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95-409: The party got 194,538 votes (0.96%) in the 1986 general election , failing to gain any seats. Due to this defeat, the party dissolved itself in 1986. The Democratic Reformist Party was born in 1983 as a political operation undertaken by politicians from CiU and the former UCD for the 1986 general election . This project soon received the name of "Operation Roca" by the name of one of its promoters,

190-477: A lunch break of 15 minutes. This period saw major reforms being implemented in order to achieve economic recovery as well as equalization of Spain with the remainder of Europe, including an unpopular economic stabilization plan involving a process of industrial restructuring —which led to the closure of many obsolete industries —and a reform of the pension system which lengthened the period used to calculate full pension benefits from 10 to 15 years and adopted

285-555: A blow to Roca's national aspirations, disbanding shortly thereafter. Its Catalan counterpart Convergence and Union (CiU), however, made significant gains in the Socialist stronghold of Catalonia , dramatically closing the gap with the PSC to just 9 points from a 23-point lead in 1982. The newly formed United Left coalition was able to slightly improve over the PCE 's result in 1982, despite

380-462: A continuity platform, emphasizing on the idea of progress and trying to highlight that the party's management of government during the previous four years had been positive for the country. The democratization process after the turbulent years of the early 1980s was deemed as having been fully completed, the military insurrectionism threat had been vanquished, Spain had been integrated within Europe and

475-585: A group called GAL was active as a gangster-style force targeting etarras (ETA members). Several innocent people were killed and the subsequent investigations ended with some police officers and the Minister of Internal Affairs, José Barrionuevo, condemned to jail. The Constitutional Court later ratified the sentence. Among successful operations were the capture of the ETA central arsenal and archives in Sokoa (France) and

570-473: A high level of quality under the direction of Pilar Miró. Private television channels were also permitted in 1990, ending the state monopoly. Felipe González also secured Spain's entry into the EEC, which the country joined in 1986, and consolidated democratic government. Together with François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl , he revitalized efforts to push for European integration and extension of state power. He

665-494: A left-wing platform, accusing the PSOE of abandoning its socialist roots and of applying liberal policies. On the international stage, IU promised to bring Spain out of NATO, the dismantling of US bases and the withdrawal of US troops from Spanish soil, as well as to counter "the harmful consequences of integration within the EEC, a conception of Europe against the interests of multinationals and imperialism and to support initiatives for

760-482: A mediator in the dialogue between Serbian government and the opposition, following the mass protests which have started over the alleged electoral fraud at the 1996 Serbian local elections . In 1997 he was considered a leading candidate to take over the position of President of the European Commission after Jacques Santer . The position ultimately went to Italy's Romano Prodi . In 1999 González

855-467: A new system for pension revaluation. This economic policy received widespread criticism from trade unions—including the historically PSOE-aligned UGT —leading to strikes and demonstrations opposing the government's economic policy. A new labor reform was approved, which included fiscal incentives to investment, added protection for unemployed and the easing of temporality through the implementation of fixed-term contracts . González's first term also saw

950-418: A plebiscite on his premiership, the election results further strengthened his political position by securing him a new mandate to continue the reforms already in place since in 1982. Nonetheless, the election unveiled the first signs of weariness of the PSOE government, as it suffered major losses in support in the major urban centers, the same that had set out the seed for González's landslide victory in 1982. In

1045-515: A prime minister within a two-month period from the first ballot. Barred this exception, there was no constitutional requirement for simultaneous elections for the Congress and the Senate. Still, as of 2024 there has been no precedent of separate elections taking place under the 1978 Constitution. While the 1986 general election was initially expected for October, there was widespread opinion that

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1140-483: A private business that included merchant banking interests, on the grounds that it was at the point of bankruptcy and the government needed to protect the savings of depositors and the jobs of its 60,000 employees, a decision that aroused considerable criticism and a judicial conflict over the law that was only resolved, in favour of the government, in December 1986. In the 1986 general election held on 22 June 1986,

