Democratic Spain: Governments, Terrorism, and Global Role
Democratic Spain
The Transition is considered to have ended in 1982. The elections of that year marked the beginning of two-party politics (the PSOE and the PP). This lasted until the 2015 elections, when new parties, such as Ciudadanos, Unidas Podemos, and VOX, gained significant support.
Governments Between 1982 and 2022
- In 1982, the PSOE won the elections, and Felipe González became prime minister. The welfare state was expanded, communications and transport were improved, the army was reformed, and industrial restructuring was carried out. The PSOE won again in 1986, 1989, and 1993.
- The Partido Popular (PP) won the elections of 1996 and 2000, and José María Aznar was appointed prime minister. The PP managed to reduce the national debt and unemployment. In January 2002, the euro replaced the peseta. In 2003, the government supported military intervention by the USA and the UK in Iraq.
- The PSOE won the elections in 2004 and 2008. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero became prime minister. New laws included the Ley de Dependencia, the Ley Contra la Violencia de Género, and the Ley de Memoria Histórica. The main challenge was the international economic crisis that began in 2007.
- The PP won the elections of 2011, 2015, and 2016, and Mariano Rajoy was appointed prime minister. The government attempted to overcome the economic crisis with cuts in public services. Unemployment increased. The first indicators of recovery came in 2014. During this time, Juan Carlos I abdicated, and his son Felipe VI became king.
- Pedro Sánchez (PSOE) was appointed prime minister in 2018 after winning a motion of no confidence against Rajoy. After two rounds of elections, Sánchez formed a coalition government with Unidas Podemos in 2020. This government had to face the social and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Many new social laws were passed.
Terrorism in Spain
Spain has suffered the effects of terrorism in recent decades:
- ETA began its activity in 1968. It aimed to achieve independence for Euskadi through armed conflict.
- ETA murdered, and attempted to murder, members of the army and state security, business owners and people linked to political parties, and civil and military establishments. The terrorist organisation killed more than 850 people.
- At the beginning of the Transition, violent attacks were carried out by other far-left terrorist groups, such as the Grupo Revolucionario Antifascista Primero de Octubre.
- There was also extreme right-wing terrorism from groups such as the BVE or Triple A. GAL were active in the 1980s.
- In March 2004, Al-Qaeda Islamist terrorist groups targeted several commuter trains in Madrid. Nearly 200 people were killed, and more than 1,000 injured. In 2017, a similar attack took place on Las Ramblas in Barcelona.
Spain’s International Role
Democratic Spain joined several international organisations:
- The process of becoming a member of the EEC began during Adolfo Suárez’s term of office and was completed by the government of Felipe González in January 1986.
- Spain’s membership of NATO was the work of the government of Calvo Sotelo in 1982. Felipe González’s government ratified NATO membership after a favourable referendum in 1986.
- Since 1986, Spain has been an active member of the EU. Spain also collaborates with international organisations whose mission is to safeguard peace, sustainable development, and equality.