Spain’s Restoration: The Political System of Cánovas
The Political Regime of the Restoration and Cánovas System
After the six-year revolutionary period (Sexenio Revolucionario), the idea championed by Cánovas del Castillo to restore the Bourbon monarchy in the figure of Alfonso XII gained momentum. He intended this to be a political change, drafting a manifesto signed by the Prince at Sandhurst. However, the coup d’état by Martínez Campos precipitated events.
On January 1, 1875, Alfonso XII made his triumphal entry into Madrid, beginning his reign. The political system of the Restoration was devised by Cánovas del Castillo. It was a liberal, though barely democratic, parliamentary system based on a new constitution, the Constitution of 1876.
Constitution of 1876 Features
- Shared sovereignty (King and Parliament)
- Separation of powers
- Official state religion (Catholicism) but tolerance for others
- Comprehensive declaration of rights and freedoms
Complementing the Constitution of 1876 was the Electoral Law of 1878, which established census suffrage. However, universal male suffrage was established from 1890 onwards.
Pillars Supporting the Regime
The regime was supported by three main pillars:
- The Crown: An unquestionable institution. The king acted as an arbitrator, ensuring the alternation in power of the two main parties.
- The Army: An attempt was made to remove the army from political life, establishing the supremacy of civilian power over military power.
- The Political Parties: Cánovas del Castillo envisioned a political system based on the alternation of power between two political parties (bipartisanship or turnismo).
The Two Main Political Parties
The two dominant parties were:
- Conservative Party: (Formerly Moderates), led by Cánovas del Castillo.
- Liberal Party: (Formerly Unionists, Progressives, and moderate Republicans), led by Sagasta.
Both parties agreed to defend the Monarchy, the Constitution, private property, and a centralized state. They differed in that:
- The Conservative Party was generally against reforms and defended a confessional state (strong ties between church and state).
- The Liberal Party was more progressive, reformist, and supportive of a secular state.
The Electoral System and Caciquismo
These two parties took turns in power through a corrupt electoral system. When the party in power underwent political wear and tear, the King called upon the opposition leader, who was tasked with dissolving the Cortes (parliament) and calling new elections to achieve a majority in the Cortes and govern without difficulty.
The control of the electoral process was carried out through two institutions:
- The Minister of the Government (Ministro de la Gobernación): Prepared the list of desired results (encasillado) and appointed deputies. This minister informed provincial governors, mayors, and local bosses.
- The Cacique: A local figure with significant economic and political power, to whom people owed favors.
If the election results obtained were not the expected ones, electoral fraud (pucherazo) was committed (pressuring voters, voting on behalf of the deceased, etc.). The goal was for the party convening the elections to win a majority in the Cortes. Caciquismo was most evident in rural areas, especially in Andalusia.
Timeline of the Turnismo System
This system of regular alternation (turnismo) worked from 1875 until 1898:
- 1875-1881: Conservative Party rule.
- 1881-1885: Liberal Party rule.
- 1885: Both Alfonso XII and Cánovas’s rival Posada Herrera died (Correction: Alfonso XII died, Cánovas and Sagasta signed the Pact of El Pardo). Sagasta and Cánovas signed the Pact of El Pardo, agreeing that the Liberals would govern again. Sagasta’s government began, carrying out important reforms. This government lasted until 1890.
From 1898, the Restoration government entered a crisis and became discredited, but it still functioned, albeit unstably, until 1923 (the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera).