Spain’s Transition to Democracy and Integration into Europe
Spain’s Transition to Democracy
1.16 The Death of Franco and the Transition to Democracy
After the death of Franco on November 20, 1975, King Juan Carlos II was named in a period of great uncertainty. This led to the transition to a democratic system, which was characterized as a transition bit violent, albeit with difficulty. It included economic and foreign support (USA and EEC).
The transition involved both sectors from the regime and the opposition. The differences between the bunker and Franco aperturistas were sharpened. The aperturistas were convinced of the need for change and were composed of both veterans (Fraga) and young (Suarez and Martin Villa).
The liberal right (Gil Robles, and Don Juan Giménez Ruiz) was weakened. The nationalist forces included Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (Jordi Pojol) and the PNV (Basque Country), which did not condemn the terrorism of ETA. The left was made by the PSOE (Felipe Gonzalez and Alfonso Guerra), the PCE (Santiago Carrillo), and unions (CCOO, PCE, UGT, and CNT). The PCE and PSOE tried to unite the democratic opposition, which was grouped into the Board’s Democratic Platform Democratic Convergence.
Arias Navarro’s government lasted until July 1976 when he designed a plan for political change advised by Fernandez Miranda. This plan guaranteed the continuation of military officials and Franco and sought a democratic system based on the laws Franco. However, it resulted in strikes and incidents like Vitoria or Montejurra that marked his failure and joined the protests of the Democratic Coordination. This forced the king to resign to force Arias Navarro.
On July 3, 1973, Adolfo Suarez was elected prime minister from a list proposed by King. He already had people he trusted in charge of key posts, Gutierrez Mellado (army), Fernandez Miranda (Government of the Kingdom), and Adolfo Suárez (Prime Minister). These raw king became a driving force of change and its main actor Suarez, who formed a government of openness that submitted the project of the Political Reform Act. This act was approved by Parliament, which accounts for the democratic opposition to abandon the thesis of rupture and to support their reforms. Suarez was threatened by the extreme right (Partisans of Christ the King and Fuerza Nueva) and terrorist groups like ETA and staples.
In January 1977, a student was killed by Guerrillas of Christ the King. The Supreme Counsel of Military Justice was kidnapped by GRAPO, and five labor lawyers were killed by the extreme right of the PCE.
Suarez and his Democratic Center Union party legalized PCE, granted amnesty to political prisoners, and called for democratic elections in June 1977. The UCD won the elections and drafted the Constitution. Suarez stood up to extremists and signed Moncloa Pacts (October 1977) to cope with economic hardship.
The Spanish Constitution, drafted by seven Members of all parties, was approved by referendum on December 6, 1978. It consists of the following characteristics:
* Parliamentary monarchy * National sovereignty * Comprehensive bill of rights and duties including the autonomy * Abolition of death penalty * Separation of powers (executive – Chairman and Minister of legislation – cuts, senate and congress and judiciary – courts) * Non-denominational state * Figure of the ombudsman * Role of the figure of King, for life and hereditary, who is accountable to the constitution
Spain’s Integration into Europe
16.3 The Integration of Spain in Europe. Spain in the European Union. The Role of Spain in the International Context.
With the Treaty of Rome (1957), the EEC (European Economic Community) was established. This was a trade agreement abolishing tariffs that included a democratic system. Franco’s technocrats aspired to this, but only managed to sign preferential trade agreements.
In the governments of Clavo Sotelo Suarez and income, it was also not possible due to financial difficulties stemming from the 1973 crisis. With the first government of Felipe González and Fernando marras as minister of foreign affairs, the Accession Treaty was signed. On January 1, 1986, Spain became a member of the EEC. However, it had to accept some harsh conditions:
* The free movement of workers was not effective until 1993. * Tariffs for agricultural products experienced a gradual disappearance. * Free trade had to wait until 1996. * Permit fishing in EU fisheries was delayed until 2003.
Spain has supported the formation of common European identity, the adoption of the Single Act (1986) and Treaty on European Union (1991), enlargement of the EU-15 (1995) and 27 (2000). The Treaty of Maastricht (1991) makes the members in a supranational body that needs the solidarity to overcome the differences between countries (hedge funds and cohesion) and greater allocation to the European Parliament economic and monetary union from 2000 by the Euro, which has been introduced progressively after completing a series of economic criteria.
The balance between advantages and disadvantages of joining the European Union has been good for Spain. Spain is now a democratic country and Europe, taking on a new collective identity after the loss of colonial rule in 1898 and reaching a long-awaited modernization, after a century history marked by the Civil War, the Franco dictatorship, the restoration of democracy, and in 1986, entry into Europe.
Since the signing of the Treaty of Maastricht (1991), the challenge has been to achieve convergence with Europe and meet the criteria, which in 1998 allowed the entry into European Monetary Union and adopting the Euro as common currency.
With the entry into the EU, the primary sector was modernized, although there were negative effects as some agricultural products and livestock sectors have been damaged due to uncompetitive prices. The industrial sector has been damaged in the steel and the shipbuilding industry. The tertiary sector has seen the growth of trade, although the trade deficit persists. The Liberalization of air transport in Iberia led to difficulties. The sectoral balance is positive overall, and only fishing and naval sectors are affected by an intractable crisis.