The Cons uc ion o he Basque Pola ized Plu alism
F ancisco J. LLERA RAMO
Uni e sidad del País Vasco
Wo king Pape n.64
Ba celona 1993
The poli ical ansi ion om he au ho i a ian sys em o he plu alis egime
s a ed in Decembe 1976 wi h he Poli ical Re o m Ac and inished wi h he
app o ing e e enda o Cons i u ion and S a u es, being he i s one (Decembe
1978) gene al o he S a e and he second (Oc obe 1979) speci ic o he Basque
Coun y. The ollowing s age in bo h cases was ha o s a ing he p e iously
designed ins i u ion-building p ocess o esul in a hi d phase ha we migh de ine as
consolida ion o he democ a ic sys em which is he p esen one.
The Basque people ha e been called o polls mo e han wel e imes since
he i s ee elec ions in 1977. They ha e o ed he composi ion o he Houses in
Mad id and Vi o ia, o he egional ins i u ions o Ala a, Guipúzcoa and Vizcaya, o
he ci y councils and e en o he Eu opean Pa liamen , no o men ion he ou
e e enda. A he egional le el, he "inaugu al" 1980 elec ion opened a pe iod o
poli ical alignmen and ins i u ion-building hegemonized by he PNV (Pa ido
Nacionalis a Vasco, Basque Na ionalis Pa y) in a con ex o s ong an i-cen alis
mobiliza ion and o maximum ac i i y o he adical nacionalism's a med o ganisms a
he same ime as ETApm decided i s disolu ion. The second elec ions o 1984 we e
o "passage", ex ending he p e ious si ua ion o a e m sho ened by PNV's
pa liamen a y weakening e en ually leading o i s ea ly spli a he ime o de ining
he in e nal o ganiza ion o he Basque Coun y wi h he LTH as well as i s
alliance-poli ics. The hi d 1986 elec ions we e o " ealigning" as a esul o he
ca aclism caused by PNV's spli and he eme gence o a new pa y, EA (Eusko
Alka asuna) om which o he poli ical o ces would p o i ; o example, he PSOE
ob ains he op pa liamen a y posi ion and will ha e o ini ia e a new poli ical phase o
coali ion. The las elec ions o 1990 a e again " ansi ional" (1).
1. EMERGENCE OF POLITICAL PARTIES
The a i al o libe ies wi h ee and compe i i e elec ions' summons and
pa ies legaliza ion, made possible he public eme gence o a ich poli ical plu alism
which he Basque socie y had been ha ching du ing he las yea s o au ho i a ian
egime. Some pa ies (PSOE, PNV, PCE, ANV and he Pa ido Ca lis a now socialis
and a o ing wo ke s' sel managemen ) coun ed al eady wi h a cen ena y exis ence
o a leas had pa icipa ed in he las epublican expe ience and sha ed on ,
go e nmen and opposi ion om he beginning o he ci il wa . O he s, on he
con a y, eme ged wi h he ans o ma ion o dic a o ship and sha ed ou he legacy
bo h o he egime and o i s opposi ion.
Taking as poin o e e ence he i s ee elec ions o June'77 we ind al eady
a wide plu ali y o op ions: he old and he new ones, na ionalis and cen alis , hose
de i ed om he egime's poli ical amilies and hose which su e ed opposi ion, hose
connec ed wi h poli ical iolence and hose ha ejec ed i and inally, he igh , cen e
and le pa ies (2).
