The Path to Democracy in Spain: 1975-1982
Spain’s Transition to Democracy: 1975-1982
The Early Years of the Transition
After the death of Franco on November 20, 1975, and according to the rules laid down by him, on the 22nd, Juan Carlos I was proclaimed King of Spain. This marked the beginning of a key period in the history of Spain, called the “Transition,” which would last until the full consolidation of democracy.
The monarch’s aim was to establish a modern democracy in Spain. He decided to dismiss Arias Navarro, as he did not consider him a suitable nominee. The King then asked Torcuato Fernández-Miranda to create a shortlist of three candidates, which included Adolfo Suárez.
Adolfo Suárez and the Law for Political Reform
In June 1976, the King appointed Adolfo Suárez as President of the Government. This appointment brought tranquility to the “bunker” (those who wanted to maintain the Franco regime) and fear to the Democrats, as Suárez was considered a man of the Franco regime.
In his first public address, Suárez clearly stated the intention of the Crown: “to move towards a modern democracy.” He asked for the cooperation of all sectors of society and stated that future governments must be “the result of the free will” of the Spanish people (Doc.1).
This statement of plans for democratization opened two possible avenues: the “rupture,” advocated by the opposition forces, including the PCE (Communist Party of Spain), which consisted of forming a provisional government in the style of the Pact of San Sebastián; and the “reformist” path, which proposed achieving democracy through reform. The latter was chosen, and thus the government of Suárez, during July and August 1976, dedicated itself to drafting a Law for Political Reform.
In September, the law was submitted to the military, who accepted it despite some doubts, provided that the PCE was excluded from the process. Days later, the law was presented to the citizens.
In November, the Francoist Cortes approved the Law for Political Reform, which, among other issues, established the sovereignty of the people and a new composition of the Cortes. The new Cortes would be bicameral and elected by universal suffrage, but the King could appoint a group of senators (Doc.2). This Court would vote the same day for its dissolution, a move that became known as the “Harakiri.”
On December 15, a referendum was held, and the people approved the project of political reform, with 94% voting in favor.
1977: Legalization of Parties and the First Elections
The year 1977 brought many changes to the Spanish political landscape. In February, political parties were legalized, with the exception of the PCE. In March, trade unions were legalized, and the right to strike was regulated. In April, the single party of the Franco regime, the National Movement, was dissolved, and the PCE was legalized on Holy Saturday, after Suárez asked Carrillo for three fundamental conditions to appease the military: respect for the monarchy, the flag, and the unity of Spain. In May, Adolfo Suárez founded the UCD (Union of Democratic Centre), which would represent the party in the elections of June 15. Suárez’s election campaign (Doc.3) was based on a series of promises made by him for the realization of democracy (“…to return sovereignty to the people… to normalize our political life… to have a place in the Cortes…”), while also making other promises for the development of a constitution (“I promise and swear… to attempt to draft a constitution, and I promise… a legal framework…”).
The 1977 Elections and the Moncloa Pacts
In the election, the UCD obtained a relative majority, and Adolfo Suárez became the first democratic Prime Minister after the Civil War. His government, based on dialogue, presided over the entire phase of the UCD governments (1977-1982). The Cortes had as its main objectives to address the dire economic situation in the country by taking a series of measures contained in the Moncloa Pacts, which would be fundamental because, as the Minister of Economy stated: “Either the Democrats end the crisis, or the crisis will end democracy.” The other main objective was to draft a constitution.
The 1978 Constitution
To prepare the draft constitution, a committee of seven members from different political parties was formed, which would maintain consensus at all times. The main goal was that the Constitution would be for everyone, so once the draft was finished, all political parties except the Basque and Galician nationalists asked the Spanish people to vote YES in the referendum to be held on December 6, 1978. The Constitution was approved by the vast majority of Spaniards.
This Constitution established that Spain is “…a social and democratic state of law…,” so all branches of government should work for the benefit of citizens. It also enshrined “national sovereignty,” the political form of the Spanish state as “a parliamentary monarchy,” the recognition of Spain as a unitary state, and political and linguistic plurality, along with a series of rights and duties of the Spanish people (Doc.4).
Challenges and the End of the Transition
The path to democracy faced a series of challenges, including constant attacks by terrorist groups, especially ETA, violent actions by the extreme right, such as the Atocha massacre, and sectors of the military that sought to preserve their concept of the homeland. These groups began conspiring to carry out actions, such as the attempted hijacking of the government with Operation Galaxy, which was dismantled, and the February 23, 1981 (23F) attack on Congress in an attempt to stage a coup. However, the intervention of the King early the next day on radio and television (Doc.5) finally convinced the soldiers to surrender, and the members of Congress were released unharmed. The coup failed, and Spanish society came out massively to the streets demanding democracy and shouting slogans against the dictatorship.
After the failed coup, the spirit of consensus was recovered, but differences soon appeared with the leftist opposition. In addition, the UCD was going through a deep crisis, which led to its disintegration. In October 1982, early elections were called, in which the Socialist Party won a landslide victory by an absolute majority (Doc.6). This victory was also helped by the popularity of its leader and an innovative election campaign. These elections marked the end of the transition process, as the left returned to the government of Spain.