Spain was once the world's first empire on which the sun never set, and it occupies an important place in world history. In 2018, Spain's total GDP was US$1,437.047 billion, ranking 13th in the world, less than South Korea, which has a similar population, and Canada, which has a much smaller population, and only $10 billion more than Australia, which ranks 14th.

Why doesn't Spain have a "presence" in Europe, and why does its influence feel so weak?

First, the Spanish economy is not large enough. In 2018, Spain's GDP was about 1.42 trillion US dollars, which is not in the top 10 in the world. Compared to Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, which are also developed countries in Europe, Spain's GDP is much smaller. Italy's GDP has also exceeded $2 trillion in southern Europe, and Spain's has exceeded $600 billion. Economic scale is influence. Without a large economy, you can't do business with a large number of countries, and without economic exchanges, how can you exert influence.

Second, Spain does not have a globally competitive industry. The most important manifestation of whether a country has economic competitiveness in the world is whether it has strong competitive industries and enterprises. When a company competes with other companies on the international stage, it represents the country's economic strength and industrial competitiveness.

South Korea, whose GDP is not much larger than Spain's ($200 billion more), is several times more competitive than Spain's. South Korea's electronics, shipbuilding, and automobiles are all very competitive in the world. Samsung, Hyundai, and LG are the best representatives. In 2019, 16 South Korean companies were listed in the world's top 500, and more than half of them were manufacturing companies. In Spain, there are only 9 Fortune 500 companies, most of which are still service enterprises. How many famous corporate brands have you heard of in Spain? I don't think many people can tell me except Zara.

Third, Spain's economy is at the bottom of the list among developed countries. At present, among the developed countries recognized in the world, if the level of economic development is relatively high, if it is distributed in northern and western Europe, as well as the United States, the per capita GDP of these countries is generally more than 50,000 or 60,000 US dollars. Then there is the Chinese country, the per capita GDP of these countries is about 40,000 or 50,000 US dollars. Spain's per capita GDP is about 30,000 US dollars, which is the lowest among developed countries in Europe.

In fact, Spain used to have a very high position in Europe, but in recent years it has gradually declined. The Spanish Empire was in fact the first global empire in modern history. It was also one of the largest empires in the history of the world. In the 16th century, the transatlantic trade routes between Spain and the American continent and between East Asia and Mexico via the Philippines were prosperous. The Spanish conquistadors destroyed the Aztec, Inca, and Mayan civilizations, bringing vast lands of North and South America to their territory. The Spanish Empire also relied on its experienced navy to cross the oceans, and its famous, fearsome and well-trained infantry, the Spanish phalanx, to gain the upper hand on the battlefields of Europe. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Spanish culture was also in its golden age.

Due to the relationship between language and geopolitics, Spain's international trade is mainly concentrated in European countries and South American countries, and Spanish still seems to be a small language. Chinese companies will feel that Spanish companies do not have a strong presence. From an economic point of view, in 2016, Spain's GDP ranked fifth in the European Union, behind Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy.

However, Spain is still a country with world influence, there are 23 countries where Spanish is the official language, Spanish football, Spanish bullrings, and Spanish tourist resorts, which are still quite attractive.

INDRA Spain has the world's most advanced ticketing and control systems for metro, trains, tunnels and motorways. INDRA is responsible for the operation of the public transport network in more than 100 cities around the world. INDRA technology manages 100% of Germany's airspace and 60% of our country's airspace. Half of the world's commercial aircraft are equipped with Spanish technology.

Of course, these data, which are not publicized by the media, naturally do not feel their existence. In addition, lollipops, mops, these common inventions in our lives, were also invented by the Spaniards.

So, it's not that Spain doesn't have a presence in Europe, it's that Spain doesn't have a presence in the media coverage of European news.