PSOE had o compe e wi h a splin e o i s his o ical sec o (PSOE-H) and
wi h he legacy o he in e io socialism collec ed by Tie no Gal án's PSP which
would la e join i . The PCE compe ed wi h communis o ganiza ions bo n om he
six ies' c isis: ORT, PT, EMK and LKI. The F ancois cen e - igh legacy will ind g ea
di icul ies o o ganize i sel in he Basque Coun y no being able o compe e in all
p o inces; namely UCD and AP do no compe e in Guipúzcoa, while some o he
empo a y unions appea (GU, DIV o he igh -wing FE-JONS and P o e is as). To
his cen e - igh block we mus add he Ch is ian-democ a ic opposi ion agglu ina ed
in he FDC whose delega es a he Basque Coun y will be he DCV la e o join in
he UCD. Las ly, close o he PNV's and ANV's his o ical na ionalism will eme ge he
so-called "abe zale le " o ganiza ions which in end o collec he legacy o ETA's
an i-F ancois igh om he i ies, namely he social-democ a ic ESB and ESEI, he
Euskadiko Ezke a coali ion ( o med by EIA, EMK, ES, EIC and suppo ed by
ETA-pm) wi h a e olu iona y ma xis end, and EHAS, a a con e gence s age o
c ea e HASI and LAIA suppo ed by ETA-m and ha will no compe e elec o ally un il
HB's c ea ion in 1978.
2. PERIODS IN THE CREATION OF THE BASQUE PARTY SYSTEM
The agili y and di icul c ys alliza ion o he Basque pa y sys em becomes
clea as soon as we ake a backwa d glance o wha has happened since he
beginning o ansi ion. To be e unde s and i s changes we can dis inguish ou
pe iods: (3) he i s one (1977-1979) is ha o he Basque ansi ion in he s ic
sense; he second (1980-1984), in e nal ins i u ion-building; hi d (1984-1986) c isis
o he hegemonic na ionalism wi h PNV's spli ; and he ou h (1986-1990) is he one
ha opens he phase o democ a ic consolida ion.
2.1. 1977-1979: he Basque ansi ion
This pe iod goes om he i s gene al elec ion o 1977 un il he egional
e e endum a he end o 1979 in which akes place he i s Basque pa y sys em's
main alignmen s. The celeb a ion o he cons i u ional e e endum (Decembe 1978)
which adds a conclusi e di e en ia ion ac o be ween he Basque pa ies, akes
place in hese yea s as well as he second gene al elec ion (Ma ch'79) and he i s
local and p o incial elec ions (Ap il'79) (4).
Cha 1
In 1977 na ionalism is no majo i a ian in he Basque socie y ye -al hough
he PNV is al eady he i s pa y- and he spli wi hin he abe zale le akes place on
he issue o he e o m accep ance. On he o he side, he s a e-wide op ions eme ge
wi h ela i e s eng h as a as imposing a Socialis p esiden (R. Rubial) a he
p e-au onomous Consejo Gene al Vasco (Basque Gene al Council) o med by he
pa liamen a y pa ies (PNV, UCD, PSOE and EE).
Besides his phase o plu alism and pa y-alignmen is ma ked by he
ag eemen poli ics namely he pa icipa ion o he mode a e na ionalism in he
discussion o he cons i u ional ex , al hough keeping i s non- o ing ese e a he
e e endum, he accep ance o amnes y and e o m by some o he adical
na ionalis s (EE), he p e-au onomic concen a ion go e nmen and he s a u o y
consensus jus b oken by he adical na ionalis g oup ha s ill ejec s e o m (HB).
The second gene al elec ions o Ma ch 1979 mean he eme gence o he
na ionalis majo i y as a esul bo h o he decline o he s a e-wide op ions and he
compe i ion o he newbo n HB (HASI, ESB and ANV among o he s) o he i s ime.
The p o incial and local elec ions in Ap il will con i m he na ionalis hegemony and
PNV's con ol o he ins i u ions, p o ing he weak e i o ial in oduc ion o he
s a e-wide op ions, specially he cen e - igh wing. This will o ce he Basque Gene al
Council's ans o ma ion ha will be chai ed om now on by C. Ga aikoe xea. HB
begins i s pa icipa ion a he polls bu a he same ime ejec s i s pa icipa ion a he
egional ins i u ions hus insu ing PNV's majo i y in hem.