1235-512: A public deficit at 6%. Among the new PSOE government's first economic measures were the nationalization of the Rumasa holding due to its financial situation and because of alleged fraudulent practices and continuous evasion from the inspection activity conducted by the Bank of Spain , the reduction of work time to 40-hour week and the establishment of a minimum legal annual leave of 30 days and

1330-571: A remarkable statement at the time: "I have not received a single mark, a single penny, a single peseta, neither from Flick nor from Flock", and was later acquitted from the scandal by the inquiry commission in Congress. Internationally, the PSOE government was successful in culminating negotiations for the Spanish entry into the European Economic Community (EEC), effective from 1 January 1986. The issue of NATO membership

1425-662: A report, by June 2010, on the challenges facing the European Union from 2020 to 2030, will also look at how to achieve a closer understanding between citizens and the Union. In December 2014, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos granted González Colombian nationality. From 2010 to 2015, González was appointed independent director in Gas Natural-Fenosa , one of the leading energy companies in Spain, being one of

1520-405: A result, according to them, of the large absolute majority of seats it had obtained in the 1982 election. Thus, one of the PSOE's self-imposed objectives during the election campaign was to maintain that absolute majority. In the end, the PSOE would win the election but with a significantly reduced majority of 184 seats, compared to the 202-strong majority achieved in 1982. The People's Alliance ,

1615-555: A series of follow-on meetings, which according to some reports, came quite close, but failed to result in a peace treaty. In the fight against terrorism, an intense police campaign secured several victories that left the terrorist organisation ETA severely debilitated. In his earlier years ETA killings totalled dozens per year (the 1987 Hipercor bombing attack in Barcelona alone killed more than 10 people), while in his latter years ETA killed far fewer. During his time as Prime Minister

1710-543: A significant reversal in Spain's relations with Israel, with González even becoming the first Spanish head of state to visit Israel in December 1991. He had also previously visited Israel in the 1970s under an assumed name. Spain and Israel would establish diplomatic relations on 17 January 1986. Due to his prestige, Spain also hosted the Madrid Conference of 1991 peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis; these were chaired by President George H. W. Bush of

1805-554: A snap election would be held in June alongside the scheduled 1986 Andalusian regional election , with part of the government remaining ambiguous on the issue. On 21 April, Felipe González announced his intention to trigger an early dissolution of the Cortes Generales , explaining that it was his wish to prevent "political uncertainties" resulting from an autumn election that could affect the country's economic prospects during

1900-538: A split in its 26th Congress. He led the party through the Spanish transition to democracy , carrying it to a strong second-place finish in the 1977 general election , making the PSOE the main opposition to the ruling Union of the Democratic Centre , a position it maintained in 1979 . After the PSOE victory in the 1982 general election , González formed his first majority government , backed by 202 out of

1995-638: Is a retired Spanish politician who was Prime Minister of Spain from 1982 to 1996 and leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party from 1974 to 1997. He is the longest-serving democratically-elected Prime Minister of Spain. González joined the PSOE in 1964 when it was banned under the Francoist regime . He obtained a law degree from the University of Seville in 1965. In 1974, the PSOE elected González as its Secretary-General after

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2090-519: Is very close, though, to the PSOE official line, as she served as head of the public TV broadcaster Televisión Española after appointment to the post by one of Gonzalez's cabinets. González ended his fourth term on 4 May 1996. Since September 1996 he has headed the Madrid-based Global Progress Foundation (FPG). At the beginning of the 34th PSOE National Congress on 20 June 1997 he surprisingly resigned as leader of

2185-507: The 1996 general election held on 3 March 1996, they gained 37.4% of the vote and 141 deputies. They lost the election to the People's Party whose leader José María Aznar replaced González as prime minister ( presidente in Spanish, not to be confused with the English use of the term) on 4 or 5 May 1996. The Gonzalez government left behind a deep impact on the Spanish real economy, such as

2280-698: The Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain or the Collective for the Unity of Workers-Andalusian Left Bloc (CUT-BAI), among others. Aside from its anti-NATO stance, the IU coalition also opposed the Socialist government's recent industrial conversion, which had been carried out almost unilaterally and with little to no talks with trade unions, thanks to the PSOE absolute majority in Congress. IU campaigned on

