ABSTRACT
Spain’s process of democratic consolidation in the 1980s has proven at times to be one of the most hazardous of recent southern European experiences. Colonel Tejero’s dramatic invasion of the Cortes in February 1981 illustrated the fragility of the new regime, which has also been challenged by the violence of the Basque separatist organization, ETA. Yet though political violence has persisted, the consolidation of the postFranco regime has advanced during this decade, and as it has done so the character of Spain’s democracy has become more evident.
