Joaquín Costa’s Critique of the Restoration Settlement
The author of this chapter is Joaquín Costa, one of the main representatives of the Regeneracionismo movement. Regeneracionismo was a movement that sought to change politics in Spain, not by introducing new changes but by changing the government from its structure. That is, they did not oppose the continuation of the party system, for example. However, they were very critical of the lack of democracy in the system. The subject of this text is Costa’s critique of the Restoration Settlement. The text is from 1901, right at the end of Ma Cristina’s regency, after the disaster of 1898, and at a time when the leaders of the main political parties had disappeared. Even if it is not a law, it is a first-level text.
The Disaster of 1898 and the Restoration Settlement
As mentioned, this text was written after the disaster of 1898, which marked a before and after in Spain’s history. It created a situation of pessimism in the country and the impression that nothing worked. The Restoration Settlement was the system in place at that time. It was based on a constitutional monarchy, the use of a moderate constitution, and the alternating office of the two dynastic parties: the Conservatives (led by Cánovas) and the Liberals (led by Sagasta). Both parties took turns in government using a system of rigged elections. They manipulated the results.
Criticisms of the Restoration Settlement
Seeing that the situation was not as good as before, some critics emerged. The critics from above argued that it was evident that the situation was being manipulated and should be more democratic, respecting the results of elections. Then, the second protest came from the nationalists, especially important in Catalonia and the Basque Country. They considered that the policies followed by the government did not allow them to have autonomy and organize their own institutions. Finally, the third protest came from below, from the workers, who were now numerous industrial workers conscious of the situation and starting to enroll in the different workers’ parties that were appearing.
Costa’s Analysis of the Restoration Settlement
Costa begins by analyzing the personal factors of the Restoration Settlement, mentioning three groups of people:
- The Oligarchs: Members of the government taking part in the institutions.
- The Landlords: Called the “caciques”, who lived in the provinces, had influence over people who worked for them, and could possibly use caciquismo (political patronage).
- The Civil Governors: The link between the oligarchs and the landlords, they were the representatives of the government in each of the provinces.
The characteristics of these groups are that none of them were from the popular classes; all of them belonged to socially privileged groups. It was not a numerous group; they were quite small, but they were the only ones prepared for politics because they had an education. They cared for their own interests.
The Role of Political Parties
The government was organized around these social groups, in two political parties, both of liberal ideology: the Conservatives and the Liberals. Their functions, in Costa’s opinion, were to impose taxes, occupy positions in the administration or high positions in business, but they did not care about the rest of the citizens. In the last paragraph, he criticizes the electoral system, arguing that the elections were fake and the results were manipulated. All the politicians were very conservative, as they were interested in the rich. By taking turns in government, they did not care about acting as a political opposition when they were not directing policy.
Costa’s Proposals for Reform
To conclude, Costa was not only critical of the system but he tried to do things and put some of his ideas into practice, which were not always successful. Firstly, he mentioned a couple of proposals, one of them being that the country needed to be modernized by reforming agriculture, increasing productivity, and using technologies. The other one was about property. In Spain, there were large landholdings with just one owner. He proposed to divide those properties into smaller estates that could be worked by peasants to obtain more production.
Education and the National League of Producers
He also mentioned education, arguing that they must limit the influence the church had on it and expand education to all people in the country so that they could have citizens who could participate in elections, were informed, and could also take part in politics as they were now literate. The main problem was that most social classes were illiterate at that time. He created another idea, vocational studies, to prepare people for specific jobs. He created the National League of Producers, a mix between a political party and a business. Unfortunately, he put it into practice, but it was a failure.
The Iron Surgeon and Cooperation with Reformist Republicans
He also mentioned the need for the “Iron Surgeon”, a person who could control the state until the situation returned to normality. Nothing was achieved at this time, but in 1923, Primo de Rivera assumed control of the country as a dictator. Finally, he cooperated with the Reformist Republicans.