2375-538: The Cortes Generales —the Congress and the Senate—expired four years from the date of their previous election, unless they were dissolved earlier. The election decree was required to be issued no later than the twenty-fifth day prior to the date of expiry of parliament and published on the following day in the Official State Gazette (BOE), with election day taking place between the fifty-fourth and

2470-577: The Liberal Party (PL), remained stagnant with a similar result to the one obtained in 1982 by the AP–PDP coalition. The disappointing election result caused the Coalition to break apart shortly afterwards. Former PM Adolfo Suárez 's Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) came out in third place with nearly 1.9 million votes, 9.2% of the share and 19 seats. The Communist Party of Spain (PCE) contested

2565-609: The Madrid Community the PSOE suffered the most, scoring a bare 40% from the 52% it had secured four years previously. Despite this, discontent towards the government did not translate into major inroads for other parties. Voters' apathy and the absence of strong alternatives to the Socialists translating into a substantial increase of the abstention rate, which rose to 29.5% from the 20.0% of 1982. The centre-right People's Coalition failed to secure substantial gains from

2660-612: The People's Democratic Party and the Liberal Party contested the election in a common ticket under the People's Coalition label. Some regionalist parties in different autonomous communities, such as the Navarrese People's Union in Navarre , also joined the coalition, who was to be led into the election by AP leader Manuel Fraga . Its campaign centered into criticising the González' government record in office, accusing

2755-581: The Senate , having the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a prime minister and to override Senate vetoes by an absolute majority of votes. Nonetheless, the Senate possessed a few exclusive (yet limited in number) functions—such as its role in constitutional amendment —which were not subject to the Congress' override. Voting for the Cortes Generales was on the basis of universal suffrage , which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age and in full enjoyment of their political rights. For

2850-506: The Workers' Party of Spain–Communist Unity (PTE-UC). The tables below show the composition of the parliamentary groups in both chambers at the time of dissolution. The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry , coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form a coalition ahead of an election were required to inform

2945-589: The 1982 result of the AP–PDP alliance, experiencing small gains in Castile and León , Extremadura and Melilla but falling elsewhere. Adolfo Suárez 's Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) virtually took over the place of the defunct UCD with nearly 2 million votes and 19 seats. On the other hand, results for the Democratic Reformist Party (PRD) of Miquel Roca were an unmitigated disaster and

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3040-400: The 350 deputies at the Congress of Deputies, and led the government of Spain for thirteen and a half years after three additional victories in the 1986 , 1989 and 1993 general elections. In 1996, González lost the election to José María Aznar and the People's Party and was elected to the Congress of Deputies for the last time in the 2000 general election , from Seville . González

3135-670: The 47 peninsular provinces was allocated four seats, whereas for insular provinces, such as the Balearic and Canary Islands , districts were the islands themselves, with the larger— Majorca , Gran Canaria and Tenerife —being allocated three seats each, and the smaller— Menorca , Ibiza – Formentera , Fuerteventura , La Gomera , El Hierro , Lanzarote and La Palma —one each. Ceuta and Melilla elected two seats each. Additionally, autonomous communities could appoint at least one senator each and were entitled to one additional senator per each million inhabitants. The term of each chamber of

3230-699: The Americas Award by the Inter-American Dialogue for his tireless, effective, and ongoing public service and commitment to democracy in Latin America. González married María del Carmen Julia Romero y López in Seville on 16 July 1969 and has three children: Pablo González Romero, David González Romero and María González Romero (lawyer). He divorced Carmen Romero in 2008. In 2012 he married Mar García Vaquero. One of his hobbies

3325-597: The Catalan politician Miquel Roca i Junyent , although there were other promoters such as the former president of the CGPJ , Federico Carlos Sainz de Robles y Rodríguez, as well as lawyers, businessmen, etc. From the journalistic world the project had the support of the Diario 16 newspaper and of its then director, Pedro J. Ramírez . The PRD was officially registered on 11 March 1983 while on May 19, its first foundational meeting

