Constitution of Spain

The 1978 constitution anchoring democratic transition after Franco.

Overview

Ratified by referendum in December 1978 with about 88 percent approval, the Spanish Constitution was crafted by representatives of all major parties during the transition from the Franco dictatorship. It established a parliamentary monarchy, a robust catalog of rights protected by a Constitutional Court, and an autonomous communities system devolving substantial self government to regions, an answer to historic centralist and separatist tensions. Article 2 famously balances the indissoluble unity of the nation with the right to autonomy of nationalities and regions. It is among the younger West European constitutions and has required only two substantive amendments, both concerning EU treaties.