SPIEGEL:

Did the bombers of Madrid help ensure victory at the polls for the head of your party, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero?

Moratinos: No. The Al Qaeda network attempted to destabilize the entire international community. By no means did bin Laden elect Zapatero to the position of prime minister. On the contrary. The Spaniards, who have been familiar with terrorism for the past three decades, gave the terrorists a lesson in democracy.

SPIEGEL: How so?

Moratinos: They wanted to change the government's approach to fighting terrorism and call it to account for the Iraq war. We have surveys that prove that we were running neck and neck with the Peoples' Party on the day before the attack. This war has been one of the most catastrophic episodes for the community of nations. It has made the problem of international terrorism more complicated. Because of Prime Minister José María Aznar's manipulations in the midst of a national crisis that was not just threatening Spain, but all of Europe, his punishment was even more severe.

SPIEGEL: Are you saying that he is responsible for losing the election?

Moratinos: What happened in Spain was a revolution by European citizens. After September 11, 2001, they were condemned to fatalism. They were forced into an illegal war, the UN was left on the sidelines, Europe was divided, and they were told lies. The Spaniards rebelled against these things during the election. It was a peaceful, constructive revolution, one that speaks for European citizens, a reaction characterized by anger and resistance.

SPIEGEL: But the withdrawal of troops must serve as proof to the terrorists that political goals can be achieved with bombs.

Moratinos: Spain's new government remains firmly resolved to combat international terrorism. The fact that we are withdrawing our troops is by no means proof that we are succumbing to blackmail. However, we intend to revise our anti-terrorism strategy.

SPIEGEL: Could a new UN resolution change this decision to withdraw?

Moratinos: We want the United Nations to assume the leading role in the peace process. We have set ourselves a deadline to determine whether we can come to an agreement over this issue with the United States. However, if the UN does not control the entire process, we will be resolute and withdraw our troops on June 30.

SPIEGEL: Wouldn't that mean leaving Iraq to its own devices?

Moratinos: We will not abandon Iraq. We will continue to work toward stabilization, but that does not have to go hand in hand with the presence of troops.

SPIEGEL: Do you believe that the US' plan to turn Iraq into a democratic model state, one that could change the entire region, has already failed?

Moratinos: So far it has failed. This war has only produced more violence and division. Moreover, the Palestinian conflict, the key problem for the entire region, is still raging. It was a mistake not to do everything possible to resolve the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians after September 11th. As long as this problem is not resolved, there will be a constant source of instability in the Middle East. For the Zapatero administration, resolving the Middle East question will be a key component of the fight against terrorism. And it must also be a key concern for the EU.

SPIEGEL: So you do not believe that those responsible for the bombings can be defeated with police and military action alone?

Moratinos: Preventive wars and military campaigns alone will not bring us any further. Legitimate states must take a far more refined approach than the terrorists. After all, provoking greater repression in the countries they target is exactly what a man like bin Laden or an organization like Hamas intend to do. We cannot succumb to this logic, the way Aznar did, for example. The new Spanish government is interested in a self-confident relationship with the United States, one that is based on dialogue and not blind conformity.

SPIEGEL: Zapatero has announced a shift in foreign policy. Does he intend to return to the old Europe?

Moratinos: No, he intends to return to the new Europe, the Europe that we are building together. We are firmly resolved to eliminate the stubbornness and arrogance of the previous Spanish position. After what happened in Madrid, it is now more evident than ever before that a European constitution would have been necessary in December.

SPIEGEL: Will the EU constitution materialize this summer, and will it help overcome divisions within Europe?

Moratinos: Certainly this year. The Irish president of the European Council is doing an excellent job, and as far the disputed voting procedures are concerned, Spain will both defend its interests and strive to achieve unanimity.

SPIEGEL: Will the somewhat strained relationship with Germany also improve?

Moratinos: Zapatero would like to see the friendship that once brought together Felipe González and Helmut Kohl rekindled with Gerhard Schröder. Aznar forgot the important role Germany plays in the EU's structural and cohesion fund, which was so beneficial to our country. Always looking for handouts and refusing to share anything is not an approach that works in Europe.

INTERVIEW: ROMAIN LEICK, HELENE ZUBER

Translated by Christopher Sulta