3420-406: The Coalition's election pledges were the privatization of public companies (the most notable example being TVE 2 ) and of the healthcare assistance system in order to reduce tax burden and public spending; the implementation of a national plan against drugs; the illegalization of HB and tougher penalties for terrorists (going as far as to promise an end to ETA terrorism within 6 months); a repeal of

3515-581: The Coalition's position on the referendum was met with skepticism and disapproval from other centre-right parties, both nationally and internationally. The roots for the United Left (IU) coalition originated during the protests to demand the exit of Spain from NATO in 1986, with the "Platform of the United Left". While the 1986 referendum had resulted in the country's permanence within NATO, sectors to

3610-507: The Congress of Deputies, 348 seats were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation , with an electoral threshold of three percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the provinces of Spain , with each being allocated an initial minimum of two seats and the remaining 248 being distributed in proportion to their populations. Ceuta and Melilla were allocated

3705-513: The Congress of Deputies, thus reducing the Coalition's parliamentary strength to 84. Manuel Fraga would resign as AP leader after the party's disastrous results in the November 1986 Basque regional election , deepening a party crisis that would last until its refoundation into the People's Party in 1989. Felipe Gonz%C3%A1lez Felipe González Márquez ( Spanish pronunciation: [feˈlipe ɣonˈθaleθ ˈmaɾkeθ] ; born 5 March 1942)

3800-706: The Democratic Reformist Party obtained some 194,538 votes (0.96% of the total votes cast), although no seats. In addition, the PSOE revalidated its absolute majority and there was no leak from AP . Convergence and Union (CiU) did manage to obtain good results in Catalonia, reaching 30% of the vote in the Province of Barcelona and 41% in the Province of Girona . Galician Coalition also managed to elect one deputy. The results were an absolute failure for

3895-625: The Government of Spain , with Alfonso Guerra as his deputy. He was the first socialist to hold the post since the Spanish Civil War , and his government was the first since then in which none of its members had served under Francoism. With a large majority in the Congress of Deputies, popularly known as "the roller" ( Spanish : el rodillo ), González's election was met with tremendous expectation of change amongst Spaniards. Under his government universal and free education provision

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3990-448: The PRD economic support for the electoral campaign worth 16,000 million pesetas . Despite its supposed centrist and liberal character, for many potential voters the PRD was too identified with Catalan politics and presented a very confusing political profile. Certainly the leaders of the party sinned of optimism, since they considered that Felipe González’s PSOE would not manage to obtain

4085-402: The PRD. It was also a failure for CiU, which although considerably improved its results in Catalonia, saw its political operation frustrated in the rest of Spain. Given the poor results obtained, the party was practically dissolved on the same night of the elections; On the other hand, Convergence and Union ignored the situation (Roca even refused to appear in public for the results) and broke with

4180-576: The PSOE and started taking part in the party's clandestine activity, necessary under the dictatorship of Franco. During that time he adopted the alias Isidoro and moved to Madrid. He was elected Secretary General of the Party at the Suresnes Congress, in France. By the time of Franco's death, González had become the most prominent figure among the left-wing of the democratic opposition to

4275-496: The PSOE became the second most-voted for party, and this served González to appear as a young, active and promising leader. However, he did not win the 1979 election and had to wait for 1982 and the dissolution of the Union of the Democratic Centre party to come into office. In the 1982 general election held on 28 October 1982, the PSOE gained 48.3% of the vote and 202 deputies (out of 350). On 2 December González became President of

4370-475: The PSOE came out reinforced. Within the opposition, the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) was dissolved in February 1983. Under Manuel Fraga 's leadership, the People's Alliance (AP) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) joined with other parties to form the People's Coalition , seeking to build on his idea of the "natural majority" of the centre-right in order to win the next general election. At

4465-526: The PSOE gained 44.1% of the vote and 184 deputies in Parliament. González was elected prime minister for the second time. During this second term, Spain joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1986. González supported Spain remaining in NATO that same year in a referendum reversing his and the party's earlier anti-NATO position. On 29 October 1989, he won the 1989 general election with 39.6% of

