photos men who have broken Allah's law by killing a fellow Muslim.
* Police Al Jezeera and other media outlets that serve as a mouth for terrorist propaganda and go after their revenue sources .

* Close schools run by or influenced by Imams who aid and abet terrorism.
* Encourage economists & politicians to work with Oil countries to get them to reinvest their monies in their own countries and to educate their people.

* Establish research grants to encourage better methods of identifying and destroying illegal drug fields to help cut off money for terror groups.

Invite Spain to the party and lets get down to fixing the economy and kicking some terrorist ass.

[fengbo zhang]

Dr. Fengbo Zhang::
It is time to cease the argument regarding Socialism versus Capitalism, and begin the movement towards Peace and Prosperity

10 years ago, we were succeeding in the fight against the Asian financial crisis, faced strong objections from the USA, and were criticized as having departed from the capitalist free economy competition principle. Now that a financial crisis has swept the USA, government has taken completely different actions, prompted criticism from academia along with the media, as demonstrated by the following headlines……more at
http://fengbozhang.blogspot.com/

Source: USA TODAY, WashingtonPost

[Trannny]

Note to all the Pygmy nations attacking and gloating over America's problems.

When Gulliver is in the water up to his waist, the Lilliputians are well in over their heads. Besides, we are getting damned tired of helping the Lilliputians subdue their neighbors, in short, we are tired of fighting your wars protecting you while getting spit upon at the same time.

I want to the US to pull all our forces home and leave you wee twerps to your own deficient devices to confront the Islamists, Rooskies and ChiComs on your own for a change. In short, root wild hogs or die, no more American blood or money for naught.

Do not go gentle into that good night...Rage, rage against the dying of the light

[Indigo119]

The socialist prime minister of Spain has also been ignored at the meeting of heads of state of NATO member nations held in Bucarest earlier this year. His economic policies have been a disaster wIth Spain having the HIGHEST unemployment rate of the European Union. So, what was he suppposed to bring to the table had he been invited to the Summit other than blaming the USA for all his government economic failures?

[Bill]

I didn´t hear Spain cry and complain about not being a part of the G20 back in 1999 or in Berlin 2004. The incompetent Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, or also known as "Mr. Bean" was not invited and has no right to demand to be invited. Spain is not a member.... period. Maybe he and his cabinet should engage their little brains before their mouths before blaming everyone else(USA) for Spain´s economic problems.

[Fran]

I live in the US and I see where the mistake is coming from. Many Americans think that "socialism" is very similar to "communism". However, the socilalism that European governemnts practice has nothing to do with the comminism of the Soviet Union and its different flavors. Socialism in Spain is a Capitalistic system that bends to the left. As a consequence of this "lefty" approach in Spain the Government spreads the wealth, to a certain degree. This approach translates into 3 major differences between these 2 capitalistic systems, and other minor differences that I won't list here:

1.- Health Care: 98% of the people in Spain (including immigrants) have access to an efficient public health care system (less than half of the cost of the US's per capita); Why? I think one reason is because Doctors in Spain don't make 7 times the average salary of the country... or nurses 3-4 times the average salary like they do in the US.

2.- Education: Spaniards have access to a first class public education system all the way to College. It is paid through the Spaniard's Tax Returns, and not with the Real Estate taxes like it is done in the US, hence the higher property prices in a supposedly poorer country. All the money gone in Real State taxes reduces the value of our houses here in America.

3.- Pensions: Retired people in Spain don't rely on their volatile houses or 401k plans because they all get a reasonable pension from the governemnt. Although the private plans do exist, they don't need them as much as Americans thanks to the pathetic Social Security system here in the US.

And yet, rich people can make a lot of money in Spain, as their major companies prove (Repsol, BBVA, Santander, Iberdrola, Gas Natural, Telefonica, etc.)

Someone mentioned that Spain's economic "miracle" is due to mimicking the US capitalistic model. To some degree, I agree with that since the foundations for its recent growth were planted under the American economic leadership. However, the Spaniards, as well as many European countries, portray a more humanistic and solidarian capitalism than the orthodox, sometimes cruel American approach of "I-am-entitled-to-the-pursue-of-happiness-regardless-of-the-well-being-of-my-neigbour".

Obviously, Mr. Bush used the G-20 (formed 9 years ago to address a different problem) as a diplomatic excuse to minimize the "socialist" input in the design of the new Breton Woods agreement. Fortunately, Americans are realizing that pure materialistic economic systems collapse (as attested by the fact that in every economic bubble the distribution of the wealth is stretched to its maximum between rich and middle classes). Please, don't take the previous statement to accuse socialism of the other extreme, because it is not. Socialism has room for the wealthy to stay wealthy... under control, so their own greedyness doesn't destroy them... like we are seeing these days.

