The 20 most influential Spaniards in Europe in 2025

President of the European Investment Bank Nadia Calviño, Vice-President of the European Commission Teresa Ribera, Deputy Secretary General of NATO Javier Colomina, and MEP and Secretary General of the Centrist Democratic International Antonio López-Istúriz are just a few of the Spaniards who carry particular clout, both in Europe and globally.

"Spain is experiencing a moment of high influence, brought about by the fact that its major parties are key players in Europe’s great political families"

Agenda Pública wraps up the year by sharing with its readers this list of 20 Spaniards of particular notoriety in Europe. Spain is experiencing a moment of high influence, brought about by the fact that its major parties are key players in Europe’s great political families. The passage of time has elevated new generations of Spanish civil servants within the structures of European power, and the Government of Spain has proven decisive to the stability of the Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen. For all those reasons, Europe is speaking more Spanish every day and listening intently to what’s being said in Madrid, Barcelona, and other major cities around the country.
  Nadia Calviño. The President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) comes in at the top of this ranking of influential Spaniards. Her time in Spain’s government as Minister of the Economy was only one chapter in a distinguished career within Europe’s institutions, culminating with the invaluable role she now plays in the EU’s economic architecture. 

Teresa Ribera. As Executive Vice-President, Ribera occupies a key position at the European Commission. Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government, directed all his negotiating skills at securing this crucial position for European social democracy. Among Ribera’s objectives is to confront the expansionism and technological dominance sought by U.S. President Donald Trump in Europe, demanding full compliance with European regulatory law. Thus, the regulation of digital markets will be undertaken with Spanish expertise.

Javier Colomina. The Deputy Secretary General for NATO and Special Representative for the Southern Neighborhood is the most influential Spaniard at the international institutions operating from NATO headquarters in Brussels. His role remains pivotal as Europe looks eastward; as he explained to Agenda Pública, "What a Spaniard brings to the job is greater knowledge of what’s going on in the South."

Dolors Montserrat. As secretary general of the European People’s Party, the Catalunya native is party leader Manfred Weber’s ‘right-hand man’ and his principal liaison to Alberto Núñez Feijóo. The EPP – which is looking to resolve relations with the radical right, in order to remain the most decisive European family in this political cycle – now understands Spanish as well as it does German, thanks in part to Monserrat.

Iratxe García. As leader of the Social Democrats in the European Parliament, she’s among the most important political operators at Union level. Having served as president of the S&D group for five years, she described to Agenda Pública her mission to "exercise shared leadership," positioning her as a potential candidate to preside over the chamber during the present legislature, should the unwritten pact between the Socialists and the People’s Party be fulfilled.

Esteban González Pons. As vice-president of the European Parliament and head of that institution’s popular delegation, González Pons is a recognized heavyweight in European and international politics. Having been among the architects of the agreement to renew the General Council of the Judiciary, which was supervised by the Commission, he is today an indispensable actor as one of the Parliament’s top liaisons with Ukraine: the biggest challenge for Europe since 2022 – and likely to remain so in 2026.

Santiago Abascal. The leader of Vox is also the president of Patriots.eu, the European party that brings together the radical right-wing contingents of Mateo Salvini, Viktor Orbán, and Marine Le Pen. Abascal was the only Spaniard to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration and, as Heritage Foundation senior fellow Mike González pointed out in Agenda Pública, Abascal has been nurturing the transatlantic relationship in Spain. It’s no minor detail that he supports Europe’s radical right through regular visits with Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, with whom he maintains a very good political and personal relationship. Meloni is a key player in the European Parliament’s other radical-right group, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).

Javi López. López is vice-president of the European Parliament and the best-positioned member from Catalunya in the chamber, making him a key player in the new European strategy of Salvador Illa, president of the Generalitat: Catalunya is making a comeback, this time without all the noisy spectacle witnessed in Madrid. Responsible for the budget of the European legislature, he has forged excellent relations with Latin America throughout his time as an MEP. And as became clear at the latest meeting of the European Council, relations with Latin America are vital to the EU: "The litmus test of a grown-up Europe," according to López in his most recent article for Agenda Pública.

Antonio López-Istúriz. With over 20 years of experience as an MEP, López-Istúriz has earned a stellar reputation in the Belgian capital, meanwhile acting as secretary general of the International Democratic Centre (IDC-CDI) – the world’s largest Christian Democratic political organization, based in Brussels. He’s also a member of the executive committee of the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies – the European Christian Democrat think tank – positioning himself as a key voice for the EPP in the international arena. 

