ABSTRACT
One of the main indicators about the quality of democracy is the strength and involvement of interest groups and civil society in a particular political system. Most new democracies need a long period of at least three decades to develop new democratic patterns of interest intermediation. As already mentioned in Chapter 2, Spain has still one of the lowest levels of associativism in the European Union. It contrasts heavily with countries in Northern Europe such as Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands. However, apart from the exception of Slovenia, Spanish civil society is stronger than most countries in central and eastern Europe, which had to dismantle previous state organisations in order to create a pluralist society. The Spanish authoritarian regime under Franco allowed for some associativism, however it was biased towards associations with ideological affinity. Interest groups and associations of civil society are here understood as private organisations which are independent from state and are committed to influencing public policy within a democratic context. Although this chapter stands on its own, it is advisable to read it in conjunction with Chapter 2 which has much additional information.
