EXECUTIVE SUMMARY T he National Security Strategy is the benchmark framework for Spain’s national security policy, a State policy based on a broad conception of security.The current Strategy goes into greater detail with respect to some of the concepts and lines of action defined in 2013, and represents a step forward in the adaptation of this policy to new developments in an ever-changing security environment. The Strategy is set out in six chapters. Chapter 1, “A National Security Policy for Today’s Spain”, develops Spain’s national security vision based on its status as a democracy, its particular geostrategic profile, and its global aspirations. Spain faces a number of threats and challenges, both internal and external, including its demographic prospects, its limited energy interconnections, and its territorial cohesion issues. Challenges to the legal order and to the general interests of Spain require a response based on the rule of law in order to safeguard the rights and freedoms of all its citizens. 8 National Security Strategy 2017 Presidency of the Government