Spanish Political System: Branches, Autonomies, and Transition to Democracy
The Judiciary
The judiciary is composed of judges whose function is to administer justice on behalf of the King. Justice emanates from the people. It is worth noting the Supreme Court as a superior court of justice and the Constitutional Court, whose function is to declare the constitutionality of laws.
The State Land Agencies
The 1978 constitution provides for the peculiarities and diversity of different peoples of Spain, with the development of the state of autonomies. The Spanish state is divided into 17 regions and two autonomous cities (Ceuta and Melilla).
Legislative Period: The First Constitutional Government
The elections of March 1, 1979, resulted in a major victory for Adolfo Suarez and his party, the UCD, the strengthening of the PSOE, and the fleeting appearance of the Andalusian Socialist Party (PSA) in the parliamentary spectrum. However, in the municipal elections on April 3 of that year, the left was victorious in most municipalities thanks to the pact between Communists and Socialists.
The configuration of the autonomous state then received a big boost. Even before the elections, the Generalitat of Catalonia had been restored, and Josep Tarradellas, as president, agreed to the change to a monarchy and the unity of Spain. Subsequently, the General Council of the Basque Country and the Xunta de Galicia were instituted, solving the problem of autonomy. Another important step in the construction of the autonomous state was taken with the approval of the statutes of autonomy for Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Galicia, which subsequently merged with Andalusia (expressway), and the rest of the autonomies accessed via the slow lane.
Despite significant political achievements obtained on the road to democracy, Spanish society experienced growing political disenchantment from 1980 onwards, following the disappointment of many Spaniards who saw that the government was unable to resolve the economic crisis and growing unemployment. To this, we must add the discrepancies that began to emerge within the UCD when some of its most important leaders (the “barons”) accused Suarez of presidentialism. This meant that, disappointed and under pressure from some sectors of the army, who were not content with the approval of the Communist Party, Suarez resigned as president on January 21, 1981, and convened a conference in his party, where Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo was chosen as a candidate for president.
At this time, the terrorism of ETA and other groups increased, and there were coup attempts, such as “Operation Galaxy” and the events of February 23, 1981. However, popular support for democracy was always unanimous.
The Government of Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo
The government of Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo was launched in February 1981 and conducted a vigorous foreign policy that led to Spain’s entry into NATO on June 5, 1982. The government campaigned in favor of NATO membership, presenting it as an irreversible fact full of advantages: dispelling the fear of a reversal in the democratic process, breaking the political isolation of Spain, and facilitating the modernization of the army. The left, instead, accused the government of precipitation and argued that NATO membership moved Spain away from its traditional neutrality.
Domestic Policy
Calvo Sotelo’s government also made a notable effort to improve the economy, restore public safety, and advance legislative progress. Nevertheless, the party crisis was unstoppable, and many members left the party, including Miguel Herrero and Fernandez Ordonez. The situation forced Sotelo to hold general elections in October 1982, in which the PSOE won an absolute majority (202 deputies). The transition was over.