Spain's Democratic Evolution: Government, Territory, and Modern History

A Democratic State in Spain

According to the Constitution, Spain is:

• A Social State: Social interests come before individual interests.
• A Democratic State: It guarantees the participation of citizens in politics.
• A Juridical State: It is subject to the rule of law.

National sovereignty resides in the Spanish people, who delegate their power to representatives elected from the candidates of political parties through universal suffrage.

The state follows the model of a parliamentary monarchy:

• The King is the Head of State.
• The Chief Representative of the Nation.
• His powers are limited by Parliament.

The powers of the state are divided among different institutions:

• Legislative Power: Parliament (Cortes Generales), which has two chambers: the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.
• Executive Power: Government.
• Judicial Power: Courts of law, independent from the other two.

Spain's Territorial Organization

Spain’s unity as a nation is compatible with the right of its various regions and nationalities to self-government.

The Spanish state is decentralized and organized on three levels of territorial units:

• Municipalities
• Provinces
• Autonomous Communities

The Constitution also promotes solidarity and equilibrium, providing compensation funds for the communities with fewer resources.

Consolidation of Spanish Democracy

Constitutional Governments Since 1979

Since the Constitution was approved in 1979, several governments have been democratically elected:

• 1978-1981: UCD - Adolfo Suárez
• 1981-1982: UCD - Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo
• 1982-1996: PSOE - Felipe González
• 1996-2004: PP - José María Aznar
• 2004-2011: PSOE - José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
• November 2011: PP - Mariano Rajoy

Key Political Measures and Events

Foreign Policy Decisions

• Spain joined NATO following a referendum (1982).
• Spain joined the European Economic Community (1986).
• Spain became part of NATO’s military structure (1997).
• The Spanish army has participated in international conflicts.
• Aznar brought Spain closer to the USA and collaborated in the Iraq War (2003).
• Zapatero ordered the withdrawal of Spanish forces from Iraq but collaborated with missions in Afghanistan and Libya.

Domestic Policy Developments

Attempted Coup d'état by Lieutenant Colonel Tejero (1981): He entered the Congress and held all the deputies hostage for 22 hours. Afterward, the armed forces were reformed to prevent further coups. In 2001, military service was abolished, and the army was professionalized.

Terrorism: On March 11, 2004, Spain suffered the most appalling terrorist attack in its history. A series of bombs exploded on trains and in Atocha Station in Madrid. Initially attributed to ETA, it was the work of an Islamic cell inspired by Al-Qaeda. Anti-terrorist policies have been top of the political agenda since. In 2011, ETA signed a ceasefire.

Many unresolved issues of the Civil War and Francoist period have been addressed with the Law of Historical Memory (2007) that recognizes the victims of this period.