Spain’s Transition to Democracy: 1979-1996
The Values and Principles of the Spanish Constitution
The values and principles of this constitution are reflected as follows: “Spain is a social and democratic state which holds as values freedom, equality, and political pluralism.” National sovereignty resides in the people. The political form of the state is the parliamentary monarchy. The Constitution is based on the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation and recognizes and guarantees the right to autonomy of the nationalities. Castilian Spanish is the official state language. Other Spanish languages shall also be official in their respective Autonomous Communities.
Rights and Duties
Among the rights and duties outlined in the constitution are:
- Civil liberties must be respected and protected by the state.
- The right to a fair distribution of wealth.
- The right to work.
- The right to participate freely in political life.
- Political participation of all citizens and the right to elect their political representatives through free and democratic elections.
- The state shall guarantee freedom, equality, law, and political pluralism.
- The right to freedom of thought and freedom of expression.
- Property rights and the free movement of goods throughout the national territory.
- The right of citizenship. No one shall be deprived of their Spanish nationality.
Institutions and Bodies
The institutions and bodies outlined in the Constitution are:
- The Crown: The King is the symbol of the unity of Spain and moderates the regular functioning of the institutions.
- The Cortes Generales: They represent the Spanish people and consist of two chambers: the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.
- The Government: It directs domestic and foreign policy. It is composed of the president and their ministers.
- The Judiciary: The Supreme Court is the highest organ of justice, and the Constitutional Court declares the constitutionality of laws.
- The State Land Agencies: Development of the State of Autonomies with seventeen autonomous communities. The territory is divided into provinces and municipalities.
The 1979 Elections and the Autonomous State
The elections of March 1, 1979, were a major triumph for Adolfo Suárez and his party, the UCD, and saw the strengthening of the PSOE. The configuration of the autonomous state then received an impulse. Before the election, the Catalan Generalitat had been settled with Josep Tarradellas as president. Months later, the General Council of the Basque Country and the Xunta de Galicia were instituted. The “Catalan model” did not have much luck in Euskadi, contorted by terrorism. Another important step in the construction of the autonomous state was taken with the approval of the statutes of autonomy of the communities called “historical”: Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Galicia, which joined Andalusia.
These communities agreed to fast-track autonomy, under Article 151 of the Constitution. The rest of the autonomous communities would access self-government via a slower route. In Andalusia, on February 28, a referendum was held for the ratification of the independent initiative, adopted in all the provinces except in Almería. It is a popular Andalusian movement, nothing controversial. On August 4, 1982, Rafael Escuredo became the first president. After his resignation, it was José Rodríguez de la Borbolla. Later, Manuel Chaves, and now José Antonio Griñán. The Andalusian Parliament is made up of the Council of Government and the President.
The 1981 Coup Attempt and the Rise of the PSOE
The problems arising from the economic crisis laid bare the weaknesses, and unemployment rose rampantly. Thus, the hopes of many were dashed. To this, we must add the discrepancies that began to emerge within the UCD. Adolfo Suárez resigned as president on January 21, 1981. Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo was elected as a presidential candidate. From here, the deterioration of the UCD did nothing but increase.
On February 23, 1981, at the inauguration session of Calvo Sotelo as Prime Minister, a coup attempt led by Antonio Tejero kidnapped members of Congress and the government. The King’s intervention and the lack of backing for the coup drowned it, forcing Tejero and the soldiers who supported him to depose their attitude.
Calvo Sotelo’s government did everything possible to redress the political and economic situation, conducting a vigorous foreign policy that led to Spain’s entry into NATO on June 5, 1982. In domestic policy, a major effort was made to improve the economy and restore public safety through the Anti-Terrorism Act, and the Divorce Law was promulgated on June 22, 1982.
The party crisis was unstoppable, and defections soon began. Adolfo Suárez founded a new party, the Democratic and Social Centre (CDS). The situation forced Calvo Sotelo to hold general elections in October 1982. The 1982 elections were won by the PSOE with a large absolute majority.
Consolidation of Democracy: 1982-1996
The 1980s marked the settlement of the democratic system after the tense and difficult years of transition. During this period, Spain was transformed, consolidated as in previous years had been the changeover from an authoritarian to democratic forms of government. For large sections of the population, only one party offered guarantees to bring to fruition the consolidation of democracy: the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). With the electoral triumph of Felipe González, the challenges that opened in the economic, political, and international relations were attacked. A progressively better organized, more modern right altered the political landscape in the late 1980s. That change was made through the electoral events of 1993 and 1996.