Spain’s Foreign Relations & Political Shifts (1962-1975)
International Relations and Political Shifts in Spain (1962-1975)
International Relations
In 1962, European countries called into question Spain’s economic income and precision. Spain, under Franco, was more democratic than it seemed.
In the 1970s, Spain and other countries configured a Route Options Agreement that considerably reduced tariffs and established favorable conditions for Spanish industrial exports.
Spain also participated in the process of decolonization in Africa. On June 19, 1955, France and Spain recognized the independence of Morocco. Spain was forced to withdraw from Morocco. Later, in 1968, under pressure from the United Nations, Spain granted independence to Equatorial Guinea and, in 1969, transferred the territory of Ifni to Morocco. Until 1975, the only remaining Spanish colony in Africa was Western Sahara.
The Triumph of Inertia
The dissension between the *aperturistas* (those who favored opening up the regime) and the *inmovilistas* (those who favored maintaining the status quo) became public in 1969 with the Matesa scandal. This involved a machinery company, Matesa, connected to members of Opus Dei. The company was involved in a financial fraud related to export credits. The scandal was widely publicized and led to denunciations of corruption, implicating high-ranking members of the regime. The scandal had a breathtaking impact, amplified by the press, and the more immovable sectors of the government blamed the press for spreading the news.
The Matesa case had significant political repercussions, causing the expulsion of the more technocratic sectors of the government. It was also blamed for the increase in social unrest.
The new government, led by Carrero Blanco, defended a hardline internal policy, modifying the Press Act to increase restrictions and repression. Despite this, some considered the government to be liberal. The frequent use of the State of Emergency (1969 and 1970) led to increased arrests and the prevalence of political repression.
The Council of War in Burgos (1970), with the prosecutor’s request for six death sentences for ETA militants, sparked widespread popular protests and an avalanche of international condemnation. Franco granted pardons, but this did not represent a shift in policy. The government continued to systematically repress the opposition.
In this context of internal tensions, centered on the continuity of the regime and the future of Franco, several political factions emerged, promoted by Carrero Blanco. Consequently, new laws, such as the Associations Law and the Trade Union Law (1971), were simply a compilation of existing regulations, and the sanctions of the Press Law were re-established.
Oppositional Social Movements
Workers’ protests were the main focus of opposition to the regime from the 1960s, when strikes and workers’ demands grew in intensity. Between 1960 and 1975, the number of labor disputes increased considerably. These were located in areas with strong union traditions, such as Asturias, Barcelona, Guipuzcoa, and Vizcaya, but also extended to Madrid, Pamplona, El Ferrol, Vigo, Seville, Valencia, and Valladolid. Most conflicts originated from labor demands but often became politicized. The Francoist authorities considered all labor protests a public order problem and responded with purely repressive methods.