Spain

Since the death of Franco in 1975, Spain has passed from repression through renewal to democracy, restored for the first time since 1936. Having survived the threat to its very existence in 1981, democratic Spain?now a member of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?seems as secure as any of its European neighbors. The accession to power in 1982 of the first socialist government in Spanish history marked the smooth transition from right to left that many, including Arango, believe was the crucial rite of passage to stable democracy.Spain: Democracy Regained is a greatly expanded and revised version of Spain: From Repression to Renewal. Aside from his presentation of historical and geographical background and of the Franco years, the author has rewritten the remainder of his study, utilizing a wide array of new information and interpretation. Arango explores the function of the military, reinterprets the role of the king in the transition and in the 1981 crisis, and provides a thorough analysis of political parties. He reexamines the state of the economy under the socialist government and reassesses Spain's most intractable problem?ETA violence?and its greatest strength?the exuberant Spanish culture that was given international exposure in 1992 at the World's Fair in Seville and at the Olympic Games in Barcelona. Woven throughout are Arango's fresh insights into Spanish society and politics during the socialist decade.

E. Ramón Arango is professor of political science at Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge.