Family businesses stepped forward to defend the Constitution amid polarization and political fever. They argued that a climate of robust consensus is essential to push reforms that protect living standards. Echoing cautions raised by groups like the Cercle d’Economia and Foment del Treball, they noted that the period from 1978 to 2009 yielded important gains in stability and prosperity. They also warned about how investment treaties touch the rule of law and urged wide consideration of these effects by everyone involved.
On the eve of Pedro Sánchez’s inauguration, after agreements with ERC, Junts, PNV and other allies, the Family Business Institute (IEF) — a network uniting nearly a hundred major Spanish firms alongside their 18 regional associations — issued a statement to highlight what Magna Carta represented. It spoke of “45 years of constitutional coexistence and economic prosperity.”
With this message, they urged democratic political forces to act with responsibility, moderation, and unwavering respect for core principles. Such conduct, they argued, has enabled Spain to become a free, dynamic, and modern society that many value today.
honda concern
Highlighting the legitimacy of government, these companies—born from the sessions of the Congress held on Wednesday and Thursday—stressed that they must deliver a robust response to investment agreements. They pointed to institutions and associations pivotal to Spain’s justice system, including the General Council of the Judiciary, the Judicial Professional Association, the Association of Judges for Democracy, the Francisco de Vitoria Judges Association, the Independent Judicial Forum Association, and the Justice Management System, among others, as central references.
This business coalition, which accounts for about 60 percent of GDP and 70 percent of private sector employment, has taken to heart the warnings from these authorities about how governance pacts could influence the rule of law. It refrains from using the term amnesty outright and stresses that the matter warrants careful reflection by all. It emphasizes that institutional stability and the social and democratic rule of law, as enshrined in the Constitution, have offered Spain its highest degree of freedom and prosperity to date. It also cautions that undermining the broad consensus around the 1978 Constitution could pull the country away from a historically favorable period.
Per person, both the IEF, led by Andrés Sendagorta, and its regional arms reiterate their commitment to “rigorous defense and respect for the institutional framework.” They note that changes in government occurred across the 45-year span of the Constitution and that the period saw significant milestones, including extensive decentralization in political and administrative life. From 1978 to 2022, Spanish per capita income rose from about 4,356 dollars to 29,350 dollars, a nearly sevenfold increase—described as the most prosperous era in the nation’s economy.
Nevertheless, they warn of looming dark clouds. Political polarization, frontism, and bloc politics threaten to erode hard-won democratic gains. The family businesses stress the need for broad political and social consensus to carry out major structural reforms in both political and economic spheres. They identify key problems such as unemployment, education challenges, budget imbalances, and rising public debt as areas requiring collective action.
They argue that the absence of reform would undermine competitiveness and slow Spain’s convergence with other European economies. They point to a trend where national income as a share of the European average declined from 82.4 percent in 2009 to 78.4 percent in 2022, underscoring the urgency of sustained reform and unity across political lines.