71
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
F. Sánchez, The Rise of Astrophysics in Modern Spain, Astronomers’ Universe,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66426-8_9
9
The Reluctant Chancellor (1976–1980)
The end of the seventies, after the death of the Dictator, was a troubled and
decisive epoch for Spain. Europe had recovered from the drama of the Second
World War but was now in the throes of the ‘Cold War’, and the geostrategic
situation of the Iberian Peninsula and its archipelagos had assumed a new
importance. Both inside and outside the country there were high hopes and
worries over what was about to take place here. At the Instituto de Astrofísica
de Canarias we were deep in negotiations over the International Agreements
concerning Astrophysics, and I remember the great interest of European colleagues when they asked questions about what was happening. Some came to
Madrid to see with their own eyes what was going on.
The truth was, we had endured too many years of repression and ideological gagging through the vested interests of the ruling class, and there was a
new unindoctrinated youth bursting with ideals, that had begun to stir and
effervesce. We had already left our rationing cards behind, the free public
health service had begun to function, and ‘development plans’ had improved
the Spanish economy. Families made sacrifices to provide their children with
an education, which was then a guarantee of a better life. It was clear that we
were emerging from misery and were all eager to help move things forward,
even at the cost of having to forget past wounds and grievances. On this social
reality was built what was to become known as Spain’s ‘Democratic Transition’.
On 18 November 1976, the Francoist Parliament effectively committed
hara-kiri by passing the Law of Political Reform, which ended what had hitherto been called ‘organic democracy’. This law was ratified by popular referendum on 15 December.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
F. Sánchez, The Rise of Astrophysics in Modern Spain, Astronomers’ Universe,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66426-8_9
9
The Reluctant Chancellor (1976–1980)
The end of the seventies, after the death of the Dictator, was a troubled and
decisive epoch for Spain. Europe had recovered from the drama of the Second
World War but was now in the throes of the ‘Cold War’, and the geostrategic
situation of the Iberian Peninsula and its archipelagos had assumed a new
importance. Both inside and outside the country there were high hopes and
worries over what was about to take place here. At the Instituto de Astrofísica
de Canarias we were deep in negotiations over the International Agreements
concerning Astrophysics, and I remember the great interest of European colleagues when they asked questions about what was happening. Some came to
Madrid to see with their own eyes what was going on.
The truth was, we had endured too many years of repression and ideological gagging through the vested interests of the ruling class, and there was a
new unindoctrinated youth bursting with ideals, that had begun to stir and
effervesce. We had already left our rationing cards behind, the free public
health service had begun to function, and ‘development plans’ had improved
the Spanish economy. Families made sacrifices to provide their children with
an education, which was then a guarantee of a better life. It was clear that we
were emerging from misery and were all eager to help move things forward,
even at the cost of having to forget past wounds and grievances. On this social
reality was built what was to become known as Spain’s ‘Democratic Transition’.
On 18 November 1976, the Francoist Parliament effectively committed
hara-kiri by passing the Law of Political Reform, which ended what had hitherto been called ‘organic democracy’. This law was ratified by popular referendum on 15 December.