On 25 August 1976, the Spanish newspaper El País publishes an article on a meeting in Paris between Marcelino Oreja, Spanish Foreign Minister, and his French counterpart, Jean Sauvagnargues, focusing on the open political situation in Spain since the death of Franco the previous year.

The 27th Congress of the Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE), held on 5 December 1976 in Madrid, is the first Congress of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, still not legally recognised, to be held since the Civil War. At the Congress, Felipe González is confirmed as Secretary-General of the Party, receiving the support of the main European Socialist leaders. From left to right: Felipe González, Willy Brandt and Olof Palme.

Monograph published by the European Movement with the schedule, the list of participants, information and conclusions of the Madrid Conference organised on 26–27 October 1979 by the Spanish Federal Council of the European Movement to discuss the theme ‘Spain in Europe’.

Report by José Vidal Beneyto, General Secretary of the Spanish section of the Union of European Federalists, on the cultural dimension of Spain’s integration into the EEC.

On 23 February 1981, in Madrid, as the vote of approval is held for the appointment of Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo as Prime Minister, a group of Guardia Civil officers under the command of Colonel Antonio Tejero bursts into Congress and takes the Members of Parliament hostage. The attempted military coup d’état, which fails as a result of the decisive address given by King Juan Carlos on national television in which he denounces the coup and urges the upholding of the law and the democratically elected government, is the final totalitarian uprising against the fledgling Spanish democracy. This photo shows Colonel Tejero holding a weapon. On his left is Landelino Lavilla, President of the Chamber.

The Concluding Document of the Second Follow-Up Meeting of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), held in Madrid from 11 November 1980 to 9 September 1983, notes serious deficiencies in the implementation of the Helsinki Final Act and reaffirms the commitment of the participating States to respect the principles which govern their mutual relations, with particular regard to the peaceful settlement of disputes, disarmament and human rights.

On 2 January 1986, the Spanish newspaper El País publishes an article on the first official visit to Spain of the NATO Secretary General, Lord Carrington, and on his meetings with the government to discuss Spain’s continued membership of the NATO Military Committee despite the country’s non-participation in the Command Structure.

On 18 February 1986, Paolo M. Falcone, Secretary General of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, submits to the members of his group a note drafted by Enrique Barón, Head of the Spanish Delegation, on the foreign policy strategy of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) during the democratic transition, with particular reference to NATO.

In this interview, José María Gil-Robles, President of the Jean Monnet Foundation since 2008, emphasises the support shown by European political parties for the democratic transition in Spain, and the importance of the country’s accession to the Council of Europe as a necessary precedent for accession to the European Communities.

In this interview, Marcelino Oreja, Spanish Foreign Minister from 1976 to 1980, describes the stages in Spain’s rapprochement to the European Communities since the country’s democratic transition. He also mentions the reactions of the representatives of the Community institutions, the Council of Europe and the other Member States to the opening of accession negotiations.