Cha 2
2.2. 1980-1984: ins i u ion-building
This is he pe iod o he i s au onomous manda e du ing which all he
ins i u ional design begins o conc e ize no wi hou some s ains. I s a s a e he
elec ions o May 1980 (5) ha con i m PNV's majo i y. This pa y o ms he i s
egional go e nmen by i sel hanks o he majo i y gua an eed by HB's ins i u ional
non-pa icipa ion. Thus his pe iod begins wi h a na ionalis con ol o e all he local
ins i u ions ha will accele a e e en mo e he ini ial ecession o all he s a e-wide
op ions and e en UCD's b eakdown in he Basque Coun y. This si ua ion, wi h he
PNV compe ing agains he cen e - igh wing a he cen al go e nmen and HB
con ending wi h all he s a e-wide le o i s space, will succeed -wi h hei
implan a ion and imposing hei discou se p omo ing na ionalis con lic - in empo ally
demobilizing he non-na ionalis elec o a e (mo e han 48% o non- o ing in 1980).
The PNV's con ol o e he Basque ins i u ions, a e y weakened PSOE and
an UCD in c isis in Mad id will spoil he i s s eps o a consocia ional poli ics; he
coup a emp o 23-F in 1981, he Cal o So elo go e nmen and he new au onomic
policy s ablished by he LOAPA, s ongly suppo ed by he ising Socialis s, will mean
a eac i a ion o na ionalis con lic agains he s a e a he heigh o he egional
ins i u ion building p ocess.
Be ween 1979 and 1980 he mos decisi e momen o he di e se e o is
o ganiza ions' ac i i y akes place, specially ha o ETA which sums up o 242 dead
(a hi d o he o al igu e since he beginning o ansi ion). In spi e o all we canno
o ge ha in UCD's inal pe iod nego ia ions be ween he Home O ice and ETA-pm
ook place and culmina ed in his g oup's disa mamen in exchange o he so-called
"social ein eg a ion policy" which would adicalize and s ess ela ions be ween HB
and EE wi hin he Abe zale le . This p ocess will end wi h he cons i uen cong ess
o Euskadiko Ezke a, bo n om he uni ing o EIA, PCE/EPK's majo i a ian ac ions,
a g oup o HASI's ounde s and some Socialis s om ANV, ESEI and independen s
who abandon he ma xis -leninis de ini ion.
Table1
The Socialis success o 1982 (6) besides opening a new pe iod in Spain
means a eo ien a ion o he cen alis o e in he Basque Coun y as well as a new
de ini ion o ela ions be ween he Basque ins i u ions and he cen al go e nmen .
This change will be clea in he second local and p o incial elec ions o 1983 (7)
which a i y he na ionalis hegemony as well as PNV's and EE's ise and PSOE's
eco e y and show a mo e plu alis pano ama specially in he main indus ial ci ies.
Discussion o he egional elec o al laws and he pos poning o he Ley de
Te i o ios His ó icos (LTH, His o ic Te i o ies Ac ) -which had o delimi
compe ences, be ween Vi o ia's go e nmen and he p o incial councils- as well as
he Ley de No malización del Euske a (Euske a S anda diza ion Ac ) o ha o
symbology would open a new on o ensions in he na ionalis communi y a he
same ime as i sha pened he cen e -pe iphe y con lic .
2.3. 1984-1986: he na ionalis c isis
The second egional elec ions (1984) (8) will coincide wi h a s ong dissen
wi hin he PNV and o e he ins i u ional pa e ns o he Basque au onomous
communi y: ela ions be ween pa y and go e nmen , ep esen a i i y and decision-
making wi hin he pa y, A zalluz/Ga aikoe xea leade ship and he alliances poli ics
which opens he c isis in Na a a a e he egional elec ions o 1983.
We mus add o his in e nal a i ied a mosphe e - o he poin i obliged
Ga aikoe xea o p esen his p oposal o esigna ion as he candida e o lendaka i- he
iolen eac ion o ETA's sec ions ha killed he Socialis Sena o Casas in he mids

o he elec o al campaign, he i s nine mu de s o GAL and he i s depo a ions and
ex adi ions o ETA membe s by he F ench go e nmen .
