REASON PREVAILS. THE INCOMPARABLE TRANSITION

Abstract

As we approach the 45th anniversary of the first democratic elections, certain opinion groups are suggesting that Spain needs a grand national pact, similar to the one that has existed in the Federal Republic of Germany for over five years, to overcome the difficult times ahead. It seems appropriate to recall that, strictly speaking, our Transition was a broad and unprecedented national agreement, even though there are still Spaniards, primarily young people, who are unaware of it, despite the ancient Herodotus's teaching that "History is the great teacher of life." We must clarify that, contrary to what Gimbatista Vico asserted during the height of absolutist Baroque rule, history never repeats itself, although it may sometimes resemble it. Furthermore, when judging public action—as we will do below—we must bear in mind that, according to Bismarck, "politics is the art of the possible." But achieving what is possible always demands a precise understanding of past events and acting, from the urgencies of the present, with a view to the future.