‘Spain, a nation rooted in Europe, is not only European; it is trans-European and has been configured as a modern nation since its formation. It is a Hispanic nation, one of the members—albeit the oldest, the first—of a society of independent Hispanic nations. Does this reduce its European essence? Quite the contrary it strengthens it. For Europe is trans-European; it was created to transcend itself, shine on other nations and open up to them. A closed, egoistic Europe that looked down on others would be less European. By being true to its Hispanic character and keeping the contact alive with Spanish speaking peoples on the other side of the Atlantic, Spain does not decrease its European nature but affirms it and actualizes it in a creative way.’