4560-416: The PSOE in the forthcoming general elections. The People's Party intensified its campaign to associate his period in office with a poor economic situation (although unemployment had begun to decline and the economic reforms of the previous decade initiated a lasting period of economic growth) and with accusations of corruption and state terrorism scandals, including allegations of waging a dirty war against

4655-466: The PSOE of breaking many of its 1982 election pledges and asking voters to support an alternative to the Socialists, with Fraga opening the possibility to invite other parties, specially the CDS and the PRD, into a coalition government aimed at ousting the PSOE from power. The Coalition released an election programme which was described as a mixture of economic neoliberalism and social conservatism . Among

4750-682: The United States and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev . The bilateral Israeli–Palestinian negotiations eventually led to the exchange of letters and the subsequent signing of the Oslo I Accord , on the lawn of the White House on 13 September 1993. The negotiations that emanated from the Madrid conference, led to the Israel–Jordan peace treaty in 1994. The Israeli–Syrian negotiations included

4845-464: The absolute majority and that the People’s Alliance (AP) of Manuel Fraga had reached its peak. In fact, one of the premises of the PRD was that it could subtract votes and seats from two of the parties allied with AP, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) of Oscar Alzaga and the Liberal Party . The party celebrated its constituent congress from 23–25 November 1984, when Antonio Garrigues Walker

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4940-414: The aftermath Sánchez announced talks with Podemos and Catalan separatist parties. González then supported Susana Diaz faction in a bitter internal struggle which ended with PSOE facilitating the investiture of the conservative government and the dismissal of Pedro Sánchez. In 2015 González traveled to Venezuela to support Leopoldo López and other imprisoned opposition leaders. His involvement came at

5035-421: The balance of power with respect to 1982. Overall, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) remained the dominant party in Spanish politics by securing a second consecutive overall majority in the Congress of Deputies. Prime Minister Felipe González was regarded to have come out reinforced from the election. With his popularity already soaring after winning the NATO referendum on March, politically turned into

5130-405: The best known high-profile cases of revolving doors in Spanish politics. Since 2015 he has taken an active role in criticising the emerging party Podemos , which he considers a populist threat, and have actively lobbied the PSOE against approaching Podemos for any possible government coalition. González supported PSOE candidate Pedro Sánchez in the 2015 and 2016 general elections , but in

5225-636: The bicentenary celebrations in commemoration of the independence of Latin America. The celebrations will begin in September 2010 in Mexico. At a summit held in Brussels on 14 December 2007, heads of state and government of European Union member states appointed González chairman of a think tank on the future of Europe. The group, consisting of up to nine prestigious personalities commissioned to drawing up

5320-609: The capture of the organisation's ruling body in 1992. However, in the final years of his mandate several cases of corruption, the most notable of which were the scandals involving Civil Guard Director Luis Roldán , further eroded popular support for the PSOE. Nonetheless González and most of his ministers generally managed to leave office with their reputations intact, although they had performed poor oversight of some lower ranking public servants, according to María Antonia Iglesias ( La memoria recuperada. Lo que nunca han contado Felipe González y los dirigentes socialistas , 2003); Iglesias

5415-591: The connection between staying in NATO and Spain–EEC negotiations and the growing favorable stance of the Spanish Defence Ministry to attain closer ties with the Alliance". By 1985, as Spain had signed the Act of Accession to the EEC, preparations for the referendum on NATO membership started, being eventually held on 12 March 1986. NATO permanence option won the vote by a surprising 53.1% to 40.3%, and

5510-405: The economic crisis was easening, with the brunt of the industrial conversion having been dealt with in the first years of Socialist government. It also tried to deliver on the idea that the party's programme was not yet fulfilled, with many proposals still left to be carried out. Another message of the Socialist electoral campaign revolved around the idea that a non-Socialist government would revert

