Word: caudillo
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...France's Bourbon monarchs. Despite his lineage, however, the Prince is less the product of royalty than the creation of a commoner. Under the close surveillance and tutelage of Franco since he was ten years old, Juan Carlos has been so thoroughly molded in the image of el Caudillo that he might appropriately be dubbed "Francisco II." Often described as a storybook prince, he has in fact seemed more like the Sleeping Beauty of Spanish politics, a retiring figure patiently waiting for the kiss of Franco's death to free him from a somnolent existence lived...
...Falange veterans, who fought under their Caudillo during the Civil War, feel a deep loyalty to the existing political structures. If the "bunker" denounces reformist measures as the work of Communists, these former soldiers might well take to the streets with rallies and demonstrations. The Communists and other leftists would probably respond with counterprotests and a wave of economy-crippling strikes...
...regime fails to prevent a clash between rival political groups, Spain's military commanders may feel compelled to step in. Although kept deliberately apolitical by Franco, the officer corps is believed to be solidly loyal to el Caudillo's plans for the succession. Unlike Portugal's officers, they have not been radicalized by exposure to Marxist rebels in a losing African colonial war. The new King, in fact, is reportedly popular with the officers...
...come to be regarded not so much as a man but as an enduring symbol of authoritarianism. At 82, Francisco Franco y Bahamonde, the Caudillo of Spain, had become increasingly secluded, aloof from the people, distant even from his own subordinates. The olive-colored flesh sagged in folds from his face, his palsied right hand trembled continuously, and the speech-once shrill and demanding-was slurred and frequently unintelligible. The figure, barely 5 ft. 3 in. tall, had never been especially heroic, even in a general's uniform decorated with medals, sash and sword; in recent years it seemed...
...frailty of el Caudillo, who has looked all of his 82 years since he suffered a near-fatal illness in mid-1974, was a dramatic reminder of how much more the regime needs to do to relax its often harsh rule and prepare Spain for a smooth transition into a post-Franco era once the Generalissimo dies or, less likely, steps down. At a time when Spain badly needs closer ties with Western Europe to help sustain its rise to prosperity and ease the coming transition, an all but irrational outburst of anti-Spanish emotions in European capitals has left...