UCD and the Law of University Autonomy: an impossible mission (1977-1982)

Abstract

Between 1977 and 1982 the successive UCD governments under the presidency of Adolfo Suárez and Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo tried, unsuccessfully, the approval of a Law of University Autonomy (LAU). This article analyzes the causes of this failure by addressing the various factors and agents involved. The debate on the LAU brings us closer to the situation of the Spanish University during the Transition and also allows us to better understand the delicate nature of the internal balances within UCD, the ruling party. The main sources used were the reports or statements of the protagonists, the national press and above all, in what constitutes the most original contribution of this paper, the personal Archives of President Calvo-Sotelo. An extensive documentary collection that sheds new light on this controversial topic.