The Business Community in Times of Change

Power, business and politics in the transition to democracy

Abstract

The transition to the democracy necessarily imposed the reform of the associative business franquista system and the gestation of a new model, adapted to the rules of the new regime. But as one and another assumed the same objective and the same strategy to assure the defense of their interests before the public powers: the conversion of the organization in political actor, although under different formulas. During the transition, the leaders of the CNE tried to take refuge in the franquista corporative schemes. In the democratic phase consolidation, however, CEOE acted like a political formation to obtain the access to the power of those political parties that offered greater guarantees for their interests.