History of Spain series
Prehistoric Spain
Roman Spain
Medieval Spain
- Visigoths
- Al-Andalus
- Age of Reconquest
Age of Expansion
Age of Enlightenment
Reaction and Revolution
First Spanish Republic
The Restoration
Second Spanish Republic
Spanish Civil War
The Dictatorship
Transition to Democracy
Modern Spain
Topics
Economic History
Military History
Social History

Modern Spain begins after the death of Franco on 20 November 1975, and the taking over of Juan Carlos as King. This was the beginning of the constitutional monarchy that is now established in Spain. During this period, the Spanish Constitution of 1978 was written, several elections have taken place, and Spain's map of autonomous communities was configured. It is traditional (at least, since the 19th century) to start the history of modern Spain with the Visigoth kingdom. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Alhambra-petit. ... Prehistoric Spain is a time period covering human development from the first hominids in Spain to the beginning of recorded history. ... Roman theater at Mérida; the statues are replicas Hispania was the name given by the Romans to the whole of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal, Spain, Andorra and Gibraltar) and to two provinces created there in the period of the Roman Republic: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. ... After the disorders of the passage of the Vandals and Alans down the Mediterranean coast of Hispania from 409, the history of Medieval Spain begins with the Iberian kingdom of the Arian Visigoths (507 – 711), who were converted to Catholicism with their king Reccared in 587. ... The Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, the Ostrogoths being the other. ... Al-Andalus is the Arabic name given the Iberian Peninsula by its Muslim conquerors; it refers to both the Caliphate proper and the general period of Muslim rule (711–1492). ... The Reconquista (Reconquest) refers to the liberating of the Christian Iberian Peninsula from rule by Muslim invaders, taking place between 718 and 1492. ...     During the reign of Emperor Charles V (Carlos I of Spain), who ascended the thrones of the kingdoms of Spain after the death of his grandfather Ferdinand, Habsburg Spain controlled territory ranging from Argentina to the Netherlands, and was, for a time, Europes greatest power. ... History of Spain Series Prehistoric Spain Roman Spain Medieval Spain Age of Reconquest Age of Expansion Age of Enlightenment Reaction and Revolution First Spanish Republic The Restoration Second Spanish Republic Spanish Civil War The Dictatorship Modern Spain Topics Economic History Military History Social History The Age of Enlightenment came to... History of Spain series Prehistoric Spain Roman Spain Medieval Spain - Visigoths - Al-Andalus - Age of Reconquest Age of Expansion Age of Enlightenment Reaction and Revolution First Spanish Republic The Restoration Second Spanish Republic Spanish Civil War The Dictatorship Modern Spain Topics Economic History Military History Social History Spain in the... Flag of the Spanish First Republic The First Spanish Republic lasted only two years, between 1873 and 1874. ... The Restoration was the name given to the period that began in 29 December 1874 after the First Spanish Republic ended with the restoration of the throne to Alfonso XII after a coup detat by Arsenio Martínez Campos, and ended on the 14 April 1931 with the proclamation... History of Spain series Prehistoric Spain Roman Spain Medieval Spain -Visigoths -Al-Andalus -Age of Reconquest Age of Expansion Age of Enlightenment Reaction and Revolution First Spanish Republic The Restoration Second Spanish Republic Spanish Civil War The Dictatorship Modern Spain Topics Economic History Military History Social History Flag of the... The Spanish Civil War (July 18, 1936–April 1, 1939) was a conflict in which the incumbent Second Spanish Republic and political left-wing groups fought against a right-wing nationalist insurrection led by General Francisco Franco, who eventually succeeded in ousting the Republican government and establishing a personal dictatorship. ... The Spanish Civil War officially ended on 1 April 1939, the day Francisco Franco announced the end of hostilities. ... The Spanish transition to democracy or new Bourbon restoration was the era when Spain moved from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. ... The Economic history of Spain covers the development of the Spanish economy over the course of its history. ... History of Spain series Prehistoric Spain Roman Spain Medieval Spain - Visigoths - Al-Andalus - Age of Reconquest Age of Expansion Age of Enlightenment Reaction and Revolution First Spanish Republic The Restoration Second Spanish Republic Spanish Civil War The Dictatorship Modern Spain Topics Economic History Military History Social History The military history... Francisco Franco Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde (pron. ... November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... King Juan Carlos I His Majesty King Juan Carlos I (Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón), styled HM The King (born January 5, 1938), is the reigning King of Spain. ... Constitutional monarchies with representative parliamentary systems are shown in red A constitutional monarchy is a form of monarchical government established under a constitutional system which acknowledges an elected or hereditary monarch as head of state. ... The Spanish Constitution of 1978 is the culmination of the Spanish transition to democracy. ...

