... Against the odds, Spaniards rewrote history
constitutions that began in Virginia in 1776, Spain also had a central role with the “Constitucion de Cadiz” of 1812 which had not only a decisive influence in the newly independent Republics of Latin America, but also in many revolutionary movements in Europe, from Naples to Russia. As early as in 1812 the Cadiz Constitution established indirect universal male suffrage and a comprehensive charter of human rights, thus becoming the most advanced Constitution of its time. Spain did not lag behind the process of democratisation of the European liberal states in the XIXth century and recognised direct universal male suffrage in 1869. The 1931 Republican Constitution granted women’s suffrage some years before European countries such as France (1946) or Switzerland (1971). Therefore, the 1978 Constitution has behind it a long constitutional tradition, but what makes it a milestone is that it is the result of the broadest possible consensus among ideologically opposed political forces and the overall Spanish society, thus being crucial in the reconciliation of the so-called ‘Two Spains’, one progressive and the other conservative. These ‘Two Spains’ had been in constant conflict during most of the 19th and 20th centuries. WHEN GENERAL Franco passed away in 1975, many feared the risk of the renewal of confrontation, as if Spain had a congenital inclination to conflict. Against all odds, Spaniards were able to rewrite their history and build a broad value-based consensus with democracy, the rule of law, social inclusion, tolerance, and the recognition of diversity as the cornerstones of the new political system. King Juan Carlos played a decisive role, inspiring confidence to all political players as a neutral head of state.
Years 1976 and 1977 were the turning point. The Spanish people imposed their will of peace and reconciliation. Spaniards pushed for democracy, and the old Franco regime forces gave way and faded away with relatively mild resistance. The Francoist Cortes (a fascist-like undemocratic legislative chamber) voted for its own dissolution in a surprising hara-kiri that allowed our first free elections in 1977 after 40 years of dictatorship. The elected Parliament (‘las Cortes Generales’) agreed a wide majority on the text of the new constitution that was massively approved by 87.78 per cent of the census on the December 6, 1978 in a referendum. Its distinctive mark was its wide social and political consensus that gathered all political parties from the communists to most of the sectors that supported the old regime, aware of the need to leave dictatorship behind. The central actors were, nevertheless, the Spanish Socialist Worker’s Party (PSOE), and a coalition of liberals and Christian democrats, (the UCD), that imposed the general lines of an advanced constitutional framework in the line of our Western European neighbours.
OFFSPRING OF CONSENSUS
The Constitution of 1978 is the offspring of consensus, and it is considered a model of peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. Consensus is at its roots, and that consensus also included the traditionally strong nationalist movements in Catalonia and the Basque Country, harshly repressed by General Franco. There were also strong regional feelings in almost every part of Spain, mostly in the Canary Islands, Andalucia, Galicia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands. The Constitution decisively established a federativelike model with 17 autonomous communities (regions and nationalities) with one of the world’s highest levels of selfgovernment.
This is why our political system is known as ‘Estado de las Autonomias’, State of Autonomies, an original model that has had a deep impact in culture and in the daily life of all citizens. Spain has been profoundly transformed, moving from being one of the most centralised bureaucracies of the world, where everything had to be dealt with in some obscure ministry dependency in Madrid, to a democracy that has brought government and decision-making closer to the citizens. Making use of their political autonomy, regions and its capital cities have flourished in culture and also in economy, allowing the expansion of the historical diversity of Spain, an element of its richness and a sign of national identity.
PROTECTION OF NATIONALITIES
The Constitution of 1978 recognises Spain as a Nation that includes and protects nationalities and regions and guarantees the co-officiality of all Spanish languages (Catalan, Basque and Galician), along with Castilian, in each of the territories concerned. We have been able to build unity on the recognition of our diversity, which is our heritage and our richness.
After 40 years of democracy, peace, stability and progress, I would like to end by expressing my confidence in the future of the parliamentarian monarchy established in 1978 that has demonstrated its solid continuity with the 2014 proclamation of King Felipe VI and Infanta Leonor as princess of Asturias, and my confidence in one of the most advanced democracies whose stability is grounded on the rule of law and on a progressive system of respect and protection of human rights.