Cha 3
Despi e all his he PNV will enew i s success in majo i y e ms al hough
PSOE's ise and he loss o ele ance o HB's ins i u ional non-pa icipa ion because
o i s ela i e ecession p o oke a pa liamen a y 32-32 d aw be ween Go e nmen
and opposi ion which will di icul hings o he single-colou go e nmen and oblige i
o each a e m-ag eemen wi h he PSOE.
Few mon hs a e he beginning o his e m he in e nal spli o PNV g ew
un il Ga aikoe xea's esigna ion om he lendaka i's pos in 1985 being subs i u ed by
J.A. A danza. The elec o al all o he pa y in he gene al elec ion o June 1986 will
accele a e he up u e in he pa y and he pa liamen a y g oup which culmina es in
he eme gence o a new na ionalis pa y led by Ga aikoe xea: Eusko Alka asuna
(EA).
1986 (9) will pe haps emain in Euskadi's poli ical his o y as a c ucial
momen and a poin o no e u n wi hin he c i ical ansi ion h ough which he
Basque ins i u ional sys em is going, whose main symp om is he lack o p ecise
delimi a ion o he composi ion, elec o al ou line and ideological dis ibu ion o i s
pa y sys em. Wha seems o eme ge in his c oss oads is he exhaus ion o a ce ain
policy-making pa e n o "ad e sa y poli ics" (10) ea u ed in his case by con lic
maximiza ion, cons an con on a ion, p imo dialis exclusi eness and he imposi ion
o a i icial single-pa y majo i ies.
2.4. 1986-1991: democ a ic consolida ion
This las pe iod begins in No embe 1986 (11) because o he ad ancemen
o he hi d Basque elec ion a e PNV's spli , and is cha ac e ized by a bigge
segmen a ion and plu alism in he pa y-sys em as a esul o he dis ibu ion o
PNV's o es be ween PNV and EA and o a hea ie elec o al weigh o he na ionalis
le (EE and HB), all his esul ing in PSOE's i s pa liamen a y ic o y.
The new pa y-compe i ion pa e n means a o al e olu ion in he Basque
poli ics; wi h he impe ious need o coali ions o go e n ins i u ions and he essen ial
consensus among democ a ic o ces o ace he inal phase o e o is ac i i y in a
poli ical ag eemen a mosphe e. In he i s case he sea ch o a pa liamen a y
majo i y culmina es in he PNV-PSOE coali ion go e nmen led by A danza; in he
second, he ag eemen poli ics esul s in he Aju ia-Enea Pac agains iolence
signed by all he Basque pa liamen a y pa ies (PNV, PSOE, EA, EE, PP and CDS)
excep HB in Janua y 1988.
A he same ime he hi d local and p o incial elec ions o May 1987 ex end
his plu alism o all he ins i u ions, wi h impo an e i o ial di e ences leading o a
new EA-EE coali ion a he Dipu ación Fo al de Guipúzcoa ha ma ches ano he
PNV-PSOE pac in Ala a and Vizcaya.
Las ly he ou h egional elec ions o 1990 de ine a new pic u e wi h he PNV
being he i s pa y again hanks o he ecession o EA and he es o pa liamen a y
pa ies -wi h he sole excep ion o PP, ha shows a sligh ecupe a ion. Ano he
signi ican ac o hese elec ions is he pa liamen a y eme gence o he old
"ala esismo" as a di e en ia ed poli ical op ion (Unidad Ala esa).
Cha 4
3. THE FOURTH REGIONAL ELECTIONS OF 1990
The ou h egional elec ions can be conside ed o con inui y al hough hey
do in oduce some signi ica i e changes ha mus be aken in o accoun . The
consolida ion phase ini ia ed du ing he las egional e m es s on he eco e y o he
ag eemen poli ics in he legisla i e p oduc ion, he imp o emen o ela ions be ween
he democ a ic pa ies and elax o hei ensions, he g ea pac legi ima ing and
mobilizing agains iolence, he coali ion policy, a la ge coo dina ion in he big
in es men plans, and specially he a i al o he economic g ow h and ecupe a ion
wa e.
