Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo y la Transición exterior: La prioridad europea

Abstract

Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo played an important role in Spain’s transition to democracy, serving as minister and later prime minister. His political career was closely linked to Foreign Affairs and to the process of the “Foreign Transition” as he liked to call it. This paper, largely based upon his personal archives, analyses his thought, and how his idea of Europe played an important role in the formulation and execution of his policy. Calvo-Sotelo’s ideas and achievements are compared with those of other political leaders of the time, such as Adolfo Suárez and Felipe González. The conclusions show the nature and characteristics of Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo’s pro-European ideas.