Spain’s Transition to Democracy: From Franco to Modernity
The Spanish political landscape could be divided into three streams: those who sought a continuation of the scheme, which provides some reform for democratization of the system and those who were leaning toward a break with the dictatorial past and building a political system led by democratic forces. Two days after Franco‘s death Juan Carlos was proclaimed king and talk to the front of Carlos Arias Navarro government.
When Arias Navarro presented his program opted for continuity Franco and his reformist approach was very poor was limited only to adopt a highly restrictive laws. To press for a democratic opposition is united in the so-called democratic coordination. Antifran forces also promoted a series of popular protests which demanded democratic freedom and amnesty for political prisoners. Elrey Juan Carlos and his colleagues forced the resignation of Arias Navarro and promoted as his successor Adolfo Suarez. Suarez initiated contacts with the democratic forces and issued a pardon for political prisoners also proposed political reform bill that recognized the fundamental personal rights, this law was passed smoothly through the court did not have it play a decisive role in the negotiation with Franco’s attorneys to be sure he could maintain its social and economic status. In the months following the procreation of policy reform law general elections were held but before it developed a series of decrees that allowed freedom of association, the legalization of political party except the Communist and an amnesty for political crimes committed under Franco. The triumph of the election was for the UCD and thus constituted the first democratic government in Spain after the Civil War and later was drafted a democratic constitution. This constitution was based on consensus politics that had a negotiation and agreement between the political force. The constitution has a progressive character that defines Spain as a social and democratic state of law organized as a parliamentary monarchy has mainly representative functions of the army is subject to civilian authority. Also fixed the non-denominational, abolish the death penalty and develop an activity declaration of fundamental rights and civil liberties policy. It also provides for economic planning with state intervention in the property for reasons of public interest, recognized as an official language Castilian and also regulates the decentralization of certain powers of the state and the creation of autonomous communities. Transition coincided with the start of the international economic crisis so the government to cope with the economic problem was imperative an understanding between government and major opposition forces as the main parties signed the Pact of Moncloa containing a series of agreements and branch reform of economy and its main objective was to reduce inflation and implementing the reform package, also proceeded tax reform and in 1977 entered into force on special tax on capital.While most of the political strength of Spanish society and argued for a social consensus was any threat coming from the involution of military coups and terrorism such as ETA.
Once approved, the constitution’s legislative elections were held again to win was the UCD and continued his reformist activities designed for the delivery of moncloa but the government was unstable and had to face a series of ministerial changes. Given the fragmentation of the UCD Adolfo Suárez resigned as president of the government and the party. The main threat to the democratic system was the military that the February 23, 1981 while voting by Colonel Antonio Tejero interrupted the vote by force and arrested all Members to impose a military coup and make the democratic process and give the army a role in government. Two days after the coup Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo was inaugurated as the new prime minister of the important decisions was the request of Spain’s entry into NATO which was opposed by the Left. After general elections were held in October 1982 that gave victory to the Spanish Socialist Party and began a new stage the final consolidation constitutional democratic regime in Spain. It developed a comprehensive reform program whose priority was the fight against economic crisis and progress towards the welfare state. To reactivate the economy took measures such as industrial restructuring was a process of adaptation of the productive sectors to international market demand for educational reform as there was also the LODE that extended free education to fourteen years later came the LOGSE the extended to sixteen. The integration of Spain into the European community was one of the priorities of the socialist program, but on the other hand the government had to tackle terrorism of ETA and a reform of the army to end the threat of coups. Economic reform represented a deterioration of the relationship between unions and the government which resulted in a general strike and this caused within the party arose a division in the other great socialist leader and their subsequent separation. The March 1996 elections were won by the Popular Party government action was a popular centrist orientation and proceeded to a social policy that ensured the welfare state. A series of new law as the Aliens Act to regulate the entry and residence of foreign Canedo organic law organic law universities and teaching quality and other measures was the abolition of compulsory military service. The PP also had to address issues that meant a great wear for his party as the prestige or the outbreak of ten bombs in the vicinity of various atocha tlc known as the M11 to which they blamed on ETA but later he was in fact al-Qaida. Re-election was held on March 14, 2004 whose victory was the PSOE and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was Prime Minister. The first measure taken by the new government was the withdrawal of the troops in Iraq that led to a rift with the U.S.. The government also undertook to withdraw the national water plan to reform education laws, the organic law on effective equality between women and men and the law of dependence. Since the entry of Spain into the EEC became the main reference point for Latin America and have tripled the economic relationship with developed countries also called Ibero-American Summit and the creation of the Mediterranean project that promotes cooperation between both countries sides of the sea.