The elec o al campaign o hese elec ions has been cha ac e ized by a
con inui y poli ical discou se and has ocused on he se e al possibili ies o he new
coali ion go e nmen , in which he PNV always appea ed as a cons an elemen , wi h
he es o pa ies compe ing o pa ne ship. Excep HB's con on a ion agains all
he o he pa ies, he p og amma ic shades and he hand- o-hand igh , essen ial in
any campaign, ha e his ime been conspicuously absen : one hing is - o excess-
he disquali ica ion poli ics and ano he - o de aul - no showing di e ences oo much
so ha he dis ance o co e in he ensuing nego ia ions would esul sho e .
To ideologize poli ics means o pu i on g and wo ds, symbols and
o hodoxy, which leads global p ojec s -no ma e how a om eali y hey migh be-
o p e ail o e means o ul il hem. On he con a y, o depoli icize he public li e
means o shadow di e ences, emp ying hem o signi icance and collec i e meaning,
and me ely ocusing on he ins umen al pa . We ha e gone om he ex eme o
ideological excesses -jus e ho ical many imes- o a ce ain in e es ed
depoli iciza ion disguised as p agma ism.
A non- o ing a e o 39 % has p obably been one o he mos discussed and
o la ges elec o al impac ac s o he las egional elec ions. I s ise o 9 poin s in
ela ion wi h he esul s o he elec ions o ou yea s be o e has had di e en
epe cussions on he di e se poli ical o ces which p obably means ha has a ec ed
some social sec o s o a la ge ex en han o he s. (See Figu e1).
The ac ha a 9% o he elec o al oll is eju ena ed since 1986 makes us
see he younges sec o as one o he mos a ec ed by his beha iou . A he same
ime, da a show ha non- o ing a es go up o mo e han 40% in he p o ince
capi als and mos indus ial ci ies whe e h ee signi ica i e sec o s a e concen a ed:
wo ke s, immig an s and he new middle classes.
The na ionalis pa ies, ep esen ing wo hi ds o sea s and o es, ha e los
abou 200,000 o es and 2 sea s on he whole; i we ake in o accoun ha he PNV
has won abou 18,000 o es and HB los 13,000 we ha e ha na ionalis non- o ing
comes specially om he poli ical cen e (EA has los 65,000 o es and 4 sea s) and
he mode a e le (EE has los 45,000 o es and 3 sea s). Opposi e o his, he
s a e-wide pa ies ha e jus los 6 sea s as a esul o ano he 100,000 non- o e s,
hal o hem PSOE's ollowe s. None heless, he cen e and igh sum up a li le mo e
han hal o he o e s and sea s and ha e only los a hi d o hei o al o es wi h
di e en si ua ions, namely: ecupe a ion o o es and sea s (+ 5) by PNV and PP
(wins 4 sea s and 28,000 o es a he expense o EA and CDS espec i ely); he
cu ious ac in his block is he success o "ala esismo" as sepa a ed o he egional
igh which shows up in he h ee sea s ob ained by UA.
Ou peculia pa liamen a y plu alism -highly agmen ed- designs a scene
o med by se en poli ical o ces: ou na ionalis , wo s a e-wide and one p o incialis
(UA in subs i u ion o CDS); o ou on he cen e and igh and h ee on he le , and
one an i-sys em opposi e agains all he es .
The ac ha none o he pa ies has he majo i y -wi h he i s pa y (PNV)
ep esen ing less han 30% o alid o es and abou 17% o he elec o a e, demands
a coali ion go e nmen . The bipa isan PNV-PSOE coali ion go e nmen was he one
wi h mo e p obabili ies coun ing wi h he pa liamen a y suppo o hal o he
Chambe and he con idence o me ely 30% o he elec o al body o 48% o o e s.
