School of something FACULTY OF OTHER Department of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies Introduction to the Spanish Political System Antonio Martínez-Arboleda Sources: Dr Pablo San Martin (HumBox)

Francoism and the Transition to Democracy The Crisis of Francosim: Overlapping of several partial crisis during the late 1960s and early 1970s  Students mobilizations, working-class movements, new internal opposition,, terrorism, partial liberalization of the press, and peripheral nationalism/regionalism  failure of the Francoist political project. During the transition to the Democracy there was a degree of continuity of the Francoist Political Regime: The State as an organisation of public resources and political institutions backed by the armed forces remained untouched after the death of Franco for three years. The decision taken by Franco to appoint Juan Carlos as his successor in the Headship of the State side-lined any immediate discussions about a return to the República. The active involvement of the King in the management of the transition almost precluded a non- monarchic solution for the new political regime. Spain had embrace Constitutional models since 1812 and Constitutional regimes were the norm in Continental Western Europe. Adolfo Suárez, who became first elected Spanish Prime Minister in 1977, was actually appointed Prime Minister by the King Juan Carlos I on 4 July Listen to the Following statement from Adolfo Suárez, and list the achievements and challenges that he believed Spain was facing at that crucial part of its history. Video link

Political transition, political options and voters preferences. First democratic elections in  Representatives of the main political forces formed a working group to elaborate a new Constitution (passed in 1978) Let us see the results of the 1977 elections and let us compare it with the results of the lections in 1982, which is considered by many as the turning point at which the democratic regime was there to stay (In 1981 there was an unsuccessful military coup). You have to comment the main differences in terms of public support for options somehow connected with the Francoist political regime in both elections and draw some conclusions with your group for us to share at the end of the class elections results 1982 elections results

The political and institutional outcome of the Spanish transition ( ) New Constitution based upon the principle of consensus, trying to integrate all the different political sensibilities in the text. Objective: to integrate into the system all the political forces, not to exclude them. Problematic issues treated with calculated ambiguity in the text to allow for future interpretations and debates. Open text. How to integrate the principles of territorial unity and diversity? State of Autonomies: Unity of Spanish nation and autonomy of ‘nationalities’ and regions. Nationalist resistance: ‘Café para todos’ Spanish political system structured in two main levels: 1. Spanish / National level. 2. Autonomous Communities Municipalities. National level Bicameral system: Congreso and Senado. Congreso as representative of national sovereignty. Electoral constituencies follow the autonomic map. Senado as representative of the ‘territories’. Primacy of the Congreso over the Senado. Formation of Government and election of President. Spanish system is not Presidential. Party system: ‘Imperfect Bipartidism’  Two parties dominate the voting and representation…but, there are other smaller parties that – although not in a position to form governments – can influence the formation of government by the two major parties. Two main State-wide parties. PSOE and PP. Third State-wide party: IU. Non State-wide parties: CIU, PNV, BNG, PAR, CC, PA, etc. (in a position to form governments at autonomic levels)

Any Questions?