The Constitution of 1978

The Constitution of 1978 was drafted by a commission of seven deputies of different political parties in order to make a lasting constitution:

• UCD members: Miguel Herrero de Miñón, Gabriel Cisneros, and José Pedro Pérez-Llorca.
• PSOE member: Gregorio Peces Barba.
• PCE member: Jordi Solé Tura.
• AP member: Manuel Fraga Iribarne.
• Catalan minority member: Miquel Roca Junyent.

 The text of the Constitution was passed by the Cortes Generales on 31st October 1978. Spanish people ratified the text on 6th December 1978 in a referendum. 87.9% of the people who voted (67,1%) said yes to this constitution. It was sanctioned by the King Juan Carlos I on 27th December 1978.

The principles of the Spanish Constitution are:

• National sovereignty resides in Spanish people, who delegate their power to those representatives elected through universal suffrage.
• Division of powers:Executive, which is held by the President of the Government (who is appointed by the Congress of the Deputies).Legislative. It is composed of the Cortes (Congress of Deputies and Senate). Judicial Power
• The form of the State is the parliamentary monarchy.
• Rights (both civil and social) and liberties are acknowledged.
• There is political pluralism.
• There is not any official religion, although it acknowledges that there is a Catholic majority.
• There is a new national organisation based on municipalities, provinces, and autonomous regions.
• Spanish is the common official language. However, it also acknowledges co- official languages in several parts of Spain:
• After the approval of the Constitution the Cortes were dissolved and new elections were called.