The Spanish Government is working overtime to stave off a huge social and political explosion this autumn that would spell its defeat-and the defeat sents.
Since Franco's death both Arias Navarro and his.successor as premier, Adolfo Suarez, have tried to get on top would give the Government some respectability" abroad and at least home. But the strength of the die-hard right-wing faction inside the regime paralysed the Arias Navarro Government, and as soon as the Spanish workers became tired of living off its empty promises it collapsed.
even trickier political situation. The basic problems of the economy-run away inflation of over 25 per cent, per sistent unemployment, a worsening balance of payments caused by de clining tourism and the weak position ol spanish exports-nad not beer of the peseta. At the same time the combativity and organisation of the workers was growing stronger.
In October the key collective wage agreements expire. Experience shows that only sharp repression could pre and coordinated, but this would have the effect of politicising the struggles and producing turbulent solidarity actions.
October, in une openang move or a Common Market, with a view to paving the way for Spain's admission. For this visit to occur at a time of upto turn it into a disastrous debacle.
Weakness to smithereens. But the leading forces that they are "revolutionaries) -are completely tied up in the so-called "democratic opposition", where they Meanwhile the present Government remains in office, and if anything should go wrong between October and May, well •.. there s arways the Arm) (and the Civil Guard, and the Armed Police, and the torturers and ....)
The only snag is the thorny question of the Communist Party.
An interesting development has been the statement by the leader of a small middle-class group in the Democratic Coordination-Professor Tierno Galvan of the Popular Socialist Party-who recently proclaimed that *the legalisation of the Communist Party was not a precondition for negotiations between the opposition and the Government.
If this was just the first break in the ranks of the Democratic Coordination it would be important encouragement to the Government. But. significantly. Galvan and the PSP are old allies of the communist rarty• Could talval actually be floating a bailoon for the leadership of the CP itself! Decisions This possibility is reinforced by recent decisions of the Communist Party Central Committee (which met il Italy) to operate openly inside Spain, despite the legal ban to which it is subject. This suggests that the CP, in the interests of making a deal with Suarez, is considering accepting 'toleration' from the Government rather than insisting after the referendum.
Despite all these manoeuvres by the enemies and mis-leaders of the working class, it is unlikely that the hope of 'democracy in 1977 will prevent important economic struggles inevitable repression that will follow is likely to exhaust the patience of the Spanish masses.
They have had almost a year of empty promises. And already th Suarez Government looks like backpeddling-its much vaunted amnesty was first supposed to free 90 per cent of political prisoners; this then became scaled down to '50 per cent'; at the present time the tribunals charged wit laboriously implementing the amnesty have only seen fit to free about 150 militants out of more than 1500 prisoners. Only by bringing down the Francoist regime can its opponents finally be assured of their