Growing Pains: Spain’s Democracy from Beginning to Present
Jorge Roman | Traveling with Jorge
“Franco is dead.” On November 20, 1975, these were the words pronounced in tears by Prime Minister Arias Navarro on television.
Three days later, Prince Juan Carlos was proclaimed successor under the fascist government.
However, living our political transition wasn’t an easy task. Mr. Adolfo Suárez was proclaimed president by King Juan Carlos in 1976. Later, on December 6th, the first referendum in Spain in 40 years was held: “Do we want to initiate a democratic process?”There was a massive voter turnout of 80% with 95% of voters choosing “Yes.”
President Adolfo Suárez (center)
Image | Ministry of the Presidency,Government of Spain, Wikimedia Commons
The following year, many fascist institutions were dismantled and Mr. Suarez called for a General Election—41 years since the last one. Political parties from both sides were invited to participate while the Military leaders looked askance.The key point was to create a Constitution, which was finally approved by referendum in December, 1978.
Months of turmoil with demonstrations and rallies happened everywhere. On one occasion, I was in my hometown of Málaga, going somewhere with my widowed mother (she was blind and I had to take her). We found ourselves involved in the middle of a shooting, and we had to seek refuge in the entrance of an apartment block. Luckily, the door was open. People were running in desperation, and there were sirens and screams…I wanted to sneak my head out, but my mother grabbed my arm and said not to move. After a long time, when the shootings calmed down, we ran back home.
Mr. Suarez was re-elected in 1979 by simple majority. He became an object of mockery and weakness to the high spheres of the military corps because he let the political spectrum express their ideas in the Chamber. Feeling untrusted by his own party, he resigned early January 1981 and Vice-president Calvo Sotelo was proposed to as new Prime Minister. For several days the Chamber was a boiling pot negotiating the proposal.
The Big Threat
On February 23, 1981, all the members of parliament were voting and noises were heard in the background. Guardias Civiles (Military Police) were entering the parliament fully armed with shotguns and rifles. A man in uniform stepped upto the pulpit and said out loud: “Everybody stay quiet!!” Spanish television streamed the assault live. The news spread like wildfire, especially by radio, since there was only one tv channel in Spain.
Closing my eyes, I still see that moment. I was 16, getting ready to go out with friends, listening music from the radio, when it suddenly went silent. A news reader commented the situation. I stepped out of my bedroom. Mum was talking with my aunt Maria . Totally unconscious of the gravity of the moment I said: “There is a coup now in Madrid.” My aunt jumped off her seat and switched the television on. They were still filming the situation live in the Chamber. Two minutes later the screen went blank.
After a short while, a static image of a military parade with military music came on. The radio became the only source of news. FM radio became very popular in Spain in the late 70’s. The National radio station was playing the same music as the television. It meant that the Public TV/Radio studios had been taken over by the military.
My aunt and mom started crying while saying, “Ohh God, not again please, not again!” I was totally confused and did not fully understand the moment. My mother prohibited me from going out. We sat in silence, not a word escaping our mouths for what seemed like forever, always with the TV on and listening to contradictory news from FM radio stations. I realized how serious it was when I saw a tear rolling down my aunt’s face.
It was hot for the time of the year and we decided to open a window. Some shots were heard in the distance. Mum told me to shut the window. When it was dark and the curtains were closed, Mum suggested not turning the lights on. Instead, we lit a single candle in order to be able to see each other.
Three hours later a news bulletin was broadcast live on tv by a news reader, announcing that he has been “ordered” to read a manifesto from the “Head of Command.”: “All military corps around the country are ready to follow the Superior’s orders and all institutions are on standby until further notice.”
The military music was still in the background with recordings of tanks and heavily armed forces marching in cities like Valencia, Sevilla, Barcelona and part of Madrid. Then it was back to the static picture and music. A few hours later, the King appeared on TV. It was a taped message ordering all military Corps around Spain to stop and desist. We barely slept that night.
At dawn, rumors (later proved false) on the radio spoke about Corps stepping back obeying orders from the “Head in Command” pointing to King Juan Carlos I. In the early morning, the military corps abandoned the TV studios, and on live broadcast from outside the Chamber, some of the officers could be seen abandoning the Congress through windows, leaving their guns on the ground. Some remained inside, loyal to Antonio Tejero, the head Officer, still inside the Chamber. Some hours later, heavy weights from the Corps appeared and eventually everybody was released without injuries.
We needed a president immediately, so three days later Mr. Calvo Sotelo was proclaimed. However, his term barely lasted 22 months.
Spain’s second president , Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo
Image | Puertomenesteo, Wikimedia Commons
Big demonstrations happened all over the country, especially in Madrid, Catalonia and the Basque country. Madrid, because it was the capital and the largest city, Catalonia, mainly Barcelona because of the textile industries, car manufacturing and large cargo harbor. The Basque Country because of its strong unions, the mining and fishing industries. However, the Basque Country also showed anger after decades of Franco’s repression in a different way. A tiny portion of the society partly agreed with the actions of a Basque terrorist group called ETA and their attacks across the country.
Felipe González, Spain’s third president
Image | Diario Región (Oviedo)Agencia EFEEuropa Press, Wikimedia Commons
In December 1982, Mr. Felipe Gonzalez (Socialist Party, aka PSOE) was elected president and remained in power for four terms. (of four years each). Meanwhile ETA was targeting and assassinating military forces both in and outside the Basque Region, with collateral effects on the civil population.
I moved to Madrid in the early ‘90s. A while after my arrival there, driving to work one morning, waiting on a light to go green, it felt like someone was shaking my car. A split second, later I saw a human body literally flying in front of me. The shaking was the shockwave of a bomb 20 yards ahead of me. My front window cracked.
A coach bus with 30 young policemen driving to the academy was blown up by a car bomb activated by remote control. Seven academy police were killed and several severely injured together with civilian citizens that happened to be there at the wrong day and time. ETA claimed responsibility. For weeks I wondered: what if that I had been a been there a few seconds earlier…
The Conservative party adopted a new attitude, changing their name to Partido Popular (Popular Party, aka PP), becoming progressive while in the opposition. Meanwhile, the Socialist Party was immersed in many cases of corruption. When new elections were called early by the President in 1996, the PP won and Mr. José María Aznar became president for 2 terms.
Second Threat to Our Young Democracy.
In March of 2003, The presidents of the USA, the UK, Portugal and Spain met for a one-day “emergency” summit in the Azores Islands to join forces against Iraq, with the approval of the President of the EU. Spain’s Constitution says that such an act needs to be approved by the parliament. That did not happen. Demonstrations against the war happened all over the country, but the decision was taken anyway.
Mr Aznar was mocked even by members of his own party, while the media compared him with Franco, making a desperate move to get on to the international map.
2003 Summit in the Azores: Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, US President George W. Bush, and Spanish President José María Aznar.
Image | Staff Sgt. Michelle Michaud, Defense Imagery
One year later, With Spain fully involved in the war in Iraq, new elections were scheduled for March 14. Three days prior, four commuter trains were blown up while entering Madrid’s largest train hub, Atocha. 192 people were killed and more than 5000 severely injured in an ISIS attack. Since the President of PP had involved us in a war, ISIS had targeted us. However, up until a few hours before election day, he was blaming ETA for the attack.The reason for this was that if he admitted it was ISIS, he might lose the elections.
A VHS tape was found in a trash can near the Big Mosque in Madrid. The president tried to stop it from being broadcast, but he was thwarted by independent media. In he video, ISIS claims the attack was for revenge against Spain for being part of the International coalition against Iraq.
With the country in mourning and feeling betrayed, the population voted for the opposition candidate for President, Mr. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (PSOE). For this election, the participation was the second highest since Franco’s death (75.6%). The political spectrum changed completely.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the fifth Spanish president
Image | Montserrat Boix
Here’s an interesting side note: technically, one is registered as a citizen when you are born. At age 14, it is compulsory to obtain a state-issued identification card with your photo, a chip with your data, and right thumb print. When you are 18, the system adds you to “age of majority” status, acquiring all rights as a citizen, including the right to vote. When it is time to vote, your only requirement is to verify your voting location, depending on where you live.
Mr. Zapatero remained president for two consecutive terms and then the Conservatives came back in 2012, with Mr. Mariano Rajoy (PP) President. One year before the end of his second term, with corruption among MPs and scandals in the media, elections were called again. After two failed elections with no agreements in the Chamber, finally in November 2019, Mr. Pedro Sánchez (PSOE) was elected President by simple majority.
Current Spanish President, Pedro Sánchez
Image| Ministry of the Presidency, Government of Spain, Wikimedia
This election was an historical moment for Spain. It was the first time since 1975 that a Government has been formed by a coalition of different parties. This was the result of a dialogue (to take part in a conversation to resolve matters) between the people (Demos) and those who govern(Kratia).
It remains to be seen which direction Spanish democracy (government freely elected by the people) will go, but I optimistically hope for the best.
