Imagining the Mediterranean from Spain: Orientalism and Modernity in the symbolic universe of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership

Due to the political transition to democracy, together with the international standardization in an European and Western sense and the settlement of a democratic foreign policy , Spanish policy would experience a “Mediterranean turn”, especially in the Barcelona's Process. Namely, for the first time in the 20th Century, since the late 80's Spain would state and implement a real Mediterranean policy. A policy which was conceived out of the logic of the Europeanization and the standardization in Europe and the Western system. From this new central position the old images and prejudices about his southern neighbors would converge, mostly shared with other European neighbors –members of the EU-. Images and prejudices that depict remains from Orientalism and political, economic and cultural inertia of Modernity