Il 27 December of the 1978, exactly 41 years ago, the Spanish constitution, which takes effect two days later. Thus ends the historical process known as “Spanish transition”, which transforms Franco's regime into a parliamentary monarchy.
The journey begins on November 20, 1975 with the death of General Francisco Franco, dictator who came to power in 1939, at the end of the civil war. Barely 48 hours after the disappearance of the Caudillo, Juan Carlos I he was proclaimed king of Spain and eight months later, in July 1976, a government was formed headed by Adolfo Suárez González. In October of the same year, the new executive presented a bill for the reform of politics which was then approved by the Chambers and submitted to a referendum in 1977.
Subsequently, a Royal Decree modifies the procedure for the election of the Chambers e on June 15, 1977 are held in Spain the first free elections from February 1936 (the year of the beginning of the civil war).
At that point, the new chambers take the initiative draft a new constitution, a possibility introduced with the previous political reform. After a rather complex elaboration, the definitive text is ratified by the Spanish people with the referendum of 6 December 1978. The promulgation takes place on December 27 and the entry into force on the 29th (not the 28th, because it is the day of the feast of the Holy Innocents, traditionally dedicated to jokes).
Later, the Spanish Constitution comes edited twice: to extend to citizens of the European Union electoral rights (active and passive) in local elections and to introduce the principle of balanced budgets.