The PNV is he ising plu ali y which mus assume his go e nmen 's
leade ship knowing ha i is hegemonic wi hin he cen e - igh and ha coun s wi h
his social sec o 's economic suppo bu also ha i is one o ou na ionalis op ions
and ep esen s jus he 43 % o his sec o 's exp essed o e. The PSOE, ha ing los
he 20% o i s elec o a e o med specially by wo ke s and immig an s, leads he s a e
go e nmen and has expe ience in policy-pe o ming bu , jus like he PNV,
ep esen s jus he 40% o he o es o a no less dispe sed le al hough i
agglu ina es wo hi ds o he s a e-wide pa ies' o e.
Opposi e o hem, he opposi ion, pa liamen a y o no , should ep esen he
o he 52% o o e s and a wide a ie y o social sensibili ies.
3.1. P o incial di e ences
One o he Basque Coun y his o ical and poli ical ea u es is i s p o incial
di e en ia ion ha is e lec ed in he pa y-sys em and elec o al beha iou . This
became mo e acu e a he 1986 egional and he 1987 local and p o incial elec ions,
specially by PNV's spli and he eme gence o EA. In he las elec ions his ac has
no changed, specially in Ala a by he unexpec ed success o Unidad Ala esa (UA)
a e he abandonmen o PP by some o i s leade s.
Table2
Pa icipa ion le els a e e y simila in he h ee p o inces -a ound 60%- wi h
a all o a li le mo e han 10 poin s in Ala a and Vizcaya and o 7 poin s in
Guipúzcoa, which eaches he highe a e o pa icipa ion (62.3%).
The na ionalis op ions holding majo i y in all he p o inces, de ine ela i e
posi ions clea ly di e en ia ed. The na ionalis o e keeps i highes a e in Guipúzcoa
(71.6%) wi h a loss o a li le mo e han 1 poin , while in Vizcaya i emains a abou
wo hi ds (66.4%) wi h a all o 0.6 and Ala a ge s he lowes 50.3% a e alling
mo e han 8 poin s. While he PNV eco e s o e s in he h ee p o inces -wi h a ise
o 5.7 poin s in Vizcaya, 5 in Guipúzcoa and 2 in Ala a- he o he na ionalis pa ies
lose, ei he in a sligh and homogeneous way, as HB, o signi ican ly and
di e en ia ely as EE and EA. EA loses 49 % o i s o e s in Ala a, 40% in Vizcaya
and e en 30% in Guipúzcoa; EE ollows a pa allel line wi h a all o 44 % in Ala a, 37
% in Vizcaya and 33 % in Guipúzcoa.
The cen e - igh eco e s majo i y in Ala a (55.2%), wi h a ise o mo e han
5 poin s, and Vizcaya (52.3 %) inc easing 3 poin s, while he ad ancemen o 1 poin
in Guipúzcoa is no enough o sna ch majo i y om he le , ha keeps a 53.6% o he
o es. Ala a's ecupe a ion is due bo h o EE, PSOE and HB's losses and he ne
balances collec ed by PP (4 poin s) and he UA phenomenon (11.2% o o es). In
Vizcaya and Guipúzcoa he PP abso bes CDS' los : o e while he PNV canno
abso b all EA's losses, which e lec s ha he ad ancemen o he cen e - igh block
esul s om he ne losses o he le . We mus now add o he na ionalis op ions'
ecessions hose a ec ing he PSOE -which loses 14% o i s elec o a e in
o subs i u ing he PNV a he op o na ionalism and sees i sel obliged o e alua e
he esul s o i s u n owa d adical na ionalism wi hou his meaning ha a
mo emen owa ds socialdemoc acy would gua an ee be e esul s han he
assump ion o he ole o necessa y complemen o he adi ional na ionalism wi hin
a Ca alan- ype coali ion. EE aces i s i h Cong ess and he a i al o he egional
powe in i s wo se elec o al momen and a e he spli o he so-called "Auñamendi"
sec o , suppo e o a na ionalis iden i y and alignmen o c ea e a new na ionalis
and p og essi e poli ical o ce oge he wi h EA and hypo he ical sec o s o HB. PP's
p o isional eco e y does no close he endemic c ises o he s a e-wide cen e - igh
in he Basque Coun y, which mus now ace ano he o ganic ou b eak o one o i s
cha ac e is ical ea u es, namely he " o alismo" o p o incialism, in his case o UA in
Ala a and e en UV (Unidad Vizcaína) in Vizcaya.