Road to Elections (1975-1977)

After Franco's death, three alternatives for the future of Spain were possible:

• Continuing the system: this was supported by the bunker, that was, the main political leaders of the regime, high-ranking military officers, and numerous oligarchs and falangists.
• Breaking and disappearance of the system: this was supported by some sectors of the opposition which created the Junta Democrática. However, another sector supported a pact with the regime leaders for the breaking because they feared the military. These integrated the Plataforma de Convergencia Demócratica.
• Reformation of the system: a minority of people led by the King wanted the reformation of the system to a constitutional monarchy.

The King had opened possibilities for these reforms in his coronation speech. For the reformation to be possible, high-ranking personalities which supported continuity were to be displaced from power.

The first action the King took was to name Torcuato Fernández Miranda, his old teacher, the president of the Cortes and of the Consejo del Reino. This helped him control the Cortes and provided him with crucial assistance to make the transition in a legal way. Torcuato Miranda was hated by the falangists and was a staunch supporter of the reform. The new government included "reformists" like Manuel Fraga, who was the visible head of the government. However, he argued with the opposition (even imprisoning the leaders of the Platijunta, the current coalition of the Junta Demócratica and the Plataforma de Convergencia Democrática) which he wanted to keep out of the way. He wanted slow evolution into democracy, unlike the King. The King kept trying to convince Arias of the need to accelerate reforms, but he did quite the opposite of what the King requested. So the next step became getting rid of Carlos Arias Navarro, as he had become excessively pressurised by the bunker. This article needs cleanup. ... Carlos Arias Navarro (Madrid 11 December 1908 - 27 November 1989) was one of the best known Spanish politicians during the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco. ... Carlos Arias Navarro (Madrid 11 December 1908 - 27 November 1989) was one of the best known Spanish politicians during the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco. ...

The King could not dismiss him according to francoist laws. In an interview with Newsweek on 26 April 1976, the King expressed his discontent with Arias, and soon after, in June 1976 Arias signed his resignation. In his place, Adolfo Suárez was named President of the Government on 3 July 1976. Coming from franquist backgrounds, he was not well received by the opposition, by the bunker or by the reformist, so his government was formed with minor personalities after Fraga declined to take part in it. Suárez supported the King's reform plans. April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... Adolfo Suárez González, Duke of Suárez (born September 25, 1932) was Spains first democratically elected prime minister after the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco. ... July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ...

During this time, a small amnesty was proclaimed to political prisoners. The next step was reforming the Cortes and establishing the legal system for elections. Suárez's new government wrote the Political Reform Act, which called for the Cortes to become bicameral, consisting of a 350-member Congress and a 201-member Senate. This was approved by the Cortes, signing their own demise, and later put on referendum, and approved by a huge majority (94% in favour).

This Law forced the government to call general elections, but it had to legalize political parties first. They were legalized soon after; the sole limitation was that their political program had to be completely legal. On 23 March 1977, the laws which regulated elections were published in the BOE. A wide amnesty was also proclaimed on 17 March. March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in Leap years). ...

This was a time of violence in the streets. The most significant event was the Atocha Massacre, where seven lawyers belonging to Comisones Obreras (the syndicate of the Communist Party) were killed by extreme right-wingers. There was also left-wing violence by groups like ETA or new groups like GRAPO, a maoist group, or MPAIAC, canarian independence group. The Communist Party of Spain was legalized on Holy Saturday (9 April) to prevent any military movement which could oppose it. This caused the resignation of the Minister of Navy and the general repining of the army. This was after Santiago Carrillo renounced republicanism and the three-colour flag. During this time, the King's father, Don Juan de Borbón, renounced his rights to the throne in favour of Juan Carlos in la Zarzuela on 14 May. After this, Rodriguéz Torcuato Miranda resigned due to political differences with Adolfo Suárez. Torcuato Miranda wanted to create a similar system to the one in the USA, with a centre-left and a centre-right party alternating in the power. Atocha Station (Estación de Atocha) is the largest railway station in Madrid, Spain. ... For other uses, see ETA (disambiguation). ... GRAPO is the acronym of the military wing of one of the Spanish communist parties, the PCE (r), different from the Partido Comunista de España. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... PCE symbol The Communist Party of Spain (Partido Comunista de España or PCE) is the third largest political party of Spain. ... April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ... Santiago Carrillo Solares (born January 18, 1915), Spanish politician, was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) from 1960 to 1982. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... Adolfo Suárez González, Duke of Suárez (born September 25, 1932) was Spains first democratically elected prime minister after the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco. ...

