News, November 2003

News Theme: Spanish Constitution is 25 years old

On 6th December, 1978, the Spanish Constitution was formally signed by the king, Juan Carlos and political leaders. Spain ceased to be a dictatorship and began a so far successful period of peace (mostly) and prosperity under democratic rule. As the 25th anniversary has approached, the consensus which held the constitution in high respect over these years has begun to break.

In particular, the Basque Country feels that it has never been fully appreciated and wants to express itself politically in a more independent way than allowed by the constitution. Other regions, such as Catalonia, are also pushing for more autonomy and possible minor tweaks of the constitution, but nothing like the Basque attempt at redefining itself.

To read the Spanish Constitution for yourself, go to this site: http://www.senado.es/constitu_i/indices/constit_insis.html