Spain’s Transition to Democracy: Key Players & Pacts
The Spanish Democratic Transition: From Franco to Democracy
1. The Dawn of Democracy: Franco’s Death and the Initial Steps
The death of Francisco Franco marked the beginning of Spain’s transition to democracy. This process aimed to avoid societal collapse and had the support of both the Crown and anti-Francoist sectors.
- Arias Navarro’s Presidency: Juan Carlos de Borbón was appointed King of Spain, legitimized by Franco himself, but with reformist ideals. His first acts included appointing Torcuato Fernández-Miranda as President of the Parliament. Arias Navarro maintained his position as Prime Minister and initiated contact with the opposition and European leaders. The King’s objective was to establish a democratic, constitutional, and parliamentary monarchy through legal reforms. While he initially lacked full support from both the right and the left, he strived for consensus. Arias Navarro began a limited, and somewhat contradictory, reform. Protests against the government, compounded by strikes, led to authoritarian reactions from Arias Navarro, resulting in deaths and clashes in Montejurra (among Carlists).
- Adolfo Suárez’s Appointment: Due to the escalating unrest, the King prompted Arias Navarro’s resignation and appointed Adolfo Suárez.
2. Adolfo Suárez: Dismantling the Dictatorship
Initially, Suárez faced distrust due to his prior Francoist connections. However, he began dismantling the dictatorship through legal means and intensified contacts with the opposition. Key actions included:
- Amnesty for political prisoners (excluding those convicted of violent crimes).
- Decriminalization of political organizations.
- Abolition of the Public Order Court (responsible for political repression).
- Regulation of the right to strike.
Suárez faced significant challenges, including terrorist attacks (such as the killing of five labor lawyers) and considerable tension within the military, who were reportedly planning a coup. The economic crisis also worsened. Parliament approved the Law for Political Reform, aiming to create a bicameral Cortes elected by universal suffrage. This law emphasized popular sovereignty, the establishment of the Cortes, universal suffrage, individual rights, and authorization for political parties.
To establish democracy, it was necessary to legalize previously illegal political parties. The PSOE was legalized by the end of the year. The leader of the PCE (Santiago Carrillo) was initially arrested but later proposed the legalization of his party. An agreement was reached, on the condition that the PCE would not question the monarchy, despite the discomfort this caused within the army. Suárez formed the UCD (Union of the Democratic Centre) from reformist minority groups of various political persuasions.
3. Opposition, Consensus, and the Moncloa Pacts
After Franco’s death, two main opposition groups emerged:
- The Spanish Democratic Board (Junta Democrática de España), headed by the PCE.
- The Democratic Convergence Platform (Plataforma de Convergencia Democrática), led by the PSOE.
Strikes in Vitoria led to further protests and the eventual unification of the opposition. The Democratic Board and the Democratic Convergence Platform merged to form the Democratic Coordination, also known as the *Platajunta*. This group advocated for a democratic break to end the regime and called for a strong provisional government, a general amnesty, political freedoms, recognition of the historic nationalities, and elections to the Constituent Cortes.
Suárez engaged openly with Democratic Coordination, leading to positive developments. Political unity was further strengthened with the Platform for Democratic Organizations (POD) and the Coordinator of Trade Unions (SOC), which called a general strike to address economic demands and oppose the Political Reform Act. The Law for Political Reform (LRP) was eventually passed in a referendum, leading to the dismantling of Francoist institutions and the legalization of political parties in preparation for elections. While numerous demonstrations occurred, most were peaceful.
The Moncloa Pacts
The Moncloa Pacts were implemented to address the economic crisis, social tensions, terrorism, and attempts at regression. These pacts aimed to overcome the country’s problems and project an image of peace and understanding. The key focuses of the pacts were:
- Economic Reform and Reorganization: Addressing the recession, lack of investment, and rising oil prices by reducing inflation and the external deficit.
- Legal and Political Action: Ensuring freedom of expression, assembly, and association; regulating communication media; and reforming the penal code.
The breach of the covenants affected unions and organizations that participated in the pacts. The Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE) was created as a result.