Intellectuals and Autonomy

Abstract

The essay argues that we must understand the political horizon of galeguismo in terms of nationalism. In the last years of the fascist regime, the generation that lived under Franco’s dictatorship but who also lived the years of the Spanish Republic, tried to create Galician political parties. The political program of this generation included both the idea of Spain as a plurinational country and the desire of federalism as the right way to fulfil Galicia’s national aspirations. Only the defeat of Galician parties in the first democratic election forced them to implement a transversal action. They thought that Galicia’s material and moral interests were better protected if they were also defended by those Spanish political parties with electoral success: UCD, AP and PSOE. In this way galeguismo exchanged legitimacy for power and influence. This fading of the message was not aimless: the galeguistas searched more efficiency for similar objectives. They kept up a nationalization programme.