Elections took place on 15 July 1977 which gave the following results for the Congress of Deputies: July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... The Spanish Congress of Deputies (Spanish: Congreso de los Diputados) is the lower house of the Cortes Generales, Spains legislative branch. ...

• UCD (Unión de Centro Democrático), Centre-right formation led by Suárez obtained 166 seats.
• PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español), Centre-left formation, a descendant of the Second Republic's PSOE, obtained 118 seats.
• PCE (Partido Comunista de España), Left wing formation obtained 20 seats.
• AP (Alianza Popular), Right wing formation, formed by ex-franquists and led by Fraga, obtained 16 seats.
• PDC (Pacte Démocratic per Catalunya), centre-right Catalonian formation obtained 11 seats.
• PNV (Partido Nacionalista Vasco), centre-right Basque formation obtained 8 seats.
• Other parties, including left-wing Basque and Catalonian independentists, democristians, and extreme left-wing parties obtained 11 seats.

Main article: Spanish general election, 1977 Adolfo Suarez decorating a political poster 15th of June, 1977 The Democratic Center Union (Spanish: Unión de Centro Democrático, UCD) was a coalition, and later political party, in Spain, existing from 1977 to 1983, and initially led by Adolfo Suárez. ... José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in a meeting in San Sebastián The Spanish Socialist Workers Party, commonly abbreviated by its Spanish initials, PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español), is a major party in Spain and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in 1833. ... PCE symbol The Communist Party of Spain (Partido Comunista de España or PCE) is the third largest political party of Spain. ... The Peoples Alliance is the English name of several parties Spain The Peoples Alliance (in Spanish Alianza Popular) was a political party in Spain. ... The Basque Nationalist Party is a political party in the Basque region of Spain. ... Won by a Mr Martin J Hollerwatch of 34 Clackton Road, Cumberbatch-On-Sea (El Partido Malvado - The Evil Party) through a sliding majority poll of fifty to something. ...

The Spanish Constitution (1978)

Main article: Spanish Constitution of 1978 The Spanish Constitution of 1978 is the culmination of the Spanish transition to democracy. ...

After the elections, it was necessary to write up a Constitution for the new Spain. The pre-constitutional project was written up by a commission consisting of deputies of all main political groups except PNV. After several months of discussion, a consensus was reached between several parties, and the Constitution was sent to the Cortes for approval. After this, it was put on a referendum on 8 December 1978 and was approved by 58% of the total census, with an 8% negative vote and 33% abstention. It was signed by the King on 12 December, and took effect from 1 January 1979. The Basque Nationalist Party is a political party in the Basque region of Spain. ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... King Juan Carlos I His Majesty King Juan Carlos I (Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón), styled HM The King (born January 5, 1938), is the reigning King of Spain. ... December 12 is the 346th day (347th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 19 days remaining. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ...

The constitution granted the right for historical communities to form autonomous regions in Spain. The first regions to do this were the Basque Country and Catalonia, and soon after other regions joined, making up the modern map of Spain. This was widely criticised by the army and by right wing groups which thought the unity of Spain was compromised, and it is still a source of argument today. The Basque Country (Euskal Herria in Basque) straddles the western Pyrenees mountains that define the border between France and Spain, extending down to the coast of the Bay of Biscay. ... Capital Barcelona Official languages Catalan and Spanish In Val dAran, also Aranese. ...

The dissolution of UCD and the 23-F (1979-1982)

On November 1978, information services had been alerted to a possible coup d'etat whose objective was to form a "National Salvation" government and arrest Suárez. This was called Operación Galaxia. On March 1979 new elections were called with the following results for the Congress of Deputies: 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Operacion Galaxia was the codename given to the plan previous to the 23-F coup detat in Spain. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... The Spanish Congress of Deputies (Spanish: Congreso de los Diputados) is the lower house of the Cortes Generales, Spains legislative branch. ...

