FROM AUTHORITARISM TO DEMOCRACY: THE EXAMPLE OF SPAIN 1957–1986

The essential characteristics of the authoritarian state-legal regime and corporate authoritarianism as its kind are revealed. On the basis of scientific researches of domestic and foreign scientists, the essence of the regime of Francisco Franco in Spain is determined and its political and legal characteristic is carried out. The reasons for the transition from authoritarian to democratic regime, the influence of internal and external factors on the functioning of the Franco regime and the causal link between the political decisions of the Franco period and the subsequent democratization of Spain's social life are explored. The most important normative legal acts of the period of «frankism» and «post-frankism» are analyzed, their importance for the further democratization of the state and society. The role of various social institutions in democratic transit, the patterns of development of the Franco regime and its importance for the democratization of Spain is explored. The focus of the article is on exploring the evolution of the Franco regime and its gradual democratization. The influence of internal and external factors on changes in the Franco regime policy is investigated. The impact of social institutions, in particular the monarchy and the church, on the overall orientation and individual political decisions of the Franco regime is analyzed.In analyzing the socio-political changes of the post-frankist, particular attention is paid to the dialectical connection with the second period of Franco's reign. The role of social and political compromises of the post-frankish era in the process of democratic transit in Spain is determined. The mechanisms of social and political interaction in Spain of the period 1957–1986, the importance of these two periods for the further social development and integration of the country into the European and world community are examined.