The Political Regime of Francoism: Structure and Ideology
The Francoist Regime: Core Characteristics
International and Internal Recognition
The regime established by Franco had good relationships with its peers, namely Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy. This external support was crucial, leading to Franco’s military victory and subsequent international recognition as a leader, as well as internal recognition as the savior of Spain.
The resistance did not constitute a major nuisance. The middle classes offered passivity, while economic elites and peasants provided support. The system was highly adaptable to changing circumstances.
Ideological Foundations and Totalitarianism
The regime presented different appearances (internal and external) as necessary to maintain its institutional power structure. While the institutional molds did not change throughout its existence, its essential content did. During the Civil War and the postwar period, the regime adopted terminology and institutions with fascist and totalitarian symbolism.
Franco proclaimed the principle of unity of power, establishing the Head of State as the source of all sovereignty and legitimacy. The regime embraced intense Nationalism and Spanish Catholic religious beliefs, and supported autarky. It was a fascist dictatorship model inspired by the Italian and German systems.
Suppression of Rights and Political Pluralism
The 1931 Constitution was abolished, and individual and collective rights were suppressed. Parliament was closed, and all political parties and trade unions were banned. Only the existence of a single official party and a single official union was permitted.
- The chief, named Caudillo Franco, held the titles of President of the Government, Generalissimo of all armies, and Head of the National Movement (the single party).
- The media was controlled, censored, and manipulated entirely in favor of Nationalist propaganda.
- From 1936, Franco was the dictator of Spain, holding mastery over the legislative, judicial, and executive powers.
Centralism and Repression
Franco enforced a unitary and centralist conception of the state. He abolished regional autonomy statutes and encouraged the Hispanization of the entire population. Franco severely repressed the opposition.
The Concept of Organic Democracy
In 1945, two new fundamental laws were introduced:
- The Fuero de los Españoles (Charter of the Spanish), outlining Spanish rights and duties based on a traditionalist and Catholic mentality (July 17).
- The National Referendum Act (October 22).
Franco characterized his system as an Organic Democracy. This Organic Democracy was a dictatorial political regime imposed by General Franco from 1942 until the period of democratic transition.
Institutional Structure and Control
The system did not accept universal suffrage or political parties. It imposed a single vertical union (Sindicato Vertical), encompassing workers and employers across all branches of production.
Political power resided in the Head of State, while the Cortes (Parliament), where representatives of municipalities, heads of household, and the vertical union collaborated, assisted in the elaboration of laws.
Opposition to Liberalism
This structure mirrored the traditionalist and Catholic movements in Europe at the time, opposing liberal democracy and Marxism. The regime formalized its structure as a constitutional dictatorship in 1967 (Law of Succession).
The Final Phase of the Dictatorship
In its final phase, the dictatorship struggled to survive, first following the assassination of Carrero Blanco by ETA, and then ending with the death of Franco himself, marking the beginning of the democratic transition.