The world was shocked on March 11 when a series of bombings ripped through train stations in central Madrid, killing 202 people and injuring more than 1,500.  

Described as a European version of Sept. 11, the attacks have brought not only panic and tears, but also great changes in Spain's political situation and Europe's anti-terror strategy and its relations with the United States.

New anti-terror wave in Europe

With more and more evidence pointing towards an al-Qaida link in the March 11 attacks, European countries have come to share the US concerns over international terrorism, which was set as top priority by the United States following the Sept. 11 strikes. They have come to realize that all of them are facing threats from large-scale terror attacks, which they had previously thought just beset the United States and some of its close allies.

In face of such a real threat, the whole Europe has been involved in a new anti-terror wave.

French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder met in Paris last week, calling on European Union countries to join efforts in fighting terrorism.

Britain and Italy, two close allies of the United States thought most vulnerable to such attacks, held a foreign ministers' meeting last week, calling for joint European actions against terrorism.

Also last week, EU ministers proposed a package of anti-terror measures, including adding anti-terror provisions to the draft EU constitution, appointing an EU security coordinator and strengthening the EU counter-terror action plan.

New changes in European political pattern

One direct result of the March 11 attacks is the fall of Spain's ruling Popular Party, whose staunch pro-US stand was believed by some analysts a main reason for its defeat in the election.

Spanish Prime Minister-elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has pledged to pull the 1,300 Spanish troops out of Iraq before July. Calling the Iraq war a "disaster" and a "fiasco," he stressed that the United Nations should take the "responsibility as a political leader" in dealing with Iraqi affairs.

Britain, another traditional US ally, held a tri-party summit last week with France and Germany, two strong opponents to last year's Iraq war, on European affairs, and the Iraq and NATO issues.

Analysts said the meeting could hint at the creation of a new "informal leading group," thus breaking up the so-called two-group pattern in Europe, which is composed of a pro-US "new Europe" including Britain, Italy, Spain and some close US followers and an "old Europe" led by France and Germany.

Promoting European integration

Spain had voiced strong opposition to the EU Constitution and other major steps related to the integration of Europe. But observers believed that the recent government change could bring the country "back to Europe."

Rodriguez Zapatero said after the election that his government would first of all develop diplomatic relations with European, Latin American and Mediterranean countries, and make great efforts to repair special friendship with France, Germany and the rest EU members.

He said the European Union would soon reach an agreement on the EU Constitution, which is believed to be a major step in the political integration process of Europe.

At last year's EU summit, the sides failed to reach a common stand on the constitution, as Spain strongly opposed its provisions on the voting mechanism, decisive power on budget and European defense affairs.

Britain, consistently reluctant to take part in the integration of Europe, also discussed the EU Constitution with France and Germany during their recent tri-party summit.

Speaking of the March 11 attacks, Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi said the tragedy had forced the EU countries to "further coordinate their stands on the integration of Europe" and had pushed the EU to "speak its own voice" in global affairs.

European-US ties

The March 11 bombings, and other potential terror attacks against Europe, would bring new contradictions and troubles to relations between European countries and the United States, analysts believed.

On the one hand, the common concerns over international terrorism will promote closer cooperation between the two sides in counter-terrorism affairs, although most European countries prefer a fundamental solution to eliminate its origins instead of military crackdowns as insisted by the United States.

On the other hand, the government change in Spain as well as the stronger call for European integration would definitely reduce the US power in Europe and step up the break-up of the "new Europe" group formed by the closest allies of the United States.

A stronger Europe with "one voice" and independent action capability will hardly gain real applause from the United States.

(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2004)