The phase o poli ical no maliza ion -o consolida ion- led by he PNV-PSOE
coali ion om he go e nmen and by he EA-EE pe iphe ic bu al e na i e coali ion
om he opposi ion, and also by he Aju ia-Enea Pac , has allowed o e i alize he
le - igh axis and has a he same ime sha pened he sys em's cen ipe al ends. I
we add o his he shy ans o ma ion o he poli ical discou se and he change o he
go e nmen al scene p o agonis s we may o esee a backg ound o impo an
elec o al uns abili y and hus he absence o de ini i e c ys alliza ion o he
pa y-sys em.
Al hough we ha e no di ec ly men ioned he e o is iolence, we canno
o ge ha ETA and he social mo emen i leads h ough HB cons i u e an essen ial
ac o o he Basque poli ical sys em whose democ a ic consolida ion will equi e he
poli ical de ea and e adica ion o he iolen subcul u e i has gene a ed, eeding and
ep oducing he social and poli ical segmen a ion ac o s.
Go e nmen and opposi ion a e he wo sides o he same poli ical game. A
majo i y ha gi es i s suppo o go e nmen is as necessa y as a s ong
pa liamen a y opposi ion ha con ols he powe p ac ice, ep esen ing i s o e s, and
showing he possibili ies o al e nance in go e nmen . They bo h sha e he ask o
consolida ing he Basque poli ical sys em, based upon he in eg a ion o he di e se
poli ical subcul u es and social sec o s gene a ed by he Basque socie y and whose
ene gies' addi ion will ha e o make possible he majo i y uni y a ound a common
p ojec , ed by he poli ical cul u e and democ acy alues.
Such a consolida ion will allow he Basque socie y o do he necessa y
ans o ma ion o ace he challenges o a his o ic decade: he inal exi ou om ou
indus ial c isis, he impac o he Single Ma ke , Euskad's poli ical ubica ion in he
Eu opean poli ical union, he end o e o ism as well as he mode nisa ion o ou
physical, echnological, educa i e and wel a e in as uc u es.

Cha 1
Cha 2
Table1
Cha 3
Cha 4

Table2
Table3
Table4
Table5
Map2

Map3
Map4
Map5
Map6
Map7

Map8
Map9
REFERENCES
(1) VAN DER EIJK, Cees: "Tes ing Theo ies o Elec o al Cycles" in Eu opean Jou nal o
Poli ical Resea ch, 15. 1987, p. 253 and ollowing.
(2) LLERA, F ancisco J.: Pos anquismo y ue zas polí icas en Euskadi, Bilbao, Uni e sidad del País
Vasco, 1985; PÉREZ CALVO, A.: Los pa idos polí icos en el País Vasco. San Sebas ián,
Ha ambu u, 1977.
(3) We keep a pa allelism wi h he pe iodiza ion made o he Spanish case by MONTERO, José R.:
"Elecciones y ciclos elec o ales en España" in Re is a de De echo Polí ico, 25. 1988, p. 11-34. The
only di e ence is ha we ake he e he egional elec ions as e e ence.
(4) The bes app oach o unde s and his pe iod is he wo k o LINZ, Juan J.: Con lic o en Euskadi.
Mad id, Espasa Calpe, 1986. The Cons i u ion e e endum has been analyzed by DE BLAS,
And és: "El e e éndum cons i ucional en el País Vasco" in Re is a de Es udios Polí icos, 6. 1978.
The Es a u es e e endum has been s udied by DEL CASTILLO, Pila : "Re e éndum del Es a u o
de Au onomía del País Vasco" in Re is a del Depa amen o de De echo Polí ico, S. 1979-1980, p.
201-211; and CORCUERA, Ja ie and PEREZ CALVO, A.: "En omo al e e éndum del Es a u o de
Au onomía del País Vasco. No as sob e el subsis ema de pa idos asco", in REP, 12. 1979, p.
