ABSTRACT

The programme of privatisation of state industries in Spain effectively started in the mid-1980s.1 At that time the government considered that the policy would transform the inefficient companies of the state sector. The aim was to raise the performance of the companies, in order to enable them to perform better in a competitive business environment. This was the impetus behind the sale of SEAT2 (the car company) and Pegaso (the truck company). Nevertheless, while there were some privatisations during the 1980s, the bulk of activity took place in the 1990s.