Spanish Restoration Politics and the Party System

The Restoration Party System

The party system was created by Cánovas del Castillo, following the English model. He led the Conservative Party, heir to the Moderates, and invited Sagasta to lead the Liberal Party, the heir to the Progressives. Socially, both parties represented the interests of very similar groups linked to the bourgeoisie. However, the Conservatives were more closely related to the agrarian oligarchy, the defense of clericalism, and tradition. In contrast, the Liberals represented advocates of the liberal tradition, defending universal suffrage, freedom, and the separation of church and state.

Their agreed alternation of power (the Turno Pacífico) allowed for legislative advancement during the period while avoiding recourse to violence.

Parties Outside the System

Several other parties remained outside the power structure, advocating for systemic change:

• The Carlist Party: They updated their ideas by defending Catholicism and regional councils, while relegating the defense of dynastic legitimacy. Their stronghold remained in Navarre.
• The Republican Parties: As heirs to pure liberalism, they appeared divided. They held significant support among the petty bourgeoisie and the urban proletariat, obtaining majorities in municipal elections in cities like Madrid. In Valencia, where the economy was bolstered by citrus exports, Republicans also gained significant representation.
• Nationalist Parties: This included groups like the PNV and Solidaridad Catalana. Both emerged following the strengthening of their respective bourgeoisies, the revival of popular culture in industrial societies, and the rise of nationalist and protectionist policies across Europe after 1885.

The PNV and Catalan Solidarity

The PNV (Basque Nationalist Party), founded by Sabino Arana, was based on an ideology of tradition, religion, race, and Basque culture. Unlike the Carlists, they accepted liberalism but maintained a position of confrontation with the central government, demanding independence.

Catalan Solidarity (Solidaritat Catalana) grouped different nationalist factions in Catalonia to unseat the ruling parties. They advocated for the creation of a Catalan autonomy statute and focused on a strategy of negotiation with the Spanish State.

Labor Organizations and Radicalism

• Labor Organizations: The PSOE, founded by Pablo Iglesias, became the first working-class party. Other workers' groups also organized, such as Solidaridad Obrera in Catalonia, the UGT (a socialist union), and the CNT (an anarcho-syndicalist union).
• The Radical Republican Party: Emerging in the early 20th century under Alejandro Lerroux in Catalonia, this party represented sectors critical of the system, while also opposing both nationalism and class-based parties.