Spain's Democratic Era: Governments and Key Milestones (1978-2000)

Introduction

We must begin by acknowledging the difficulty of analyzing such a recent historical period. Insufficient time has passed for a thorough analysis, and it is challenging to mitigate inevitable ideological biases.

Spain is now a democratic and European country. In light of its recent history, both circumstances hold special significance. Spain appears to have resolved its issues of isolation and backwardness, successfully integrating into the European mainstream. Both achievements occurred under the monarchy of Juan Carlos I, as his reign reunited Spain with modernity.

The reign of Juan Carlos I, which began in 1975, witnessed one of the most stable periods in contemporary Spanish history. During this time, Spain achieved significant political, social, and economic modernization, although the take-off in the latter two aspects began during the Franco regime. According to the Spanish Constitution, the King reigns but does not govern, holding a moderating and representative role. However, on two crucial occasions, the King's intervention was decisive in consolidating democracy: during the Spanish Transition and the attempted coup by Tejero. On both occasions, his standing greatly increased, which explains the broad consensus that has always existed and continues to exist regarding the figure of Juan Carlos I.

I. Governments of the UCD

A) The Government of Suárez

Once in power, and with the encouragement and support of the King and Fernández Miranda, Adolfo Suárez proposed to amend the regime from within, ultimately leading to a democratic system. This process would be carried out through legal means, which Fernández Miranda famously termed "from law to law." The first step was the approval by the Cortes and then a referendum of the Law for Political Reform.

Once this law was approved, effectively dismantling Franco's regime and opening the door to a democratic system, Suárez faced numerous difficulties and obstacles, including terrorism, civil disorder, pressure from the opposition, and fears within the army. Despite these challenges, Suárez made two decisions of enormous consequence:

• In April, taking advantage of the Easter holidays, he legalized the PCE (Communist Party of Spain).
• He called for Constituent Assembly elections.

These elections established an imperfect two-party system, with the UCD securing victory (though without an absolute majority) and the PSOE emerging as the main opposition party.

From this moment, the policy of consensus was established, a political approach exemplified by the 1978 Constitution and the Moncloa Pacts.