• UCD: 168 seats
• PSOE: 121 seats
• PCE: 23 seats
• CD: 9 seats
• CiU: 8 seats
• PNV: 7 seats
• Others: 14 seats

Main article: Spanish general election, 1979 Convergence and Unity (Convergència i Unió, CiU) is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. ... Results for the 1979 Spanish general election Reference El País official webpage (spanish) Congreso de españa official webpage (spanish) ...

CD was the new name for Fraga's Alianza Popular, and CiU was a coalition of conservative Catalonian parties. UCD was a conglomerate party with many factions, as it was built from the existing government by Adolfo Suárez. This conglomerate started showing divisions with the arguments about laws on divorce and especially in the autonomous statutes. The pressure from opposing factions and from the opposition wore down Adolfo Suárez until he resigned from the party and also resigned from his position as President of the Government. Suárez publicly announced his resignation in TVE, on 25 June 1981. This was a surprise for most people, as it was a completely unexpected move from Suárez. This article needs cleanup. ... Capital Barcelona Official languages Catalan and Spanish In Val dAran, also Aranese. ... Adolfo Suárez González, Duke of Suárez (born September 25, 1932) was Spains first democratically elected prime minister after the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco. ... Adolfo Suárez González, Duke of Suárez (born September 25, 1932) was Spains first democratically elected prime minister after the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco. ... June 25 is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 189 days remaining. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The next UCD congress in February took place amongst great tension. Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo was voted candidate for the Presidency of the Government for UCD and was to be invested President on 23 February. Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo y Bustelo (born in 1926, Madrid) was a Spanish political figure and Prime Minister of the Spanish government during Spains period of transition after the end of Francisco Francos regime. ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Main article: 23-F Antonio Tejero with a gun in his hand, breaking into the Congress of Deputies February 23, 1981, attempting a coup. ...

On the day of his investment, Antonio Tejero broke into the Congress and held all deputies at gunpoint. The army's discontent was caused because of the autonomous statutes which they thought compromised Spain's unity. However, this coup d'etat failed because the King called for the military powers to obey legal civilian authority. The next morning, Tejero surrendered, and the democracy was saved. Antonio Tejero with a gun in his hand, breaking into the Congress of Deputies February 23, 1981, attempting a coup. ...

On June 1981, entry to NATO was approved in Congress with the open opposition of left-wing groups. The Socialist Party PSOE, the main opposition party, promised a referendum on NATO if it (PSOE) got into government. New elections were called in which the UCD suffered a heavy loss, giving PSOE a huge majority in both the Senate and the Congress of Deputies. PSOE during this time also abandoned Marxist ideology in favour of more moderate tendencies. The massive gain of CP, led by Manuel Fraga, was caused by the disappearance of UCD from the political spectrum. 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ... The Spanish Socialist Workers Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español or PSOE) is one of the main parties of Spain. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

Results for Congress of Deputies: The Spanish Congress of Deputies (Spanish: Congreso de los Diputados) is the lower house of the Cortes Generales, Spains legislative branch. ...

• PSOE: 202 seats
• CP: 106 seats
• CiU: 12 seats
• UCD: 12 seats
• PNV: 8 seats
• PCE: 4 seats
• Others: 6 seats

Main article: Spanish general election, 1982 PSOE and PSC presented two different candidatures: PSOE in Spain and PSC (Catalan Social Party) only in Catalunya. ...

The PSOE was the first party to rule over Spain with a majority in the history of Spain's democracy. The transition to democracy was said to be completed here because a centre-left party took over the government from a centre-right party with no consequences.

Spain under Felipe González (1982-1996)

Felipe González became Prime Minister (Presidente del Gobierno in Spanish) after PSOE's victory in the elections. PSOE at that time, though it had renounced to its Marxist ideology, still had a populist current, led by Alfonso Guerra, as opposed to a neo-liberal one, led by Miguel Boyer. This would cause divisions in the party which would not show up until years later. Felipe González Márquez (born March 5, 1942) was a Spanish socialist politician. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Alfonso Guerra González (born May 31, 1940 in Sevilla) is a Spanish politician. ...