179-196.
(5) The i s egional elec ions ha e been analyzed, among o he s, by LLERA, F ancisco J.:
"Ca ac e ización sociopolí ica del sis ema de pa idos de la Comunidad Au ónoma Vasca y
Na a a" in REP, 20. 1981, p. 61-86, and PEREZ CALVO, A.: "Pa idos polí icos y elecciones de
1980 en el País Vasco" in REP, 14. 1980, p. 169-194.
(6) We s udy hese elec ions in o he wo ks: LLERA, F ancisco J.: "La es uc u a elec o al y el sis ema
de pa idos en las Comunidades Au ónoma del País Vasco y Fo al de Na a a después de las
elecciones gene ales de 1982" in REP, 34. 1983, p. 147-202; and "El sis ema de pa idos ascos:
dis ancia ideológica y legi imación polí ica" in Re is a Española de In es igaciones Sociológicas,
28. 1984, p. 171-206.
(7) LLERA, F ancisco J.: "La es uc u a polí ica asca en 1983" in Pape s, 22-23. 1984, p. 93-147.
(8) LARAÑA, En ique: "Las elecciones au onómicas de 1984 en Euskadi", in REP, 39. 1984; and
LLERA, F ancisco J.: "Las segundas elecciones au onómicas ascas" in RDDP, 23. 1986, p.
135-165.
(9) Conce ning he impo ance o he e en s in Euskadi du ing 1986, LLERA, F ancisco: "Euskadi'86:
La enc ucijada de la ansición" in Cuade nos de Alza e, 4. 1986, p. 52-63 and "Las elecciones
gene ales de 1986 en Euskadi" in REP, 53. 1986, p. 239-259.
(10) C . S.E. FINER (ed): Ad e sa y Poli ics and Elec o al Re o m. London, Cli e Wig am, 1975.
(11) LLERA, F ancisco J.: "Las elecciones au onómicas de 1986 en Euskadi: de la c isis al gobie no
de coalición" in REP, 56. 1987, p. 227-260; and "C isis en Euskadi en los p ocesos elec o ales de
1986" in RDDP, 25. 1988, p. 35-74.
(12) Following he e minology used by SARTORI, G. in: Pa idos y sis emas de pa idos. Mad id,
Alianza, 1980, p. 165... o he s ha e used his classi ica ion: LINZ, Juan J. in: Con lic o..., op.ci ., p.
317.., and GUNTER, R.; SANI, G. and SHABAD, G. in Spain A e F anco: The Making o a
Compe i i e Pa y Sys em. Be keley and Los Angeles, Uni e si y o Cali o nia P ess, 1986, p. 312.
(13) I has been de eloped by LAAKSO, Ma kku and TAAGEPERA, Rein in: "E ec i e numbe o
pa ies. A Measu e wi h Applica ion o Wes Eu ope" in: Compa a i e Poli ical S udies, 12. 1979, p.
3-27.
(14) The compa a i e s udy o he di e en pa ies belongs o José R. MONTERO's: Elecciones
legisla i as en España: p e e encias elec o ales y dimensiones de o o (being p epa ed by he
Cen o de Es udios Cons i ucionales). Mad id, 1991.
(15) RAE, Douglas W.: The Poli ical Consequences o Elec o al Laws. New Ha en, Yale Uni e si y
P ess, 1971, p. 47-64.
(16) LIJPHART, A end: Deg ees o P opo ionali y o P opo ional Rep esen a ion Fo mulas in
GROFMAN, B. and LUPHART, A. (eds): Elec o al Laws and Thei Poli ical Consequences. New
Yo k, Aga hon P ess, 1986, p. 170-179.
(17) This las compa a i e analysis has been de eloped by MONTERO, José R., LLERA, F ancisco J.
and TORCAL, Ma iano in: "Elec o al Sys ems in Spain: An Assessmen ", pape p esen ed a he
XV Wo ld Poli ical Science Cong ess o IPSA hold in Buenos Ai es (A gen ina) in July 1991.