1 6.3.- Contents 1.From Transition to Constitution The 1978 Constitution was the result of a historic process called the “transition”. Since Franco’s death in 1975 until the promulgation of the Constitution in 1978 a certain amount of time passed which marked the leap from dictatorship to democracy, from a non-democratic political system to a democratic one. This movement from one political system to another one received the name “transition” because it didn’t happen through political reform. The protagonists of the period debated between three possible solutions: Involution, mantaining the principles of the former system. Revolution, breaking with everything in order to create a new system. Reform, a progressive change from one system to another. Although the term “transition” is used to name the political period, it actually describes all the political, legal, social and cultural changes. All these changes led to a process whose result was the constitutional text. The process began some months before Franco’s death, after the assassination of Admiral Carrero Blanco (13th of December 1973), when the new president, Carlos Arias Navarro made a political speech proclaiming that social conditions in Spain had changed. The legal predictions of the Fundamental Laws (former regime) had ignored political realities (expectations of change). Although it was said that “everything was well tied down”, the Fundamental Laws were unclear and open to interpretation. Arias Navarro said that the former political system was based on joining things together and the new one on participation. The new government consolidated the expectations of change when the law on local administration was enacted. It accepted, without exception, universal suffrage and a decree law of association that would be tolerant to organised groups. Until then associations were not defined as the exercising of a citizen's right, rather they were a means of political control. After Franco’s death on the 22nd of December 1975, the Parliament and the Council of the Kingdom met in order to constitutionally proclaim the King. After the changes that followed Franco’s death, the government of Arias Navarro suffered a crisis, which saw Adolfo Suárez González come in as the new president. A new strategy appeared in which a fundamental law was substituted by the authorities and new instruments (Parliament, Referendum) that could be presented as the will of the nation were created. On the 15th of December 1976 the Law for Political Reform was brought to referendum. This was a decisive instrument of the political transition because: - The people became a decisive element of political reform. - The parliament would be a representative organ and have two chambers that would write the new constitution. - A pluralist system of parties was established and for the Constituent Parliamentary elections, held the 15th of June 1977, a new system was established. Activities 1. Define the "transition" in your own words. 2. Look for more information about the "personalities" mentioned on this page. 2 2. The "Fathers" of the Constitution The elaboration of the Constitution was made possible because of the understanding and will to listen and get on with each other shown by the different political forces of the time. Without this spirit of respect, tolerance and agreement on fundamental values the Constitution would not have happened. But political forces are not anonymous entities; they’re moved by the effort and hard work of individuals. Among those individuals seven, to be precise, wrote our constitution. They’re called the “fathers” of the Constitution. GABRIEL CISNEROS: He belonged to the Union of the Democratic Center (UCD) and when the Constitution was written he was a Member of Parliament and General Secretary of Assistance and Social Services in the Interior and Public Health Ministries, where he kept working until 1979. In 1989, as a member of the Popular Party, he became a Member of Parliament for Zaragoza. He died the 27th of July 2007 after a serious illness. JOSÉ PEDRO PÉREZ LLORCA: When he helped write the Constitution he was a Member of Parliament for the Union of the Democratic Center (UCD) for Madrid. After the 1979 elections, he became Minister of the Presidency. In 1982 he retired from politics and decided to go back to his job as a lawyer. MIGUEL ROCA: He worked on the Constitution as a Member of Parliament for Barcelona representing the “Catalan Minority”. After retiring from politics, he focused on his own legal practice. MANUEL FRAGA: Founder member of Popular Alliance (AP), he was a Member of Parliament at the time. He was Minister of Information and Tourism during the dictatorship ,then Vice-President and Home Secretary during the Transition and President of the “Xunta de Galicia” until 2005. MIGUEL HERRERO: Member of Parliament for UCD when the Constitution was written. He has also had an academic career, working in the Menéndez Pelayo International University and as a member of the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Science. JORDI SOLÉ TURA: When the Constitution was written, he was a Member of Parliament for the Socialist Unified Party of Catalonia (PSUC), a Catalan party affiliated to the Spanish Comunist Party (PCE). In 1989 he left his party to join the PSC. He was Minister of Culture between 1991 and 1993 and Senator for the Socialist Group and the “Entesa Catalana de Progrés” during the 2000-2004 legislature. GREGORIO PECES-BARBA: During the writing of the Constitution he was a Member of Parliament for the Spanish Socialist Worker’s Party (PSOE). During his career he has occupied several important posts, such as the presidency of the Congress. From 1990 until 2007 he was vice-chancellor at the Carlos III University and High Commisioner for Support to Victims of Terrorism from 2004 until 2006. He’s also a professor of Constitutional Law and member of the Royal Academy of Moral and Politic Sciences. DECLARATION OF GREDOS: On the 7th of October 2003, in honour of the 25th anniversary of the popular referendum on the Spanish Constitution, the authors of the Magna Carta, the socalled Fathers of the Constitution, with the exception of Jordi Solé Tura (who because of illness could not assist, rather he subscribed to the act from his home)-, met in the National Parador of Gredos, the same place where, in 1978, the guidelines of the Spanish Constitution were agreed upon. They signed and read, as a demonstration of their "pride and joy” at the confidence that the citizens and their respective political parties placed in them, a text in which they asked for the values, principles and ground rules established in 1978 to be maintained, insisting that possible changes to the constitutional text should be done with the same spirit of consensus that existed back then. 3 Activities: 1. Extend the information about the fathers of the Constitution. What did each one of them contribute to the Constitution? Which points were most important for them? 2. Why is it important and significant that they’re called “Fathers”? 