In González's first term, several measures were adopted, but with moderation – something that contrasted with their program, which was much more radical. The main bills passed in this period were legalized abortion, increased personal freedoms, and a reorganization of the education in Spain. In addition, however, this period marked the appearance of the GAL, counter-terrorist forces led by the government which assassinated various terrorists, and the expropriation of RUMASA, a trust operated by a shady member of Opus Dei. Also during this period, Spain joined the EEC, and a referendum (as promised by PSOE) was called on Spain remaining in NATO on 12 March 1986. This time, however, the socialists campaigned in favour of NATO, the parties to the left of PSOE campaigned against NATO, and the right, led by Fraga, campaigned for abstention. In the referendum, the Spanish population opted to remain in NATO with a 52.2% vote in favour, but with considerable abstention. Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación (Antiterrorist Liberation Groups) were death squads illegally set up by officials within the Spanish government to fight ETA. It was financed and protected by the Spanish Interior Ministry. ... Saint Josemaría Escrivá, Founder of Opus Dei: Work is the way to contribute to the progress of society; even more, it is a way to holiness. ... Possible meanings: Energy Efficiency Centre Energy Efficiency in Construction Engineering Education Centre Eurocontrol Experimental Centre European Economic Community, former name of the now-called European Community European Egg Consortium Extended Error Correction, see RAM parity This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page — a navigational... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in Leap years). ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

Elections were called on 28 June 1986 for both chambers. (Some entries on this page have been duplicated on August 1. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Main article: Spanish general election, 1986 References El País official webpage (spanish) http://www. ...

• PSOE: 184 seats
• CP: 105 seats
• CDS: 19 seats
• CiU: 18 seats
• IU: 7 seats
• PNV: 6 seats
• HB: 5 seats
• Others: 6 seats

PSOE maintained its majority in both chambers, but it lost some seats, and CDS, the new centre party led by Adolfo Suárez, became the third party. Izquierda Unida (IU) is a conglomerate of left-wing parties led by the PCE. Lastly, Herri Batasuna (HB) is a Basque separatist political party, recently banned for its ties to ETA. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in a meeting in San Sebastián The Spanish Socialist Workers Party, commonly abbreviated by its Spanish initials, PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español), is a major party in Spain and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in 1833. ... Adolfo Suárez González, Duke of Suárez (born September 25, 1932) was Spains first democratically elected prime minister after the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco. ... United Left (Izquierda Unida) is an electoral coalition that was organized in 1986 during the mobilizations in Spain against NATO. It was formed by several groups of leftists, greens, left-wing socialists and republicans, but was always dominated by the Communist Party of Spain (PCE). ... Batasuna (Unity) is a Basque political party based mainly in Spain but with a French presence, which is presumed to be associated with the Basque separatist armed group ETA. Their relation is similar to that of Northern Irelands Sinn Féin and the IRA. History and outline The party was... The Basque Country (Euskal Herria in Basque) straddles the western Pyrenees mountains that define the border between France and Spain, extending down to the coast of the Bay of Biscay. ... For other uses, see ETA (disambiguation). ...

PSOE's majority meant it could pass laws without the need for consensus between all the political parties. So, there was great stability, but there was no real parliament debate. There was practically no political opposition, but a social opposition started growing in the end of the 80s, consisting of two fronts: the student front, and the syndicalist front. This last front exerted a great amount of pressure, even calling for a general strike on 14 December 1988, due to the liberalizing of the economic policies. On this day, eight million Spaniards did not go to work, which accounted for 90% of the total work force in Spain. Faced with these problems, PSOE had to call for elections one year earlier, on 29 October 1989. December 14 is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 29 is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 63 days remaining. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Main article: Spanish general election, 1989 External links Official results Categories: Elections in Spain ...

• PSOE: 175 seats
• PP: 107 seats
• CiU: 18 seats
• IU: 17 seats
• CDS: 14 seats
• PNV: 5 seats
• HB: 4 seats
• Others: 10 seats

PSOE stood just on the border of the majority now (175 seats of 350), but it was able to pass laws because of the absence of HB's deputies. PP was the new name for CP, and it became consolidated as the second largest party. From 1991, PSOE started losing its urban vote in favour of PP, adding this to various scandals: the FILESA case, an organization built to illegaly raise funds for PSOE, influence peddling and prevarication cases, internal divisions between the populist and the liberal currents started showing up. Under these conditions, elections were called on 6 June 1993 with the following results: José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in a meeting in San Sebastián The Spanish Socialist Workers Party, commonly abbreviated by its Spanish initials, PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español), is a major party in Spain and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in 1833. ... From the left: Mariano Rajoy, Josep Piqué and José María Aznar during the proclamation act of Josep Piqué in September 2003 The Peoples Party (Spanish: Partido Popular) is a large right-wing political party in Spain. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

Main article: Spanish general election, 1993 External links Official results Categories: | ...

