SPAIN’S communists called today for a debate on leaving Nato, saying the military alliance was nothing but a drain on the public purse.

Enrique Santiago, spokesman for the United Left (IU) alliance which includes the Communist Party of Spain (PCE), presented a motion calling for the debate today at a meeting of the Sumar Parliamentary Group — part of Spain’s coalition government, which the IU is a member of.

US President Donald Trump “has turned European countries into enemies,” Mr Santiago said, saying that Mr Trump has also made clear it clear that Nato “no longer defends us from anything.”

The military alliance is a huge machine for appropriating the state’s budget by demanding 5 per cent investment in defence and diverting social spending to US military industries, he said.

In order to “protect the Spanish people” today, Mr Santiago said, “we must leave Nato.”

Mr Santiago, who is also the general secretary of the PCE, said he hoped the Sumar coalition would begin debating the motion as soon as possible.