SPAIN

• Enormous political, economic, institutional change since Franco's death in 1975
• First 30ys was great success story
• "In under 30ys... has emerged from dictatorship and international isolation... built a successful economy and established an effective democracy"
• Since then, has been a political, economic, insitutional and territorial crisis
• Challenges facing the party system (decline of traditional two-party dominance and rise of new players)
• Challenges facing decentralisation model (nationalist demands from Basque/ Catalan
• Challenges of decentralisation and political renewal

First 30ys after Franco

• Transition based on political culture of consensus and compromise
• Role of King Juan Carlos and PM Adolfo Suarez
• Consitution 1978

• Compromise on decentralisation
• 17 regions / 'autonomous communities' (3 historic: Basque, Catalonia, Galacia)

• European and international role
• Joined NATO 1982
• Joined EEC/ EU 1986
• EU structural/ cohesion funds benefitted Spain
• Pro-european identity

• Economic turnaround (mid 1990s)
• High average GDP growth
• Entry to Euro in 1999 (low interest rates fuelled construction boom)

Socialist Governments (2004-2011 - PM Zapatero):

• Undoing promises of the past
• Clash between Left and Right over Law on Historical Memory
• Civil War mass graves exhumed
• Francoist street names/ monuments removed

Growing demands from Basques and Catalans:

• Nationalist parties seek soverignty for their regions/ nations (Spain = sole holder under constitution)
• 2005 = failed 'Ibarretxe Plan' in Basque Country
• Since 2010 - growing pro-independence movement in Catalonia

Spain hit hard by financial crisis (2007/8):

• Construction bubble burst
• 26% unemployment
• Harsh austerity measures to meet Eu defecit targets
• Regional savings banks collapsed
• Corruption amongst politicians came to light

Spain hit hard by financial crisis (2007/8):

• Construction bubble burst
• 26% unemployment
• Harsh austerity measures to meet Eu defecit targets
• Regional savings banks collapsed (savings banks and constructions firms closely linked)
• Corruption amongst politicians came to light

Spain hit hard by financial crisis (2007/8):

• Construction bubble burst
• 26% unemployment
• Harsh austerity measures to meet Eu defecit targets
• Regional savings banks collapsed (savings banks and constructions firms closely linked)
• Corruption amongst politicians came to light

Citizen protest movements (against political class/ handling of financial crisis):

• May 2011: Left wing movement 'indignados' (the outraged)
• Emergence of new parties (left wing 'Podemos'/ 'We can' 2014)
• Decline of traditional two-party dominance (Socialist Party and Conservative Popular Party)

History (origins of modern Spain):

• Marriage of Isabella (Castile) and Ferdinand (Aragon) - beginning a cooperative reign that would unite all the dominions of Spain 
• Lots of territories annexed by Castile but no strong nation-building
• 1833: Spain divided into 49 provinces/ regions under Castile control
• Regional identities remained strong

Late 19th C / early 20th C political developments

• Industrialisation and social change
• Regions richest but Spain in decline
• Sabino Arana - father of Basque nationalism
• Catalan 'Renaissance'
• Regionalist political parties emerge
• Attempts at regional autonomy (early 20th C)
• Regional statutes 1930s
• Ended when Franco won Civil War/ became dictator 1939-75

Creation of the 'state of autonomies':

• 50 provinces grouped in 17 'autonomous communities'/ regions
• Basque, Catalonia, Galcia recognised as 'historical nationalities' NOT nations
• Facilitated asymmetrican (uneven) devolution across the state

Catalonia

• Seven 'founding fathers' of Constitution included representative of main Catalan nationalist party (CDC)
• CDC wanted Catalonia to play leading role in Spain
• Catalan regional autonomy statue approved in referrundum in region in 1979
• Fiscal competences: Catalonia formed part of common regional financing system (1980 - LOFCA - 15/17 regions)

Basque

• 'Founding fathers' did not include representative of main Basque nationalist party (PNV)
• PNV abstained when Consitution was voted on in Parliament (many Basques boycotted referendum)
• PNV did support Basque auntonomy statute 1979
• Consitution and regional statute allowed Basque's extensive fiscal autonomy under Basque Economic Agreement with Spain

1982 Organic Law on the Harmonisation of the Autonomy Process (LOAPA):

• Clear step towards 'cafe para todos' / 'coffee for all'
• Desgined to slow process of transferring powers and competences to regions
• Rejected by Basque and Catalan nationalists (+ other regional governments

