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. The character of regime consolidation has of course been much influenced by the character of the transition to democracy. Consensus at elite level was crucial to the smoothness of the post-Franco transition. With the important exception of the regional question, Spain's post-Franco constitutional settlement has been surrounded by considerable political consensus. The brief survey of inter-party relations in the 1980s indicates some positive trends for democratic consolidation. Little progress has been made in relation to the parties and democracy more generally becoming rooted in society, despite but also because of the parties' central role in the post-Franco democratization process. The Socialists in office thus deserve some credit in respect of democratic consolidation, particularly for increasing governmental authority compared with the military.
