Franco’s Dictatorship in Spain: Consolidation & State
The Consolidation of Franco’s Dictatorship
Franco aimed to create a new state, a “regenerator of Spain,” which banished all ideas of liberalism and liberal democracy, as well as communism. It was based ideologically on a conservative, Catholic, and unitary conception of the state, contrary to all autonomous nationalist ideas.
A Totalitarian Regime
A new political system was established as a totalitarian system, with no constitution and no democratic freedoms. Franco concentrated powers and organized a political model based on the existence of a single political party, FET de las JONS, with himself as its leader. The system was inspired by fascist states. Although the institutions and articulation of powers changed after 1945, the regime never lost its totalitarian character, maintaining a “dictatorial will.”
The state model imposed in Spain was a hybrid, a combination of military dictatorship and fascist state, without a king, but fully reliable as a monarchy. The dictatorship’s will was clear:
- Abolition of the constitution.
- Suppression of individual and group rights.
- Banning of all political parties and trade unions.
- Abolition of the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia and the Basque Country.
- Prohibition of any manifestation of nationalism.
“Fundamental Laws” of the Dictatorship
The dictatorship endeavored to provide an image of legality with the promulgation of a series of “Fundamental Laws.” This process was not completed until 1967 with the promulgation of the Organic Law of the State. The six laws were:
- The Charter of Work (1938)
- The Jurisdiction of the Spanish (1945)
- Constitutive Law of the Courts (1942)
- National Referendum Law (1945)
- The Law of Succession (1947)
- The Principles of the National Movement (1958)
The Structure of the New State
In January 1938, the task of building the regime began. Franco was the Head of Government, and President of the National Council, and appointed the Chairman of its Board of Policies, from which he enjoyed exceptional powers. The new statutes of FET de las JONS provided that the leader was responsible before God and history, giving him almost absolute power.
The structure was completed with the establishment of courts that had nothing to do with genuine democratic representation. All representatives in courts, or attorneys, were appointed by those in power. The regime called this system “organic democracy.” Justice disappeared as an independent power and remained subordinate to the executive.
Another great power of the state was the official trade unions, later called the Vertical Union. The Labor Unity Law was enacted in 1940 and established that employers and employees would be integrated into a single union for each industry. Union membership was compulsory.
After 1945, following the defeat of Italian Fascism and German Nazism, the regime proceeded to a cosmetic operation, but the dictatorial structure remained intact. Fascist language, rituals, and symbols, such as the raised-arm salute, were refined. The party organization lost weight while the government structure grew.