• PSOE: 159 seats
• PP: 141 seats
• IU: 18 seats
• CiU: 17 seats
• PNV: 5 seats
• CC: 4 seats
• Others: 6 seats

PSOE only managed to achieve a relative majority. It had to draw a deal with CiU, a Catalan centre-right party. This caused frequent tensions and accusations from the opposition that PSOE was giving more money to Catalonia in exchange for CiU's support. Coalicion Canaria (CC) was formed by a conglomerate of liberal Canarian regionalist parties. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in a meeting in San Sebastián The Spanish Socialist Workers Party, commonly abbreviated by its Spanish initials, PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español), is a major party in Spain and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in 1833. ... Capital Barcelona Official languages Catalan and Spanish In Val dAran, also Aranese. ... Capital Barcelona Official languages Catalan and Spanish In Val dAran, also Aranese. ... This article is part of or related to the Liberalism series Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Liberal parties | Spanish political parties ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

This legislature was a failure due to the continuous attacks from the opposition and new corruption scandals – the most famous one was the Guardia Civil's director, Luis Roldán. Facing this, PSOE had to call for early elections on 3 March 1996. Patrol boat, Nervion river, Bilbao. ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

Main article: Spanish general election, 1996 External links Official results Categories: Elections in Spain ...

• PP: 156 seats
• PSOE: 141 seats
• IU: 21 seats
• CiU: 16 seats
• PNV: 5 seats
• Others: 7 seats

PP won these elections and was able to enter the government after acquiring support from the various Catalan, Canarian and Basque groups. From the left: Mariano Rajoy, Josep Piqué and José María Aznar during the proclamation act of Josep Piqué in September 2003 The Peoples Party (Spanish: Partido Popular) is a large right-wing political party in Spain. ... Capital Barcelona Official languages Catalan and Spanish In Val dAran, also Aranese. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Basque Country (Euskal Herria in Basque) straddles the western Pyrenees mountains that define the border between France and Spain, extending down to the coast of the Bay of Biscay. ...

Spain under Jose María Aznar (1996-2004)

José María Aznar became president of Spain thanks to the support from CiU, PNV and CC. During this first term, his main objective was an economic policy to allow convergence with the euro, and several public enterprises were privatized. (help· info) (born in Madrid, Spain on February 25, 1953) was the Prime Minister of Spain (officially, president of the Spanish government) from 1996 to 2004. ... The euro (plural euro, symbol: €; banking code: EUR) is the official currency of the European Union and single currency for over 300 million Europeans in the following twelve European Union member states: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain; collectively also known as...

Elections were held in Spain on March 12, 2000, and the PP obtained a majority of seats: March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in Leap years). ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

• PP: 183 seats
• PSOE: 125 seats
• CiU: 15 seats
• IU: 8 seats
• PNV: 7 seats

Main article: Spanish legislative election, 2000

In his second term, whithout needing the support from the autonomic parties, Aznar was able to apply his party's program more freely but not without controversy. Legislative elections were held in Spain on March 12, 2000. ...

Again, the government's focus was on economy, and some of its reforms were strongly criticized by the sindicates. The economic policy caused an augment on the price of butane, gasoline and tobacco, which provocated an augment in the price of other goods that increased with the arrival of euro. R-phrases S-phrases , , Flash point −60 °C Autoignition temperature 287 °C Explosive limits 1. ... Gasoline (or petrol) is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting primarily of hydrocarbons, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ... Species N. glauca N. longiflora N. rustica N. sylvestris N. tabacum Ref: ITIS 30562 as of August 26, 2005 Tobacco (, L.) refers to a genus of broad-leafed plants of the nightshade family indigenous to North and South America, or to the dried and cured leaves of such plants. ...

