A unique story. Spain, from dictatorship to democracy

Spain has long been an exception in Western Europe. The complicated and contested birth of a nation-state backed by the supremacy of the Catholic Church led, in the middle of the 20th century, to an anachronistic dictatorship. This is why Spain's democratic transformation after Franco's death came as such a surprise at the time.

By Hubert Peres, Professor of Political Science at UM (retired).

Hubert Peres is professor emeritus of political science at the University of Montpellier and a researcher at the Center for Political and Social Studies: Environment, Health, Territories (CEPEL, UMR CNRS – University of Montpellier), where he served as director from 2003 to 2015.