ABSTRACT
The current major issues in electoral politics are the different conceptions of how to move forward in terms of constitutional politics. After twentyfive years of the constitution, the People’s Party and the Socialists presented different proposals to adjust the constitution to the developments and dynamics created by the state of autonomies. The regionalisation and decentralisation of the former unitary Spanish state led to the emergence of a federal state, which is not enshrined in the constitution. This naturally is leading to pressure to reform the constitution, so that the new reality is fully recognised. In this respect, two positions emerged which are clearly contrary to each other. While PP under Jose´ Marı´a Aznar clearly want the constitution to remain untouched as a kind of magna carta, there are calls from the Socialists and the regionalist-nationalists to move towards a federal structure. Aznar clearly presented his so-called ‘patriotic constitutionalism’ (constitucionalismo patrio´tico) – a concept originally coined by German philosopher Ju¨rgen Habermas to characterise the relationship of citizens towards the German Basic Law – in the national electoral campaign of 2000 against the proposal of the PSOE, at that time under the leadership of Joaquı´n Almunia, to move towards fully fledged federalism. The question on the constitution gained renewed importance during the preparation for the autonomous and local elections of 2003 which included proposals from regionalist-nationalist parties as well. The PP feared that any change in the constitution would lead to the opening up of a Pandora’s box leading to calls for further asymmetrical federalism and even independence (El Paı´s, 19 January 2003:17-22). This is one of the reasons why Aznar is quite opposed to the regionalist-nationalists in the Basque Country under lehendekari (regional president) Juan Jose´ Ibarretxe, who was able to win a strong majority in the regional elections of 13 May 2001 (El Mundo, 15 May 2001:5). Ibarretxe is presently pushing for a referendum towards self-determination. On 27 September 2002, he proposed a model of free association with Spain, which would lead in the end to full independence. This was utterly rejected by the two main parties (El Paı´s, 9 July 2002:15; El Paı´s, 1 September 2002:15; El Paı´s, 29 September 2002:24-27; El Paı´s, 6 October 2002:22).
