Regenerationism and Political Reform in Restoration Spain

The First Regenerationist Governments

A. Governments and the Sagasta-Silvela Era

Following the disaster of 1898, politicians from the Conservative Party, led by Silvela, were sensitive to the national crisis and sought to address it. The manifesto of General Polavieja clearly outlined the objectives of this regenerationist movement. Key criticisms included government corruption and despotism, alongside a pressing need for reforms in education, finance, and economic development.

Silvela formed a coalition government with an ambitious project to:

• Reduce corruption.
• Implement a financial plan to balance the state budget and eliminate the deficit.
• Address the social question through new legislation.

Significant legislative efforts included laws regulating the work of women and children, as well as workers' compensation. Subsequent governments continued these reforms, aiming to ensure greater freedom, secularize society, and manage the proliferation of religious orders, which sparked significant anticlericalism.

Proposed Reforms and Political Objectives

The reform agenda included:

• Electoral law revisions.
• Regulation of labor-employer relations via conciliation laws.
• Reform of the Concordat with the Church.
• Educational projects, such as making religion non-compulsory in the bachillerato.

These programs were reformist rather than revolutionary; the goal was to democratize political life without destroying the Restoration system or dismantling the dominance of the oligarchy.

B. The Failure of the First Regeneration

Dynastic political parties attempted to regenerate the Cánovas system to save it from internal failures and external criticism. However, these efforts ultimately failed due to internal disintegration.

While there was new hope placed in the young King Alfonso XIII, he faced systemic obstacles:

• Political and electoral manipulation.
• Distortion of the popular will.
• Excessive power of the oligarchy over political parties.
• Disproportionate government influence over Parliament and the monarchy.

Because these issues remained unaddressed, the entire constitutional edifice of the Restoration failed to resolve the nation's fundamental problems.