MADRID -- In some Spanish political circles, people wonder why Condoleezza Rice didn't come to Madrid on her grand European tour last week. But the omission shouldn't surprise anyone. In the 10 months since José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero took office as prime minister, Spain has abandoned a high-profile foreign policy and today relishes in an ill-defined role as a second-rate player on the world stage.

It did not have to turn out this way. When Mr. Zapatero took over last March, Spain was the world's eighth largest economy, the sixth biggest investor worldwide (second in Latin America) and the fifth most popular destination for investment. It was one of the most open economies in the world, boasting a balanced budget and a growth rate double the EU average. It was at the height of its political influence in Europe and the world in recent memory.

In no time, this inspiring picture turned dark. In his first action of note in European affairs -- the final negotiations on the new European Constitution -- Mr. Zapatero negotiated away Spain's position of influence in the EU by diluting its voting powers in the new constitution. In economic policy, he seems driven by an obsession to intervene, from limiting stores' opening hours to backing an attempt to raise the minimum wage. Of course, the economic costs of mismanagement aren't felt by consumers immediately. But the Bank of Spain has revealed that only eight months into Mr. Zapatero's term, direct foreign investment had fallen by 80%.

On the international stage, Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos had the temerity to accuse the previous government, in which I served for two years in his job, of having supported the attempted 2002 coup against Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. This accusation was only echoed in the official mouthpiece of Cuba -- which is no doubt grateful for the Zapatero government's efforts to lift EU sanctions against the Castro regime and to keep dissidents out of EU missions on the island. And of course, in one of its first decisions, the new socialist administration last spring rushed a reckless withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq, and later irresponsibly called for other members of the coalition to follow its lead.

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Like people, countries -- to paraphrase José Ortega y Gasset -- have no nature, just history. Spain is a peculiar country -- of that there can be no doubt. While it is not the only one-time hegemonic power to have subsequently disappeared almost entirely from the world scene, its uniqueness lies in the vigor with which it has re-emerged in recent times. So it's doubly depressing to see this exciting reappearance as a serious player cut short.

Spain is, and has always been, European. The phrase used by the Zapatero government -- "we have returned to Europe" -- is simply an empty cliché used to hide the socialists' lack of a coherent European policy. The administration of José Maria Aznar was at the forefront of European affairs. The goal was to advance the cause of freedom. Both the Lisbon Agenda to increase economic liberty and the creation of a single area of security and justice -- where individual rights are strongly protected -- were major Aznar initiatives that today remain at the heart of European policy debates. Ultimately, Europe can help spread freedom around the world, from Northern Africa to Iraq to Afghanistan. Success depends on close collaboration with the U.S. Ms. Rice's Continental tour served to bring this fact home.

The aim of Europe should not be to build a "super state" that subsumes individual national policies, but rather to address those issues where joint action clearly adds value. It should also strive to make its citizens' lives safer, freer and more prosperous. To do so, Europe must become more effective politically and stronger economically. This should be applied to both the revision of the Lisbon Agenda as well as the debate over the Union's defense policy and the future of NATO. Anyone who believes that Europe will advance more quickly by giving up its many voices to follow the dictates of a single and hegemonic power clearly misunderstands the deeply rooted origins of the European Union.

At the same time, Spain is Europe's spearhead in the Western Mediterranean. Barely 14 kilometers of open water separate Morocco from Andalusia, anchoring the Old World to the world's most volatile region at Spain. From a shared history to a future of increasing exchange as Arab-Muslim communities enter the European mainstream, Spain will continue to fix Brussels's eye on the Mediterranean.

Lastly, Spain is defined by its Atlantic calling. As the architects of the first genuine globalization, we do not need anyone to remind us how strong are the bonds that unite us with the Americas. Nor does Spain need any reminder that its Atlantic alliance doesn't just extend to Canada and the U.S. but the whole of Latin America. The full integration of Latin America into the West is essential for international stability. The bond of language helps forge political and economic ties across the Atlantic -- not just with the America that lies to the south of the Rio Grande, but increasingly with the U.S., which has now become, on account of its growing Latino population, the second largest Hispanic country in the world.

Spain should devote its energies to strengthening ties between Europe and America. This is not merely the most appropriate policy, it is also the only strategy which is viable and deserving of the name. Given the sheer number and importance of interests at stake on both sides of the Atlantic, anyone who continues to flirt with jeopardizing this relationship, as the current government in Madrid has done, will never be taken seriously.

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Spain has a unique role as a hub, a privileged facilitator, between the Americas, the Mediterranean and Europe. Of course, empty statements and alliances of convenience that we are seeing at present from Mr. Zapatero and his government are an alternative approach, but particularly useless in times of rapid historic change -- such as that marking the beginning of the 21st century.

Ms. Palacio was Spain's foreign minister from 2002 to 2004.

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