1980s/ 90s

• Marked period of consolidation of 'state autonomies' as competences gradually transferred to regions

Parliament: 350 seats (176 needed for absolute majority)

Times of minority government = 'mutual backscratching' (Field 2014) between Spanish parties and nationalist parties in regions

• 1982-93 - Absolute majority PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers Party) governments under Gonzalez
• 1993-96 - Minority PSOE government
• 1996-2000 - Minority PP (Peoples Party) government under Aznar
• 2000-04 - Absolute majority PP government
• 2004-11 - Minority PSOE government under Zapatero
• 2011-15 - Absolute majority PP government under Rajov
• 2016 - Minority PP government

1980s and 1990s

Catalan:

• CDC (lead party of CiU federation)
• Pujol - Catalan regional president 1980-2003
• Worked with Spanish governments to build Catalan autonomy and create leading role for Catalonia in Spain
• From 1995: CiU lost its absolute majority in Catalan parliament and relied on PP for support

Basque:

• PNV (Basque Nationalist Party)
• Ardanza - Basque regional president 1985-1998
• Worked with Spanish governments to build Basque autonomy but not interested in creating role for Basque Country in Spain
• PNV with consistence minority in Basque parliament formed stable coalition governments with Basque branch of Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) in 80s/90s

Territorial accomodation:

• Moderate form of Basque and Catalan nationalist politics in 80s/90s practiced by PNV and CiU
• Seeking regional autonomy with scope of Basque and Catalan regional autonomy statutes and Spanish Consitution

VS

Quest for sovereignty:

• Traditionally moderate nationalist parties have moved away from territorial accomodation to seek self-determination and sovierignty for their regions at different times since late 90s

Juan Jose Ibarretxe (President of Basque Country / PNV leader)

Main features:

• Followed Lizarra Declaration 1998
• Beyond 1978 Spanish Consitution
• Basque Country would be 'area of free association' with Spain rather than 'autonomous region'
• Basques to have own representation within EU
• Right to self-determination (potentially to secede from the state)

Outcome:

• Basuque parliament approved plan but only just
• Plan rejected by PP and PSOE in Spanish parliament 2005
• Critics withing Basque Country say plan was too divisive

Strong movement since 2010 but signs emerging from 2007

Catalysts:

• Spanish governments and Constitutional Courts watering down of new Catalan autonomy statute
• Financial crisis
• Recentralization under conservative Spanish PP governments (including absolute majority government of Rajoy in 2011-15

Debate over to what extent the movement can be seen as elite-led (town-down) or citizen-led (bottom-up) processes

Top-down argument: (Political power)

• Catalan parties through process of competitive out-bidding had development more nationalist projects over the years which shaped citizens views

Bottom-up argument: (Civil counterpower)

• Huge citizen mobalisation (e.g. La Diada - Catalan national day 11/09) which appears to have forced the hand of politicans

Balanced argument presented by Kathryn Crameri 2015

• Multidimensional relationship / co-construction

• Pro-independence sentiment in Catalonia becuase of dissatisfaction with Spanish-Catalan relations and response to austerity
• New type of left-wing politics seen in Spain (origins in anti-austerity movements/ citizen platforms) is also doing well in Catalonia

"For many in Catalonia, the 'double crisis', national and economic, is one and the same"

- Kate Shea Baird 2015

General elections 2015 and 2016:

• Decline of two-party dominance
• Rise of the fragmented parliament

The left: decline of PSOE // rise of Podemos:

• PSOE (Socialists Workers Party) = traditional Spanish socialist party
• Lost power in 2011 to PP
• Disillusioned PSOE voters turned to new 'Podemos' ('We Can') - fragmenting the left
• Podemos is more left-wing that PSOE created in 2014 after 15-M Movement (anti-austerity)

The right: PP just holds onto power / Ciudadanos emerges as competitor:

• PP (Popular Party) = traditional Spanish conservative party
• Embroiled in corruption and scandals in recent years
• After winning absolute majority in 2011, won again 2015 but with too small a minority to form government (formed weak government after election re-run 2016)
• Some disillusioned voters turned to new centre-right party Ciudadanos (Citizens) but as newcomer its not been as successful as Podemos
• No far-right party has emerged in Spain

Challenges going forward....

• Weak government ... will it last?
• Lack of tradition of coalitions in Spain
• Different views among Spanish parties on territorial Q
• 2/3 majority needed for any reforms in Consitution (difficult in fragmented parliament)