Puedo prometer y prometo

Image of Adolfo Suárez González.

Puedo prometer y prometo (Spanish "I can promise, and I do promise...") is a classic catchphrase said by Spanish politician Adolfo Suárez, first said in the first post-Franco general elections in Spain in 1977.^[1]

The phrase, which was initially derided by some comedians^[2] soon became a definitive accolade for choosing Suarez and is remembered as one of the symbols of the Spanish Transition^[3][4] subsequently being used in popular parlance for both political and journalistic purposes.

Background

Francisco Franco died on November 20, 1975. Two days later, Juan Carlos I was proclaimed King of Spain at the Palacio de las Cortes palace in accordance with the provisions of the Spanish law of succession referendum, 1947. The first government under King Juan Carlos I kingdom was headed by Carlos Arias Navarro and failed in the attempt to transform Spain into a democracy, getting overwhelmed by the many demonstrations against it. So, in July 1976, Adolfo Suárez was appointed Prime Minister by the King. Despite not having initially public support, Suárez managed to unite all democratic forces to develop a process of reform that allowed turning the Francoist regime into a Western democracy.^[5] With that on mind it was enacted the Political Reform Act of 1977 the last of the Fundamental Laws of the Realm which had gone ahead through concessions made by the Government of Suárez and support of Torcuato Fernández Miranda as president of the Cortes, and was finally approved on the Spanish political reform referendum, 1976, the project received the approval of 94.1% of voters.^[5]

The Government, in agreement with the provisions of Royal Decree-Law 20/1977 of March 18 called for elections by universal suffrage for a new bicameral Parliament, to be held on June 15, 1977. In turn, they ensured that these elections were fully democratic and counted with the presence of the left through measures such as the legalization of the Communist Party of Spain, the dissolution of the Movimiento Nacional or extension of the amnesty.^[5][6]

Speech

The phrase, designed by Fernando Ónega,^[7] was part of the discourse of Adolfo Suárez, as candidate of the Union of the Democratic Centre, which was part of the free spaces that electoral political parties arranged to go to citizens in the closing of the election campaign, June 13, 1977. This speech, broadcast by RTVE and recorded by director Gustavo Pérez Puig, was the one that closed the election messages and was introduced by a tune whose lyrics said: "Vote center, vote Suárez, vote freedom. The sure path to democracy". Adolfo Suárez subsequently appeared on screen, uttering his discourse, with a first part relating to the promises fulfilled

I modestly believe that in this new moment for Spain and asking for your vote I'm not bringing my papers empty, nor am I a mystery. We promised to return sovereignty to the Spanish people, and tomorrow they exert it. We promised to normalize our political life, manage the transition peacefully, build democracy from the law, and we believe that, with the logical deficiencies, we've succeeded. We promised that all political families may have a place in Parliament, and they can do it on Wednesday.

Once Suárez had referred to the promises he had kept he used the formula "I can promise, and I promise..." to give strength to his speech

But if you give us your vote,

I can promise and I do promise that our government acts will constitute a staggered set of rational and objective steps for progressively solving our problems.
I can promise and I do promise to try to develop a constitution in collaboration with all groups represented in Parliament, whatever their number of seats.
I can promise and I do promise, because after the elections all the tools will exist, to devote all efforts to achieve social understanding to set new basic guidelines to be followed by the Spanish economy in the following years.
I can promise and I do promise that the men of the Union of the Democratic Centre will promote fiscal reform to ensure, once and for all, that pay more who have more.
I can promise and I do promise a legal framework to institutionalize each region on its own merits.
I can promise and I do promise that we will work with honesty, with cleanliness and in a way that you can control the actions of government.
I can, finally, promise and I do promise that the goal of a Spain for everybody won't be jeopardized by the ambitions of some and the privileges of the few.

Legacy

Logo of Union of the Democratic Centre.

The inclusion of the "I can promise and I do promise" formula in the final speech of the election campaign has been considered a posteriori as a key factor in the victory of the Union of the Democratic Centre, since a victory of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party was also considered possible.^[3][4] Suárez managed to identify UCD with himself (hence the use of the first person in the phrase) providing strength to a party which later (with Suárez's resignation in 1981) proved to be very unstable.

References

1. "El Presidente Suárez expuso las razones del Pacto de la Moncloa" (in Spanish). La Vanguardia. November 3, 1977. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
2. Morán, Gregorio (18 March 1995). "La paz pujoliana (y II)" (in Spanish). La Vanguardia. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
3. "La antivíspera electoral y su cumplimiento" (in Spanish). ABC. 10 August 1978. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
4. "Temor a que González repita los errores que cometió Suárez en 1979" (in Spanish). La Vanguardia. 13 June 1993. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
5. "La transición política. La Constitución de 1978 y el Estado de las Autonomías." (in Spanish). historiasiglo20.org. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
6. Ónega, Fernando (June 15, 2007). "La emoción de estrenar libertad" (in Spanish). La Vanguardia. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
7. "El 15-J lo ganó Curro Jiménez" (in Spanish). La Vanguardia. June 16, 2002. Retrieved July 15, 2012.

External links

• First Spanish electoral elections on TV in 1977 (Cut of «puedo prometer y prometo»)