La transición española a la democracia desde las perspectivas de la continuidad del Estado

Talking about the continuity of a State means first identifying the transformations that might impact its identity. Different theories have been developed in order to investigate this matter, some of which have an exclusively juridical meaning (Adolf Merkl), while others show a more political one (Georges Burdeau, Claudio Pavone). Our essay deals with the question whether these theories are applicable to Spain, mostly in relation to one of the fundamental moments in its recent history, i.e. the transition from Francoist dictatorship to democracy. This process, commonly known as Transition, certainly was at first sight an evolution, which went fast but without institutional breaks. However, we should also question if there were in it any trait of radical discontinuity with the past. A reconstruction of the most significative events of this period will help us to achieve a broader answer.