Miquel Roca (Barcelona, 1940) was one of the "fathers" of the Constitution and spokesman for the Catalan group in Congress from 1977 to 1995. He played a fundamental role in the construction and modernization of democracy.
How do you analyze that resounding victory of the PSOE and what did it mean for Spain in the eighties?
The UCD played a historic role in guaranteeing a smooth transition, but when that role was no longer necessary because the country had been built, a second part was needed: guaranteeing alternation. The UCD was worn out because it had no more content, and the PSOE arrived as an expression of an alternation that was constitutionally possible. Indicates the stability of the system.
From here, what are the fundamental projects that are launched?
There are two spectacular changes in the field of health and education. And in a second part there is the effective entry into the European Union and the consolidation of Atlanticism with the NATO referendum. That absolute majority of the PSOE also invites many to reflect on the construction of other options that can generate more ideological perspectives.
And with this absolute majority, what was your relationship with the government, your dialogue?
It was so easy. With Felipe González we belonged to the same generation and we had built personal relationships since before 1977, with coexistence in the opposition. They did exercise this majority very strongly, saying “we are here”. But at this time the consolidation of regional power I am not saying that it had an easy dialogue but it was positive.
The Loapa (the law that wanted to limit regional development) had been approved in 1982, and the Constitutional Court revoked it. How was the autonomous development promoted?
The 1981 coup d'état marked a strong inflection in the process of autonomous development. We had to administer it with the socialists, who are receiving the impact of the annulment of the TC. Here the PSC enters into crisis, which was somewhat marginalized because there is an easier dialogue between the Spanish Government and that of the Generalitat. The mixed transfer commission, of which I was president, was a great center for the construction of autonomous power. There were many transfers and it was very operational.
He spoke of that absolute majority, and of the construction of new spaces, which was attempted from CiU with the Reformist Operation
For us, centrality was a fundamental issue and from the Generalitat we wanted to have a possibility of growth. We needed a space of centrality that had disappeared with the decomposition of the UCD. Catalonia understood it but Spain did not want to.
It was possible to build the country that was projected.
Stability requires solid and strong parties. If there is no strength, there is no government or government pacts. We had an absolute majority in Catalonia, we were able to agree on many things with the Socialists, who also had an absolute majority. I keep that image of strong parties, rooted in the reality of the country, and that gave stability to the economy.
Politics today revolves around a bloc confrontation.
The more complex the problems, the more consensus there is. There is no country in the world that has emerged from economic crises and has generated welfare policies without a certain consensus on basic issues. There is no freedom without respect for difference, and if we dedicate ourselves to the nominal defense of difference, we will find no way out. We have turned the adversary into the enemy and thus there is no solution.
They were intense years, you spent 17 years in Congress, did you make and keep friends?
Many and I maintain them, and I would be ashamed not to have achieved it. He was already a friend of Narcís Serra, and I have it with Felipe González, Almunia, Solana, Solchaga, with many. Although we disagree on the platform, we are true friends, of feeling.