5605-693: The election within the newborn left-wing United Left (IU) coalition, slightly improving on the PCE's result in 1982 with 4.6% and 7 seats and holding its own against the Communists' Unity Board (MUC), Santiago Carrillo 's split party founded after him being expelled from the PCE, which won no seats. Two future prime ministers ( José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Mariano Rajoy ) were first elected as deputies at this election. The Spanish Cortes Generales were envisaged as an imperfect bicameral system. The Congress of Deputies had greater legislative power than

5700-422: The elimination of nuclear weapons and against the militarization of space." On the domestic stage, IU's pledges included nationalizations in the banking and energy sectors. It also provided for large investments in the public sector, an agrarian reform and a federal model of state which provided for "the full development of the rights of nationalities and regions". The 1986 election results showed little changes to

5795-532: The establishment of the Spanish National Health System and universal health care in Spain, and decriminalization of abortion in three cases: therapeutic in cases of serious risk to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman, during the first 12 weeks; criminological in cases of woman rape, during the first 22 weeks; and eugenic in cases of fetus malformations, at any time during pregnancy. Free and compulsory education

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5890-488: The expansion of the networks of highways and airports and the creation of new infrastructures, including high-speed rail in Spain . Gonzalez-led cabinets were the first to implement a national, comprehensive infrastructure program that included not only public works but theatres, museums, and secondary schools. In addition, a comprehensive welfare state was established, while improvements were made to social programmes such as pensions and unemployment benefits. A 40-hour workweek

5985-422: The growing Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) of former prime minister Adolfo Suárez —failed throughout 1985. In the left, the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) experienced an internal crisis which saw the resignation of its leader Santiago Carrillo and his succession by Gerardo Iglesias . Internal disagreements resulted in splits that saw the birth of the Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE) and

6080-618: The left of the PSOE sought to form a unitary candidacy for the 1986 general election aimed at representing the nearly 7 million voters that had shown their position against such a permanence. Aside from the PCE, which was to become IU's main member party, also joining the coalition were the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUC), the Socialist Action Party (PASOC), the Republican Left (IR),

6175-497: The making of the 1987 General State Budget. The Cortes Generales were officially dissolved on 23 April 1986 after the publication of the dissolution decree in the BOE, setting the election date for 22 June and scheduling for both chambers to reconvene on 15 July. Shortly after assuming office on 2 December 1982, Prime Minister Felipe González had to face a worsening economic situation, with high inflation, soaring unemployment and

6270-434: The military, with the final aim of professionalizing the Armed Forces and end the threat of military coup attempts. Felipe González also came briefly involved in the 1984 German Flick affair , when SPD MP Peter Struck said in the German press that another MP from his party, Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski , had given one million Marks from the corruption plot to González himself. The Spanish prime minister countered this with

6365-401: The newly approved abortion law and a revision of the divorce law. The Coalition was criticised for its perceived right-wing stance, with serious difficulties to define an alternative policy to the PSOE, a weak opposition stance to González' government (virtually trailing the Socialists on every issue) and a lack of initiative. The Coalition's call for abstention in the March referendum (despite

6460-451: The other parties' candidates, usually leaving that task to Deputy Prime Minister Alfonso Guerra and other PSOE leaders, in order to emphasize his image as Chief of the Executive. The PSOE's electoral manifesto for the 1986 election also avoided making any concrete pledges such as those done in 1982. Opposition parties had accused the PSOE government of a rudely style of ruling, of arrogance, of little austerity and of informational opacity,

6555-421: The party's official stance favouring Spain permanence within NATO) had been a fatal blow to its expectations in the upcoming general election, being seen, on the one hand, as a gesture of political opportunism in an attempt to weaken Felipe González' position and, on the other hand, as showing a lack of political guidance. Instead, the 'Yes' landslide victory had reinforced the PSOE in the eyes of public opinion, but

6650-422: The party. He also resigned from the federal executive committee, though retaining his seat in the Congress. With no clear successor he continued to exert an enormous influence over the party. He was only replaced at the 35th party Congress in July 2000 when José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero became the leader. In 1996, González was the head of the OSCE delegation which was sent to Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as

