The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.
George Orwell, Notes on nationalism
Spain has an eventful history, with many highs and lows. Most of the twentieth century can simply be described as a deep low. The Second Spanish Republic, proclaimed in 1931 after the forced departure of King Alfonso XIII, was particularly unstable. Left and right governments alternated, but none of them could tackle the enormous problems that plagued the country. Large land ownership, widespread poverty and the pursuit of independence of Catalonia and the Basque Country led to uprisings and numerous political murders. After the 1936 elections the government was taken over by the left-wing Popular Front. The government took the initiative to separate the Catholic Church and the State and to limit the influence of the clergy on culture and education. Reactionary forces, consisting of conservative and monarchist elements in the military, clergy and landowning class, fiercely opposed the elected government. The military wanted to maintain the old social hierarchy and in July 1936 the army rebelled against the democratically elected government, first in the Spanish enclave of Mellila in northern Morocco.
The situation escalated into a proxy war, an incredible violent clash between revolutionary and reactionary forces, known as the Spanish Civil War. The rebels were supported by the Catholic Church, and received aid from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. The government was supported by left-wing parties, workers, the educated middle class (among them the famous writers George Orwell and Ernest Hemingway), and militant anarchists and communists, receiving aid from Russia. The bloody conflict, that lasted from 1936 to1939, resulted in an estimated half a million deaths, caused by heavy fighting, hunger, disease and countless executions. The outcome of these horrors was the victory of General Francisco Franco, applauded by the Catholic Church with an official congratulations from the Vatican.
“We do not believe in governments based on voting rights” Franco said in an interview with TIME Magazine in 1938. His ruthless dictatorship lasted almost forty years and had a significant and long-lasting impact on Spanish society. All political opposition was suppressed. Thousands of Republicans were imprisoned or executed, including many intellectuals, lawyers, teachers, researchers, doctors, and writers. The Catholic Church regained many of the privileges it had lost during the Second Spanish Republic and became the official church of Franco's Spain. Economic hardship was unprecedented; the war destroyed about 15 percent of the country’s wealth, with an industrial output lower in the 1940’s than in 1918.
After Franco’s death in 1975, a startling change took place in the Spanish political landscape. The monarchy was restored and Juan Carlos ascended the throne. Democracy returned, anchored in the 1978 Constitution. Spain became a parliamentary monarchy, with ministerial responsibility. The executive power rests with the cabinet, which is formally appointed by the king. A cabinet can only govern if it has the confidence of the Chamber of Deputies. Since the constitution, Spain has been governed alternately by center-right and social-democratic majority cabinets. The reborn democracy turned out to be remarkably strong; in 1982 a military coup miserably failed, partly due to the actions of King Juan Carlos.
Spanish membership of the European Economic Community came into view with the restoration of democracy. The country officially applied for membership in 1977 and effective integration into the Economic Community followed on January 1, 1986. Joining the Economic Community and being part of the European Union boosted Spain’s economic growth. Accession to the single European market meant a larger sales area, increased export and led to innovation and modernization of their businesses, which previously operated predominantly traditionally. Spain’s infrastructure improved dramatically. Roads, airports and high speed railways were built, thanks to European funding. A digital transformation took place and will be continued. The "2025 Digital Spain Plan" aims to fully digitalize the country by 2025, with around €50 billion in expected private investment and €20 billion in public funding from EU programs. The economic disparities with other EU countries quickly diminished and improved the quality of life of many Spaniards. Meanwhile, Spain is the smallest net beneficiary of all net beneficiary countries within the EU. And although the Spanish economy was hit hard by the financial crisis and the Covid crisis, the country has grown into the fourth largest economy in the EU with a GDP of 1,400 billion euros and is currently showing growth rates that are not achieved by any of the Western European countries. Spain is now richer than Italy, measured in terms of national income per capita on a purchasing power basis.
Moreover, joining the EU strengthened Spain's young democracy and its democratic institutions, the rule of law, and human rights. And last but not least, Spain has adopted EU environmental standards, which have led to significant improvements in air and water quality, waste management, and the protection of natural spaces.
Does this mean that Spain faces no challenges? Most certainly not. Corruption scandals occur from time to time. The country is suffering from regional tensions, especially due to the Catalan independence movement. Youth unemployment is too high and the economy relies too much on the tourism sector. Poverty is still a challenge, the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) estimates a quarter of the population is at risk. Also, Spain is dealing with an aging population, which puts pressure on the public pension system and healthcare services. Additionally, Spain has to deal with issues related to immigration, as it continues to be a destination and transit country for migrants. However, Spain would have all these challenges even if the country were not part of the EU, and most likely to a much greater extent.
Spain's membership of the European Union is a success story. Membership of the EU brought Spain exactly what European cooperation after the Second World War aimed for: peace and prosperity. In the early 20th century Spain was a very conservative country with a deep divide between social classes. Economically the country lagged far behind of Western Europe, many Spaniards lived in abject poverty. Contrary to what transactional reasoning opponents of European cooperation claim, Spain has developed into a modern and prosperous nation, supported by European funding. It was money well spent.
Spain’s European success story works both ways. The country is an emphatic supporter of the EU principles of solidarity and cooperation among member states. The Spanish government often advocates for a united approach to challenges facing the EU and is supportive of deeper European integration, including in the areas of foreign policy and defense. Europe would be much better off if all European countries adopted Spain's attitude towards European unification.
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