Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation

Characteristic of both Spanish and Polish history was a democratic deficit. Francoist and communist dictatorships initially had a clearly totalitarian nature and evolved gradually towards an authoritarian rule marked by a limited pluralism. The authoritarian regimes in Spain and in Poland were overthrown in a peaceful way as a result of the pressure of democratic oppositions and by means of negotiations with reformist rulers. A democratic order in both countries has been established not quite easily. However, both relatively peaceful transitions have a universal meaning, they have been often pointed to as a model for Eastern Europe, Latin America and the present-day world.