One more thing, to leave you with some food for thougth. It is my understanding that a country where 80% of the people vote, as in Spain, has a healthier democracy than a country where less than 60% vote, as in the US. When Spaniards voted Aznar out of the governemt due to his alliance with Bush Administrations in the war against Iraq, they proved that a minority also counts. You'll read about that in the years to come, when historians acknowledge how important those elections (political) were, together with the Smithsoniam Agreement in 1971 (economic), to put an end to the American empire as the ruler of the world, opening the doors to a more prosperous time where all the countries participate in the making of the decisions that will have an effect on them, as in a real Global Democracy.

[Daniel]

Who are you guys trying to fool? spain is nothing more than a creation of the European Union, spain was nothing before it joined the European Union, just a nuissance in Europe. After all the massive loans and inv3estment that the g3 in Europe made in spain all spain did was try to get more and more, and in the end they ended up dragging the whole Eu into a crisis because of their bad handling of the economy. Now all the mayor construction companies in Spain are bankrupt and Spain is going to fall into a very painfull crisis. GJ

[josepet]

Spain is a strange nation. When we voted Zapatero wevoted anti USA. Is it necessary to remember ZP offending USA flat several years ago?. And now, we cry like a child due to the negative to attend the meeting. Spain is a so young democracy, we need to grow as a nation before act in international context.

[Francesc X. Bonet]

It's normal that Spain has no place in the G-20. Our President didn't stand up while de American flag was in front of him. Any choice the President has to offend Bush Administration and the whole USA he does it.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is an anti-american.

A spanish student.

[Michael]

The ruling political party in Spain is the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE).

Now - how likely are they to agree with Bush's economic policies?

[Francisco Martinez]

To Daniel: sorry to say, friend, but Spain is not a creation of the EU. Spain has existed for more than 500 years. Since 1492 to roughly the mid XVII century it was the major western power and it remained a major power till the Napoleonic invasion. Spanish help was instrumental in helping the US from becaming and independent nation from the British tyranny ( It was thanks to Spanish money and troops that part of the Southern colonies were liberated, remember Bernardo de Galvez? Even George Washington declared the king of Spain to be a protector of the new republic, that is on record, my friend). As to the Big EU three getting Spain from poverty, please, do not speak nonsense. For every penny they put into Spain in the 80s they got out ten out of a forced trade imbalance. And besides, to my knowledge, the Uk, France and Germany as well as many other Northern European countries were saved from misery thanks to the Marshall Plan ( which Spain did not receive, by the way). Are those three countries going to be considered as beggars or a creation of US handouts? As to the Spanish economy being a nuisance to Europe, well, that is more nonsense. For the last fifteen years Spain has accounted for more growth and employmente than the rest of the EU put together. And as to the Spanish companies being bankrupt...are you referring to Telefonica, Santander, BBVA, Iberdrola, Endesa, Zara?....How many Spanish banks have required to be nationalized like in the UK, France, the Netherlands or Germany ( all those virtuous protestant models?). So be serious and do your homework before speaking.

regarding those commentators that are arguing that Spain should not be present in the G20 summit because we walked out from Irak and the War of Terror and therefore, we are cowards, well think twice. Spanish troops did die in Irak and are still dying in Afghanistan and other places. Spain has been suffering from basque terrorism for the last 40 years. More than a thousand Spaniards have died before September 11 at the hands of the brutal basque terrorist group ETA. Did the US care? Not at all. On the contrary, many media in the US still consider to this day that ETA is a romantic group of freedom fighters. Should we consider that the US is a bad ally and kick your strategic military bases out of Spain?

[Fran]

Bush is no longer in power. France has invited Spain to be part of the G-20 meeting in Washington. The new President of the World, Obama, has implicitly acknowledged that USA's and Spain's politics will be aligned in the next 4, maybe 8 years. The war against Iraq was a catastrophic mistake.

[J. M. Rice]

It's not that Bush is "no longer" in power; Bush has NEVER been in power. George W. Bush is a stooge, no more capable of initiating or comprehending policy than the White House dog. For the past eight years the presidency has been co-opted by a cabal of GOP party hacks -- among others, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld and K Street cowboys.

Where you are correct, in a very important way, is that the president of the United States is the "president of the world". This reality and responsibility have been lost on the Bush White House, whose mandate has been plunder and pillage on behalf of society's predators, the GOP's true base. The Bush administration's relationship to the rest of the world has been informed by this mandate. The administration's export of the GOP's brand of so-called "free market" capitalism and its heedless unilateralism have visited upon the world an era of greed and exploitation, aggravated by an unparalleled level of incompetence on almost every level of governance. With the election, this era, hopefully, is being brought to an end.