Think Tanks of Spain

In Spain, think tanks are progressively raising their public profile. There are now at least 30 think tanks in the country. One of the most influential Spanish think tanks is the Elcano Royal Institute, created in 2001 following the example of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) in the UK, although it is closely linked to (and receives funding from) the Socialist government in power. More independent but clearly to the left of the political spectrum are the Centro de Investigaciones de Relaciones Internacionales y Desarrollo (CIDOB) founded in 1973; and the Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE) established in 1999 by Diego Hidalgo and main driving force behind projects such as the Club de Madrid, a group of democratic former heads of state and government, or the Foreign Policy Spanish Edition. Former Prime Minister José Maria Aznar presides over the Fundación para el Analisis y los Estudios Sociales (FAES), a policy institute that is associated with the conservative Popular Party (PP). Also linked to the PP is the Grupo de Estudios Estratégicos (GEES), which is known for its defense- and security-related research and analysis. For its part, the Fundación Alternativas is independent but close to left-wing ideas. The Socialist Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) is also in the process of creating a new think tank called the Fundación Ideas. Following are the Think Tanks of Spain:-

• Centre d'estudis Jordi Pujol Independent think tank linked to the region of Catalunya
• Centro de Investigación Latinoamérica Europa (CILAE) Independent think tank focusing on European-Latin American relations
• Fundación Alternativas Independent progressist think tank of political policies
• Fundación Burke Independent think tank, in honor of Edmund Burke, focusing on conservative political and economic thought
• Fundación para el análisis y los estudios sociales (FAES) Independent think tank linked to the center-right Popular Party (PP)
• Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE) Independent think tank linked to the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE)
• Grupo de Estudios Estratégicos/Strategic Studies Group (GEES) Independent think tank linked to the center-right Popular Party (PP)
• Institución Futuro Independent think tank linked to the region of Navarra. Centre of social and economic research
• Institut Catalunya Futur Independent think tank linked to the region of Catalunya
• Instituto Europeo del Mediterráneo (IEMED) Semi-independent think tank linked to the regional government of Catalunya and focused on European relations with Northern Africa