The most conflictive aspects of this second term were:

• The 2002 general strike (due to the work policies)
• The reform of the universitary studies by decree
• The application of the National Hidrologic Plan (which included several transfers) without any previous negotiation.
• The ill-managed accident of the oil carrier Prestige, which caused a big oil spill in the Galician coast.
• The support to the US-lead Iraq war against the popular opinion, even sending soldiers there.

Aznar is also been said to have had a more tense relationship with the King, unlike his predecessor, whose friendship with the King still lasts today. Prestige oil slick along the Spanish coast Volunteers cleaning the coastline in Galicia in the aftermath of the Prestige catastrophe, March, 2003 The Prestige was an oil tanker whose sinking in 2002 off the Galician coast caused a large oil spill. ... Galicia (Spain) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Motto: E pluribus unum (1789 to 1956) (Latin: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government • President • Vice President Federal republic George... Combatants Republic of Iraq (Saddam Hussein regime), Baath Loyalists, Iraqi insurgency United States, United Kingdom, Coalition of the Willing, New Iraqi Army For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation) The Iraq War (2003-present) is an ongoing conflict in Iraq, which began with the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and...

One of the most peculiar events of this second therm, was when Spain and Morocco had some disagreements about Perejil Island, an island with an area less than a square kilometer near the coast of Morocco. Spain brought her forces to the island, and Morocco thought it to be a declaration of war. Then the United Nations came to help in this strange case.

Even if the Spanish laws don't limit the terms in office of a President, Aznar voluntarily decided to not run for a third term. Interior Minister Mariano Rajoy was elected by his party as new leader. While initial polls gave him good chances of winning, the Madrid train bombings on March 11, 2004, just three days before elections took place, changed the tide of the vote. Mariano Rajoy Brey Mariano Rajoy Brey (born March 27, 1955), Spanish politician, is the leader of the opposition and of the conservative Peoples Party, (PP). ... The scene of one of the Madrid bombings. ... 11 March is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (71st in Leap year). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Internally, the attacks were seen as the result of Spain suport to the US in the Iraq war. The government tried to impute them to ETA and denied any Islamic tie, but the Basque terrorist band denied any responsiblity.

For more information, see Aftermath of the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings#The Spanish general election

The election was held on March 14, 2004 and PSOE, led by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, won a plurality of seats in Congress of Deputies, and was able to form a government with the support of minor parties. 12 March: An estimated 1. ... March 14 is the 73rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (74th in Leap years) with 292 days remaining in the year. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... (help· info) (born August 4, 1960 in Valladolid) is the President of the Government of Spain. ...

• PSOE: 164 seats
• PP: 148 seats
• CiU: 10 seats
• ERC: 8 seats
• PNV: 7 seats
• IU: 5 seats
• CC: 3 seats
• BNG: 2 seats

Main article: Spanish legislative election, 2004

Logo of the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) party. ... Map of Spains electoral circumscriptions, and the parties leading in each circumscription in the election for the Congress of Deputies Legislative elections were held in Spain on March 14, 2004. ...

Spain under Jose Luís Rodríguez Zapatero (2004- )

Since he doesn't have a majority, Jose Luís Rodríguez Zapatero became president with the support of IU, ERC and CC. This is not a coalition, however, and any law must be individually negotiated. IU may mean: Imaging unit Indiana University Integer unit Interface unit International unit Inuktitut language (ISO 639 alpha-2) Istanbul University Izquierda Unida (United Left in Spanish): Izquierda Unida (Argentina) Izquierda Unida (Peru) Izquierda Unida (Spain) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might... ERC Today ERC is Northeast Ohios largest organization providing Human Resources and workplace programs, practices, training and consulting. ... Look up CC, cc in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

As promised during the electoral campaign, Zapatero recalled all Spanish soldiers from Iraq. His government has also approved a same-sex marriage law, which has the support of most of the people but also the vocal disagreement of the Roman Catholic Church and some conservative sectors like former government party PP. In 2004, the new Socialist government of Spain began a process to legalise same-sex marriage in Spain. ... Catholic Church redirects here. ...

Unlike his predecesor, in the international arena Zapatero favors the United Nations and France and Germany within the European Union. His relations with the United States are currently between strained and uncomfortable. United Nations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

For more information on Zapatero's policies as President, see the José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero article.

(help· info) (born August 4, 1960 in Valladolid) is the President of the Government of Spain. ...

See also

• Spanish transition to democracy
• Spanish society after the democratic transition