Spain’s Democratic Consolidation and Political Shifts
The Current State of Spain
The 1980s marked the establishment of the democratic system after the tense and difficult years of transition. During this period, Spain underwent a transformation, consolidating the changeover from an authoritarian to a democratic form of government that had begun in previous years. For many, the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) was the only party that could guarantee the consolidation of democracy.
With Felipe González’s electoral triumph, the government addressed challenges in the economic, political, and international arenas. A progressively better-organized and more modern right wing altered the political landscape in the late 1980s. This change manifested in the electoral events of 1993 and 1996.
The arrival of the PSOE government in 1982 ended an era based on consensus. This marked the advent of freedom and the recognition of pluralism and peaceful coexistence, all enshrined in the Constitution of 1978.
The 1982 Elections and PSOE Victory
The difficulties faced by Calvo Sotelo’s government led him to call an early election, which was held in October 1982. The PSOE, with ten million votes, secured an overwhelming majority. The UCD collapsed in the election, while the right wing, led by Fraga, became the largest party in the opposition.
The PSOE’s electoral program focused on creating 800,000 jobs, holding a referendum on Spain’s departure from NATO, and establishing a government of honest individuals. Felipe González formed a government that could exercise executive power without restrictions. Public opinion embraced the message of change, which included the institutional consolidation of democracy, the modernization of the country’s structures, the fight against the economic crisis, and the expansion of the welfare state, aligning Spain with its European neighbors.
The 1986 Elections and Continued PSOE Dominance
The next election took place in 1986. The government capitalized on the optimism surrounding Spain’s incorporation into the European Economic Community (EEC). The PSOE won nearly nine million votes, maintaining a comfortable majority, although with a slight decrease.
The Union of Democratic Center (UCD) performed poorly, foreshadowing its demise as a political force. Adolfo Suarez attempted to revive the political center by establishing the Social Democratic Center (CDS). The PCE’s parliamentary representation was reduced to four deputies, leading to the resignation of its historic leader and a major crisis within the Communist Party. In the mid-decade, a coalition of leftist parties was formed under the name Izquierda Unida (IU). On the right, Alianza Popular (AP) secured 106 deputies.
Basque and Catalan nationalists, through the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) and Convergence and Union (CiU), retained their respective parliamentary groups and strengthened their regional governments. In Andalusia, the Andalusian Socialist Party (PSA) suffered a total failure and was transformed into the Andalusian Party (PA).
Decline in PSOE Support and Political Shifts
After the PSOE’s second electoral success in 1986, a gradual decline in its electoral support was observed. Spain ended that year with a general strike, a social response to government actions in labor matters and economic adjustments. The turnaround became evident in the 1987 municipal elections, in which the PSOE experienced a significant loss of votes.
In the 1989 election, Felipe González managed a narrow majority and was forced to forge agreements with Suarez and nationalists in Catalonia and the Basque Country. The election results also reflected the absence of a viable political alternative to the PSOE. The Popular Party, now led by José María Aznar, repeated Fraga’s election results from 1982, leading to the perception that the Spanish right had reached an “electoral ceiling.” Adolfo Suarez’s CDS failed to consolidate as a political option, and Izquierda Unida could not significantly erode the socialists’ support.
Dissension arose within the Socialist Party between different factions: the “guerristas” and “renovators.” The looming recession and crisis, coupled with scandals and corruption cases, led to the Popular Party becoming a viable alternative government in the 1991 municipal elections.