A European Affair: The Role Played By The EC In The Spanish Transition To Democracy

  • Abstract:
    This paper assesses the importance of the European Community (EC) in the Spanish transition to democracy during the years 1975-1977. It focuses on the European Socialist parties (who operated mainly through the European Parliament and the Socialist International) and their transnational activities aimed at promoting democratization in Spain. This analysis will show, first, that the European Parliament (EP) was more committed to democracy in Spain than any other Communitarian institution, and that within the EP the Socialist Group was a very active faction in promoting democracy. Second, it will also show that if the role played by the EC in Spain was important, this was due to the Spanish political culture in which becoming part of the EC was considered the goal of political, economic and cultural aspirations.