When another Asturias seemed possible: Regionalism and the heterodox Left during the Spanish Transition to Democracy

• Main Author: Patrick W Zimmerman
• Format: Article
• Language: Catalan
• Published: Universidad de Alicante 2018-10-01
• Series: Pasado y Memoria
• Subjects: asturias; regionalismo; izquierda; transición
• Online Access: https://pasadoymemoria.ua.es/article/view/2018-n17-cuando-otra-asturias-parecia-posible-regionalismo-y-la-izquierda-heterodoxa-en-la-transicion

The Transition in Asturias saw an intersection between regionalism and the minority parties of the left. Through personal and ideological connections, the regionalists extended their influence over the parties of the intelligentsia: Asturian Socialist Democracy, the Communist Movement of Asturias, and the Popular Socialist Party of Asturias. Although unsuccessful at the polls, the regionalists managed to influence both the definition of the new democracy in Asturias and the autonomy process through their election campaign and also through the merging of the PSPA regionalist block with the PSOE. From 1977 onwards, the PSOE became dominant but they did so only partially due to the incorporation and the cooption of other leftist trends. The Transition to democracy cannot just be understood by focusing on the elected winners; rather it is necessary to pay attention to the political environment of the time and the diversity of the groups that contributed to the articulation of the new concept of democracy.