3. What is the “spirit of agreement”? Why is it a value that should not be forgotten? 3. The Higher Values of the Constitution The Constitution, as we know, is not just a compilation of laws. They’re laws based on, inspired and guided by values, the so-called “higher values”. But what is a higher value? It's best to find out first what a “value” is. A value is whatever makes something preferred, desired. It is something that guides our behaviour. A value is something that, if it disappeared from the world, we would think that something important and irreplaceable, for example, beauty, harmony, truth, etc has disappeared. In terms of social life and citizenship, values are whatever guides and provides a foundation for social and civic life. The "higher values" are the basic, fundamental ones from which other less important ones will be derived and on which the laws of the Constitution are based. These laws cannot go against these values, rather they have to develop and guarantee them. What are the fundamental values of the Spanish Constitution? They’re clearly stated in article 1.1 of the “Título preliminar”: Freedom Justice HIGHER VALUES Equality Political pluralism “España se constituye en un Estado social y democrático de Derecho, que propugna como valores superiores de su ordenamiento jurídico la libertad, la justicia, la igualdad y el pluralismo político” 4 Activities: 1. These four fundamental values have a clear and exact reference in the Declaration of Human Rights. Remember this subject, referred to previously, and look for the exact Human Rights to which they are related. The articles of the Constitution develop these values. Look in the Constitution for an article that discusses each of these values. 2. These values guarantee and provide a basis for coexistence among citizens both at a national level and also in smaller areas. Coexistence in school, high school, class, etc also has to be based on these values, especially in the first three. Write an example of these values applied at school and pay attention to the necessary harmony that has to exist between them: Freedom in class means... Justice in class means... Equality in class means… … Harmony among them is necessary because… 4. Reading the Constitution It is very important to read and be familiar with the Constitution, because it sets ground rules. It is really hard to play let’s say football without knowing the rules, even the difficult ones, like the offside rule. Your teacher may have a copy of the Constitution. It’s also really easy to find it on the Internet (for example on the “Presidencia del Gobierno” website). Below you will find several articles that you can start reading. PREÁMBULO: La Nación española, deseando establecer la justicia, la libertad y la seguridad y promover el bien de cuantos la integran, en uso de su soberanía, proclama su voluntad de: - Garantizar la convivencia democrática dentro de la Constitución y de las leyes conforme a un orden económico y social justo. - Consolidar un Estado de Derecho que asegure el imperio de la ley como expresión de la voluntad popular. - Proteger a todos los españoles y pueblos de España en el ejercicio de los derechos humanos, sus culturas y tradiciones, lenguas e instituciones. -Promover el progreso de la cultura y de la economía para asegurar a todos una digna calidad de vida. - Establecer una sociedad democrática avanzada, y - Colaborar en el fortalecimiento de unas relaciones pacíficas y de eficaz cooperación entre todos los pueblos de la Tierra. En consecuencia, las Cortes aprueban y el pueblo español ratifica la Siguiente CONSTITUCIÓN (…) Artículo 2 La Constitución se fundamenta en la indisoluble unidad de la Nación española, patria común e indivisible de todos los españoles, y reconoce y garantiza el derecho a la autonomía de las nacionalidades y regiones que la integran y la solidaridad entre todas ellas. Artículo 3 1. El castellano es la lengua española oficial del Estado. Todos los españoles tienen el deber de conocerla y el derecho a usarla. 2. Las demás lenguas españolas serán también oficiales en las respectivas Comunidades Autónomas de acuerdo con sus Estatutos. 3. La riqueza de las distintas modalidades lingüísticas de España es un patrimonio cultural que será objeto de especial respeto y protección. 5 Artículo 6 Los partidos políticos expresan el pluralismo político, concurren a la formación y manifestación de la voluntad popular y son instrumento fundamental para la participación política. Su creación y el ejercicio de su actividad son libres dentro del respeto a la Constitución y a la ley. Su estructura interna y funcionamiento deberán ser democráticos. Artículo 16 1. Se garantiza la libertad ideológica, religiosa y de culto de los individuos y las comunidades sin más limitación, en sus manifestaciones, que la necesaria para el mantenimiento del orden público protegido por la ley. 2. Nadie podrá ser obligado a declarar sobre su ideología, religión o creencias. 3. Ninguna confesión tendrá carácter estatal. Los poderes públicos tendrán en cuenta las creencias religiosas de la sociedad española y mantendrán las consiguientes relaciones de cooperación con la Iglesia Católica y las demás confesiones. Artículo 27 1. Todos tienen el derecho a la educación. Se reconoce la libertad de enseñanza. 2. La educación tendrá por objeto el pleno desarrollo de la personalidad humana en el respeto a los principios democráticos de convivencia y a los derechos y libertades fundamentales. 3. Los poderes públicos garantizan el derecho que asiste a los padres para que sus hijos reciban la formación religiosa y moral que esté de acuerdo con sus propias convicciones. Artículo 35 1. Todos los españoles tienen el deber de trabajar y el derecho al trabajo, a la libre elección de profesión u oficio, a la promoción a través del trabajo y a una remuneración suficiente para satisfacer sus necesidades y las de su familia, sin que en ningún caso pueda hacerse discriminación por razón de sexo. 2. La ley regulará un estatuto de los trabajadores. Artículo 48 Los poderes públicos promoverán las condiciones para la participación libre y eficaz de la juventud en el desarrollo político, social, económico y cultural. Activities: 1. What are the fundamental ideas of the preamble? What is a preamble? What is its function? 2. Read this small selection of articles and… - Look in the dictionary for the words you don’t understand. - Summarise each article in your own words. - On which value is each article based? What is it defending or guaranteeing? 3. Of these articles, which one do you think is most important and why?