Spain: Democratization, Economic Change and Identity of Social Democracy

Abstract

In the early 70s Spain had a repressive authoritarian regime, a semi-closed economy, was isolated from the European integration process and had substantial social inequalities. Twenty years later, it emerged as an almost paradigmatic case of stable transition to democracy and economic reform with significant degrees of social justice. The article reveals the contributions and strategies of the PSOE that influenced the Spanish economic and political modernization process.