This article gives an overview ofliberalism and radicalism in Spain. It is limited toliberal andradicalparties with substantial support, mainly proved by having been represented in parliament. The sign ⇒ denotes another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it is not necessary that parties label themselves as a liberal or radical party.
In the nineteenth century, liberalism was a major political force inSpain, but as in many other continental European countries care must be taken over the use of labels as this term was used with different meanings (this is discussed in the article onRadicalism (historical).
As in much of Europe, the nineteenth-century history of Spain would largely revolve around the conflictsbetween the three major liberal currents - radicalism; progressive classical liberalism, or conservative classical liberalism. While all three rejected the Catholic, traditionalist, and absolutistOld Regime, each had a different perspective on the urgency and degree to which state and society needed reforming to modernize the values and institutions.
The term 'liberal' itself was usually used to signify classical liberalism. It had a progressive-liberal wing as represented by theFusionist Liberal Party (more inclined towards gradual reform, and making compromises with the radical current); and a conservative-liberal wing as represented by theLiberal Conservative Party (more inclined towards traditionalism, and compromising withthe absolute-monarchist faction).[1] Its various currents were broadly united by a set of shared beliefs:
In constitutional affairs, flexible towards the type of constitutional regime (monarchy or republic).
For theleft-liberal and social-liberal currents, 'liberal' was rarely used as the single defining label. Instead such currents rather used labels such asradical,democratic orrepublican (seerepublicanism). The shared beliefs that generally unified its various factions included:
1808-12: Until 1839 the Spanish liberals were not organized in a well-established party, but formed their own factions. During theWar of Independence and theConstitution of Cádiz the termLiberals (Liberales, 1812-1820) was used to describe the diverse range of currents influenced by theEnlightenment andFrench Revolution and united in rejecting the absolutism of the Bourbon monarchy.
1820-39: Between 1820 and 1839 the Liberals split into two factions. The 'Radicals' (Exaltados), known asVeinteanistas (Supporters of 1820) were inspired by French Jacobinism and Radicalism and wished to draft a new more progressive constitution based on universal suffrage; the 'Moderates' (Moderados), closer to classical liberalism, were known asDoceanistas (Supporters of 1812) as they wished simply to restore the more limited constitution of 1812.
1880: The majority of Liberal currents united in theFusionist (i.e. merged) Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Fusionista), led by Sagasta, though some more Radical factions remain outside the party
1882: A left-wing faction of the party established the ⇒Dynastic Left, most of its members returned between 1884 and 1886 to the Liberal Fusionist Party
1868: The republican wing of the ⇒ Democratic Party established theFederal Democratic Republican Party (Partido Republicano Democrático Federal), also known as the Republican-Democratic Party
1878: A faction joined the ⇒ Reformist Republican Party
1879: A left wing faction of the ⇒ Progressives with dissidents of the Reformist Republican Party formed theDemocratic Progressive Party (Partido Progresista Democrático)
1929: A left-wing faction established the ⇒ Radical Socialist Republican Party
1933: Due to the development into a conservative party, the liberal wing seceded as the ⇒ Radical Democratic Party. The original party disappeared in 1939
1926:Manuel Azaña established theRepublican Action (Acción Republicana), as a cross-party thinktank which initially worked closely alongside the Radical Republican party.
1931: Republican Action was converted into a political party.
1934: The party merged with a politically similar Galician regional party and the left-wing faction of the ⇒ Radical Socialist Republican Party into theRepublican Left (Izquierda Republicana)
1939: The party is banned, though there were later attempts to revive the party after 1976[citation needed]
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