6745-586: The political and social advances accomplished in the previous years, with PM González himself warning of a possible alternative coalition between the various centre and centre-right parties in case the PSOE lost its absolute majority. There were notable divergences from the campaigning style of 1982: González himself, being now the Prime Minister, had a busy public agenda and was only able to participate in large campaign events during weekends, having little time to maintain direct contact with party militants. He also wanted to distance himself from direct confrontation to

6840-416: The prerogative to dissolve both chambers at any given time—either jointly or separately—and call a snap election , provided that no motion of no confidence was in process, no state of emergency was in force and that dissolution did not occur before one year had elapsed since the previous one. Additionally, both chambers were to be dissolved and a new election called if an investiture process failed to elect

6935-413: The referendum result, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) sought to take advantage of the favorable political situation. The election resulted in the PSOE winning a second consecutive—albeit diminished—majority with 184 out of 350 seats. Its immediate competitor, Manuel Fraga 's People's Coalition , an electoral alliance formed by People's Alliance (AP), the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and

7030-413: The reformist project. Although the remaining parties survived the reformist operation, Garrigues Walker's Liberal Democratic Party (PDL) disappeared. The executive committee of the PRD, which was headed by Garrigues himself, resigned from the party on 26 September 1986. 1986 Spanish general election Felipe González PSOE Felipe González PSOE The 1986 Spanish general election

7125-544: The regime, and played a critical role, along with then serving Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez , in the Spanish transition to democracy . During the Suárez government, General and Deputy Prime Minister Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado asked González not to raise the debate of the Civil War and Francoist repression until the death of those of his generation. In the first democratic general election after Franco's death, held in 1977,

7220-470: The relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least one percent of the electorate in the constituencies for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates. Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which contested the election: The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party under Felipe González campaigned on

7315-596: The same time mainstream media and political parties were accusing emerging Podemos of having links with the Venezuelan government. González is a member of the Club of Madrid , an independent non-profit organisation composed of 81 democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers from 57 different countries. In 2015, González was awarded the Distinguished Leadership Award for Public Service in

7410-612: The same time, Catalan politician Miquel Roca tried to enter national politics by founding the Democratic Reformist Party (PRD), supported by the Catalan-based Convergence and Union (CiU), the Liberal Democratic Party (PDL) of Antonio Garrigues Walker and a number of regional parties, in what came to be known as "Operation Roca". All attempts at forming a common alliance between the three main centre to centre-right political forces—including

7505-446: The sixtieth day from publication. The previous election was held on 28 October 1982, which meant that the legislature's term would expire on 28 October 1986. The election decree was required to be published in the BOE no later than 4 October 1986, with the election taking place on the sixtieth day from publication, setting the latest possible election date for the Cortes Generales on Wednesday, 3 December 1986. The prime minister had

7600-490: The split of former party leader Santiago Carrillo 's MUC , which was unable to gain parliamentary representation. In the election aftermath, the People's Coalition found itself into a state of deep crisis after results showed it was unable to garner the support of the centre voters. The People's Democratic Party immediately broke away from the Coalition after the election; its 21 MPs forming their own parliamentary caucus in

7695-554: The terrorist group ETA by means of the GAL . There was speculation in the press about Javier Solana as a possible replacement, but Solana was appointed Secretary General of NATO in December 1995. In June 2020, the CIA declassified information confirming that Felipe González had authorised the creation of the GAL. Left with no other suitable candidate, the party was again led by González and in

7790-712: The two remaining seats, which were elected using plurality voting . The use of the electoral method resulted in an effective threshold based on the district magnitude and the distribution of votes among candidacies. As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Congress multi-member constituency was entitled the following seats: For the Senate, 208 seats were elected using an open list partial block voting system , with electors voting for individual candidates instead of parties. In constituencies electing four seats, electors could vote for up to three candidates; in those with two or three seats, for up to two candidates; and for one candidate in single-member districts. Each of

7885-413: The vote and 175 seats, his third successive mandate. On 6 June 1993, González won the 1993 general election with 38.8% of the vote and 159 deputies. His fourth victory was marred by the fact he was forced to form a pact with nationalist political parties from Catalonia and Basque country in order to form a new government. Towards the end of 1995 there was a debate about whether González should lead

