THE ROYAL FAMILY AND THE

DEMOCRACY

SPANISH ROYAL FAMILY

• Sanction and promulgate laws.

• Summon and dissolve Parliament and call an election in the terms provided in the Constitution.

• Propose to the Congress of Deputies candidate for president of the Government, appoint and dismiss him, in the terms provided in the Constitution.

• Appoint and dismiss other Cabinet members on a proposal from its chairman.

• Issue the decrees approved by the Council of Ministers,

• The Patron of the Royal Academies.

• State expressing consent to be bound by international treaties.

• To declare war and make peace, after authorization by Parliament.

WHAT POWER DOES THE MONARCHY HAVE?

The 1978 Constitution, Title II The Crown, Article 62 and 56 delineates the powers of the king, It is incumbent upon the King: only arbitral power.o Is the Head of State, only arbitrates and moderates the regular

functioning of the institutions, assumes the highest representation of the international relations.

o Sanction and promulgate the lawso Summon and dissolve the Cortes Generales and to call for elections

under the terms provided for in the Constitution.o Call for a referendum in the cases provided for in the Constitution.o Appoint and dismiss members of the Government on the President of the

Government’s proposal.

Their role in Spain is to attend many meetings with presidents of other countries and chairing some of the events held in Spain. In addition they will be the successors of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia when they die.

Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia

INFANTSInfanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo

Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca

• She carries out many institutional, cultural, academic and welfare activities in Spain and abroad, especially in European and Latin American countries.

• As Honorary President of the Spanish Committee of UNESCO.

• She is the President of the International

Foundation for Disabled Sailing.

• Infanta Elena has participated in many official events, having travelled to Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Argentina, Japan, Peru and the Philippines representing the Royal Family.

DICTATORSHIP REPRESSION All other languages different to Spanish were forbidden, the other symbols

were suppressed too. The repression of Franco forbidden languages ,religions, La “Falange” was

the only political party. The white terror is the repression that cost more than 150,000 to 400,000

deaths

THE TRANSITION The Spanish transition to democracy was the era when Spain moved from

the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. Political role of Juan Carlos I The death of Franco elevated Don Juan Carlos de Borbón to the throne. Until Franco’s death, Juan Carlos had remained in the background.

The role of the king in the coup of Feb. 23rd 1981The refusal of the King to promote the coup led to it being called off during the night. The monarch assured himself after discussions, personal and with colleagues, of the fidelity of military leaders.Alfonso Armada presented himself in Congress with a dual objective: to convince Lieutenant Colonel Tejero to relinquish his posture and assume himself the role of head of government under the order of the king, in a clearly unconstitutional manner. But Armada was not the awaited "competent, military authority" and Tejero ignored him.while Tejero resisted until midday of the 24th and was arrested outside the Congress building

Suarez the prime Minister…In July 1976 King Juan Carlos I ordered the formation of the first democratic government of his reign and the subsequent dismantling of the Franco’s structure, Suarez was a complete unknown to a majority of Spanish people. With only 43 years with no many difficulties, he was able to unite a group of politicians of his generation who had come to the democratic beliefs in various ways. He was able to gather, with Phalangists "converts" like him, social democrats, liberals, Democrats, etc. and, between 1976 and 1979, the Franco regime was dismantled with the complicity of the anti-Franco forces as the PSOE and especially the Communist Party of Spain and its leader, Santiago Carrillo, who named Suarez as an intelligent anticommunist.

23th of February on 1981 Suarez resigned and on 23F was

taking part the votation of his successor Calvo Sotelo. The Coronel Tejero got in on the hemicycle with a gun on his hand and tried to arrive to the power.

The transition

The legalization of the political parties.

Political parties have played in the political transition an important role in the democratic structure of Spain. 1978 Constitution defined a parliamentary regime which potentiated the role of parties.The political parties were:

Batasuna Herri Batasuna Partido Carlista Partido Comunista de España Partido Nacionalista Vasco Partido Regionalista de Cantabria Partido Socialista Obrero Español Partidos políticos integrados en Unión

de Centro Democrático Partit Socialista Unificat de Catalunya Unión de Centro Democrático

THE TRANSITION

THE END