"" (''coffee for all'', or ''coffee for everyone'') is a popular expression in
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
that has the sense of offering the same treatment to all parties involved in an issue in order to please (or displease) everyone equally. It was pronounced for the first time by
Manuel Clavero Arévalo, minister between 1977 and 1980, that is, during the
Spanish transition to democracy
The Spanish transition to democracy, known in Spain as (; ) or (), is a period of History of Spain, modern Spanish history encompassing the regime change that moved from the Francoist dictatorship to the consolidation of a parliamentary system ...
. At this time Spain was going from dictatorship to democracy and one of the great debates about the formation of the new nation was whether to form a
centralist
Centralisation or centralization (American English) is the process by which the activities of an organisation, particularly those regarding planning, decision-making, and framing strategies and policies, become concentrated within a particular ...
or
federalist
The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters call themselves ''Federalists''.
History Europe federation
In Europe, proponents of deep ...
government, since certain regions demanded greater autonomy. The supposedly "neutral" solution was to offer autonomy to all regions.
The configuration of the Spanish territory was inspired by the systems of
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
and
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. Manuel Clavero was Minister of Regions during the first democratic government of
Adolfo Suárez
Adolfo Suárez González, 1st Duke of Suárez (; 25 September 1932 – 23 March 2014) was a Spanish lawyer and politician. Suárez was Spain's first democratically elected Prime Minister of Spain, prime minister since the Second Spanish Republi ...
, and in his hand was the design of the new national map.
The
regions
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
could choose between a full or a limited level of autonomy, but they all have self-government. The expression has been fixed as a figuration of the current
territorial model of Spain.
Café para todos also became a doctrine with the object to harmonise the autonomy model across Spain while simultaneously reinforcing the primacy of the central government and dilute claims of ethno-territorial distinctiveness from the historic nationalities. In particular, the Harmonisation of the Autonomy Process Act (LOAPA) in 1982 not only extended powers to the other communities to achieve similar powers as the historic nationalities, but showed an intention to reverse already devolved powers.
See also
*
First government of Adolfo Suárez
The first government of Adolfo Suárez was formed on 8 July 1976, following the latter's appointment as Prime Minister of Spain by King Juan Carlos I on 3 July and his swearing-in on 5 July, as a result of Carlos Arias Navarro's resignation from th ...
*
Nationalities and regions of Spain
Spain is a diverse country integrated by contrasting entities with varying economic and social structures, languages, and historical, political and cultural traditions. The Spanish constitution responds ambiguously to the claims of historic ...
References
Bibliography
*
External links
* {{Cite web, url=https://www.lasexta.com/programas/sexta-columna/noticias/asi-fue-el-cafe-para-todos-de-la-constitucion-o-como-andalucia-logro-colarse-en-la-primera-clase-de-las-autonomias-junto-a-pais-vasco-y-cataluna-video_201812075c0aaa610cf222fc94f12f0c.html, title=Así fue el 'café para todos' de la Constitución, o cómo Andalucía logró colarse en la primera clase de las autonomías junto a País Vasco y Cataluña, date=2018-12-07, access-date=2021-12-22, website=
La Sexta
La Sexta (; ; stylised as laSexta) is a privately owned Spanish free-to-air television channel that was founded on 18 March 2001 as Beca TV and began broadcasting on 1 April 2001. By 21 July 2003, the channel ran into debt and was shut down, bu ...
, language=es
1978 in Spain
Coffee culture
Spanish political catchphrases
Spanish transition to democracy
Spanish words and phrases
Political compromises in Spain
1978 quotations
Legal history of Spain