The beginnings of parliamentary diplomacy in Spain during the Constituent Legislature (1977–1979) ; Los inicios de la diplomacia parlamentaria en España durante la Legislatura Constituyente (1977–1979)

Abstract

The accelerated process of internationalisation initiated in the 20th century changed the relations among states and the traditional diplomatic models —monopolised by governments—, making it possible the appearance of alternative formulas in which other actors started to share prominence in international affairs with the executive branch. Thus, the foreign action undertaken by Parliaments caused the birth of the so-called 'parliamentary diplomacy', complex and dynamic system that served to relaunch the defence of the nation's interests, to consolidate international law and to strengthen cultural and commercial bonds between countries. Spain joined this new form of diplomacy during the transition to democracy and, specifically, during the constituent legislature (1977–1979), when the Cortes took an active part in the implementation of normalization and integration politics that should leave behind the isolation of the preceding period of dictatorship. Starting from the analysis of parliamentary archive documents, this article studies the main lines of action that dominated the beginnings of parliamentary diplomacy in Spain and its effects over the international activity displayed by the state as a whole. ; El proceso acelerado de internacionalización iniciado en el siglo XX modificó las relaciones entre Estados y los modelos diplomáticos tradicionales —monopolizados por los Gobiernos—, posibilitando la aparición de fórmulas alternativas en las que otros actores comenzaron a compartir con el Ejecutivo el protagonismo en el ámbito de la política internacional. Así, la acción exterior emprendida por los Parlamentos dio lugar al nacimiento de la denominada «diplomacia parlamentaria », sistema complejo y dinámico que sirvió para relanzar la defensa de los intereses de las naciones, consolidar el derecho internacional y fortalecer la colaboración cultural y comercial entre países. España se incorporó a esta nueva forma de diplomacia durante la transición a la democracia y, en concreto, durante la Legislatura Constituyente (1977–1979), en que las Cortes tomaron parte activa en la implementación de políticas de normalización e integración que debían dejar atrás el aislamiento que había caracterizado la precedente época de dictadura. Partiendo del análisis de la documentación archivística parlamentaria, este artículo estudia las principales líneas de acción que definieron los inicios de la diplomacia parlamentaria en España y sus efectos en el conjunto de la actividad internacional desplegada por el Estado.The accelerated process of internationalisation initiated in the 20th century changed the relations among states and the traditional diplomatic models —monopolised by governments—, making it possible the appearance of alternative formulas in which other actors started to share prominence in international affairs with the executive branch. Thus, the foreign action undertaken by Parliaments caused the birth of the so-called 'parliamentary diplomacy', complex and dynamic system that served to relaunch the defence of the nation's interests, to consolidate international law and to strengthen cultural and commercial bonds between countries. Spain joined this new form of diplomacy during the transition to democracy and, specifically, during the constituent legislature (1977–1979), when the Cortes took an active part in the implementation of normalization and integration politics that should leave behind the isolation of the preceding period of dictatorship. Starting from the analysis of parliamentary archive documents, this article studies the main lines of action that dominated the beginnings of parliamentary diplomacy in Spain and its effects over the international activity displayed by the state as a whole.