7980-452: Was a supporter of Kohl's drive for a united Germany, counteracting British and French hostility. He also started diplomatic relations with Israel , which had never been established by Franco because of antisemitism . Franco's successor Adolfo Suárez also refused to recognize Israel, while González' predecessor Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo would also fail to establish relations with Israel. Gonzalez's time as Prime Minister of Spain also marked

8075-529: Was born in Bellavista, Seville , the son of a small dairy farmer. He has a sister called Lola González Márquez, married to Francisco Germán Palomino Romera, by whom she has two sons, Felipe and Germán Palomino González. He studied law at Seville University and started his career as attorney specialising in labor law. While at the university he met members of the clandestine socialist trade union Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT). He also contacted members of

8170-577: Was elected as its president. Facing the elections the party stood in all provinces except in Catalonia and Galicia , where their referents were Convergence and Union (CiU) and Galician Coalition (CG), respectively. Paradoxically, although Miquel Roca was presented to the elections as the Prime Ministerial candidate, Roca ran under the CiU banner, not the PRD one. On the day of the elections,

8265-545: Was established until the age of 16. Internally, these years were marked by a harsh hostile campaign from ETA , with around one hundred dead throughout the 1982–1986 period as a result of terrorist activity , which was countered with a similarly harsh government response. The PSOE government also had to deal with the issue of military insurrectionism , with a profound reorganization of the Spanish Armed Forces by promoting an increase of civil authority over

8360-413: Was established. Cash benefits in social housing, universal healthcare and education were introduced, along with earnings-based benefits for widowhood, sickness, disability and retirement. A Ministry of Social Affairs was also set up, allowing for social services to be decentralised in the early Nineties and to be available to all citizens, rather than only to those with social security. The pension system

8455-472: Was extended from age 14 to age 16, university education was reformed and expanded, the social security system was extended and a partial legalisation of abortion became law for the first time, despite opposition from the Roman Catholic Church. González pushed for reforms and a restructuring of the economy. On 23 February 1983, the Government passed a law nationalising the company Rumasa ,

8550-602: Was extended to needy people, universal public schooling was expanded from all children under the age of 16, and new universities were established. Healthcare was reformed, with Gonzalez creating the National Health Service and accelerating the development of primary care medicine based on health centres, where integral primary care for adults, pregnant women and paediatric patients was provided. Gonzalez presided over an increase of youth and women's participation in government. State run Televisión Española reached

8645-575: Was held on Sunday, 22 June 1986, to elect the 3rd Cortes Generales of the Kingdom of Spain . All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as 208 of 254 seats in the Senate . The election was held after the referendum on Spanish membership in NATO in March 1986 had resulted in a surprising win for the 'In' camp headed by Prime Minister Felipe González . Reinforced from

8740-647: Was held, with the participation of members of the Majorcan Union , Canarian Convergence , the Independent Group of Almería , and Galician Coalition ; and its first “summit” took place on 5 July with representatives from 25 provinces in attendance. The reformist operation also had the support of the banking sector, and of the employers, especially the Spanish Confederation of Employers' Organizations (CEOE) , whose president promised

8835-407: Was introduced, while entitlement to paid holidays was extended to up to 30 days per year. Pension funds were also established, together with provisions for social tourism. In addition, the school-leaving age was raised from 14 to 16, while the number of educational grants was multiplied by eight. Unemployment protection was expanded and a national education system for children under the age of six

8930-454: Was more controversial, as the PSOE had campaigned for the holding of a referendum on the issue after Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo 's move to enter the alliance in May 1982. However, once in power Felipe González evolved to support NATO. According to Santos Juliá , the main factors that influenced the PSOE government's change of attitude were "pressure from the United States and several European countries;

9025-537: Was put in charge of the party's Global Progress Commission in response to globalisation . The commission's report formed the basis of the closing declaration of the 21st Socialist International Congress on 8–9 November 1999. He stood down as a deputy in the Spanish Parliament in March 2004. On 27 July 2007 the Spanish Government appointed him plenipotentiary and extraordinary ambassador for

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