Francoist Spain: Technocracy, Reforms, and the Regime’s Decline

Posted on May 30, 2025 in History

Francoist Spain: Technocracy and Regime Crisis

Technocracy and Opus Dei (1959-1973)

Facing a serious crisis of the system, Franco’s government in 1957 turned to the technocrats of Opus Dei. Their primary aim was to maintain the dictatorship while industrializing the country, ending economic isolation, and liberalizing the economy. This government adopted two key measures:

  • Stabilization Plan (1959): This involved the liberalization of imports for raw materials, machinery, and foodstuffs.
  • Development Plan Act of 1963: This established development centers and industrial parks in sparsely industrialized regions, attracting businesses through tax concessions.

Economic and Social Impact

The consequences of these measures were significant. Economic growth, for instance, declined from 11.9% to 4.6% in nine years. Other impacts included:

  • Agriculture: A rural exodus occurred, reducing the number of laborers. Farmers increasingly adopted machinery and directed their products to industrial markets, which helped alleviate social problems related to agricultural property and rural populations.
  • Industry: There was significant capitalization of industry, with industrial estates emerging in previously underdeveloped regions. Key sectors like ports, refineries, heavy chemical industries, shipbuilding, textiles, steel, and metallurgy were developed. The labor force increased by almost 5%, though this development came with enormous imbalances.
  • Tourism: The development of ‘sun and beach’ tourism helped to change social attitudes but also led to significant ecological damage and speculation.

Political Reforms and the National Movement Law (1958)

The Law of the Principles of the National Movement of 1958 sought to establish eternal and immutable principles for the state, such as its denominational status, the denial of citizen voting rights, and the rejection of national sovereignty and parliamentarism.

Attempts at Systemic Reform

However, many changes occurred as ‘aperturista’ (reformist) sectors proposed modifications to the system without altering the regime’s fundamental essence. These reforms included:

  • Organic Law of 1967: This allowed for the separation of the roles of Head of State and Prime Minister. It also granted a degree of religious freedom and allowed heads of families to vote.
  • Press Law of 1966: Enacted by Manuel Fraga, this law abolished prior censorship but effectively imposed self-censorship.
  • Religious Freedom Act of 1967: This allowed freedom of worship, though it maintained the state’s denominational status and kept public displays of non-Catholic faiths private.

Succession and Education

In the last year of this stage, Franco proposed Prince Don Juan Carlos de Borbón as his successor. The General Education Law (LGE) aimed to provide a mass democratic education system. However, the regime was unable to make education compulsory until the age of 14, despite the LGE’s provisions.

Foreign Policy and Internal Opposition

International Relations

This period saw the decolonization of Morocco, Ifni, and Spanish Guinea. Spain also signed a preferential agreement with the European Common Market, allowing the export of agricultural products and import of goods. Trade relations were also established with China.

Rise of Opposition Movements

However, during the technocratic years, significant opposition to the regime emerged:

  • Felipe González: He took control of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and unified various groups around democratic socialism.
  • Opposition Unity: There were attempts at opposition unity, notably the ‘Munich Congress’ (or ‘Contubernio de Múnich’), where Spanish opposition figures signed a document demanding entry into the EEC, democratic institutions, respect for human rights, and recognition of regional autonomies. The regime also amended or deleted articles from the Spanish Charters (Fueros).
  • Workers’ Mobilization: The most significant change occurred in workers’ mobilization, driven by both labor and political reasons, leading to the emergence of the CCOO (Workers’ Commissions) union in 1958.
  • ETA: Some opponents turned to ETA, which emerged in 1959 as a youth division of the PNV (Basque Nationalist Party). Its ideology was a mixture of Basque nationalism (often with ethnic undertones) and revolutionary socialism. Advocating armed struggle and a cycle of ‘action-repression-action,’ ETA became an internationally known terrorist group.

Crisis of the Franco Regime (1973-1975)

This crisis stemmed from multiple factors:

  1. Economic Crisis: The economic crisis that began in 1973 was due to external causes such as rising oil prices, and internal factors like the Spanish economy’s dependence on foreign energy sources and the inaction of Franco’s governments.
  2. Political Succession and Reform: ‘Aperturista’ sectors recognized the need for changes within the Fundamental Laws. In 1973, Franco appointed Prime Minister Carrero Blanco, who was subsequently assassinated by ETA and replaced by Carlos Arias Navarro, who initially adopted a spirit of openness.
  3. Consolidation of Democratic Opposition: The democratic opposition groups, such as the Democratic Board and the Democratic Platform, gained strength.
  4. Increased Terrorism: There was increased terrorism from groups like FRAP and ETA.
  5. Church’s Stance: Certain sectors of the Church distanced themselves from the regime; an assembly of bishops and priests even considered apologizing for the Church’s behavior during the Civil War.
  6. Military’s Role: The UMD (Unión Militar Democrática) proposed that the army should not be a barrier to the transition to democracy.
  7. Sahara Decolonization: The King of Morocco exploited this perceived weakness to demand the decolonization of the Sahara, which was subsequently divided between Morocco and Mauritania.