Hana Jalloul. The Zaragoza native is an MEP, vice-president of the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET), and vice-president of the Socialist International (chaired by Pedro Sánchez). Jalloul has been an outstanding figure in European action on Israel and Gaza, establishing herself as a major protagonist in Spanish and European relations with the Arab world.

Adrián Vázquez. Member of the European Parliament and a People’s Party specialist in defense of the rule of law. In his latest interview with Agenda Pública, he warned of the critical importance of that issue: "The current priority is for the system to survive the populist political wave." His prior membership in the ALDE group (Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) positions him as a skillful weaver of negotiations with the liberals and with Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné, Macron’s point-person in the European Commission.
 
Luis de Guindos. Best known for his tenure as Spain’s Minister of the Economy, he consecrated his European career as vice-president of the European Central Bank. In the words of journalist Belén Carreño, de Guindos is among the most important names for Spain and for maintaining a Spanish accent at the ECB – a testament to the great influence exerted by this economist over recent times.

Miguel Fernández-Palacios. Before becoming Spain’s ambassador to Italy, he was a key actor in organizing the NATO summit in Madrid. Today he is Madrid’s main link with Rome – the other major southern European capital with which Spain shares an agenda. Due to the distinct political colors of the two presiding governments, the relationship with Italy is complicated, but his diplomatic ability to connect with other crucial players whenever necessary cannot be doubted. 

Marcos Alonso. Although his name doesn’t make the front pages, Spain’s ambassador to the EU is often seen in the halls and offices of the European Commission, spearheading relations with other countries. He’s a stalwart supporter of daily agreements, so that Spain’s position remains at a level appropriate to the Union’s fifth-largest economy.

Ana Gallego. The head of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers has access to two dossiers that are key for Spain: the annual report on the rule of law in the EU, and the omnibus package of 17 measures related to administrative simplification – a cause for much debate in the Parliament that has severely damaged relations between the Socialists and the People’s Party. Gallego is one of Spain’s most important officials on the Commission’s organizational chart. 

Jonás Fernández. The economic and banking proposals of the European Socialists and Democrats can be difficult to grasp without the assistance of this MEP from Asturias. As coordinator of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee in the parliamentary group, his influence has grown as Europe aims to improve its competitiveness and capital markets.
 
Federico Torres. Among the most experienced of Spain’s diplomats, he currently holds the position of permanent ambassador representing Spain at NATO. Throughout a year in which Spain’s relationship with that alliance has been turbulent, Torres remains a fundamental actor in the country’s international network.

Arancha González Laya. Although her past experience as Minister of Foreign Affairs would be sufficient to merit an appearance in this ranking, Laya also carries significant weight at one of Europe’s leading academic institutions, serving as dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) at Sciences Po. She’s also among the Spaniards most often present at international fora.

María Martín-Prat. With more than 30 years of experience in Brussels, hers has been among the most durable careers in this ranking. Today she serves as Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security. In other words, she’s currently the most influential Spaniard in the ongoing tariff fight between Trump and von der Leyen. She’s also a significant actor in the EU-Mercosur agreement and in relations with China.

Pablo García-Berdoy. Formerly Spain’s ambassador to Germany and permanent ambassador representing Spain to the EU. As leader of European Affairs at LLYC, his extensive experience permits him to expertly interpret Spanish business interests in Europe and to provide accurate analyses of the European institutions.
 
The 20 persons listed above are just some of the most influential Spaniards in Europe – citizens who live outside our borders and dedicate their lives to Spain’s influence in the wider world. 

"Spain wields tremendous influence across the world, and that influence must be fostered and developed. All Spaniards living outside our borders represent a State asset"

This X-ray could easily be complemented with other names from Spain that exert a certain influence over global politics. King Felipe VI is undoubtedly a figure of global reference, among the most important Heads of State from the European Union. Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government, is another outstanding actor of the moment, the personified benchmark of Social Democracy worldwide. Also worthy of distinction is Alberto Núñez Feijóo, president of the Partido Popular – which after its German partners is the most decisive party among its conservative European counterparts. At the regional level, Catalan minister Jaume Duch – former director of communication of the European Parliament – also ranks high among influential Spaniards. The same can be said of Daniel Calleja, the European Commission’s current representative in Spain and former director of the Commission’s Legal Service.
 
Spain wields tremendous influence across the world, and that influence must be fostered and developed. All Spaniards living outside our borders represent a State asset, as do those within Spain who concern themselves with global politics. Former presidents Felipe González and José María Aznar, both with considerable clout in the Americas, might fittingly conclude this analysis that seeks to transcend ideologies and highlight the importance of unified action, so that Spain can maintain its position of relevance and consequence in shaping the global agenda.