Glossary · G
GAL
Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación: parapolice network that between 1983 and 1987 carried out the 'dirty war' against ETA with kidnappings and murders on French soil. The judicial case implicated Felipe González's government.
Generalitat
Self-government institutional system of Catalonia and the Valencian Community, formed by the president, the Consell/Govern and the Parlament. The Catalan Generalitat is a reference for historic Catalanism.
Frankenstein government
Nickname Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba applied in 2016 to the hypothetical Pedro Sánchez government backed by Podemos and pro-independence parties. The label returned with the 2019 and 2023 investiture pacts.
Grand coalition
Government pact between the two main rival parties (PP and PSOE). Common in other European democracies; in Spain it has never materialized at the national level despite occasional proposals.
Spanish Civil War
Armed conflict in Spain between 1936 and 1939 following the coup against the Republican government. It ended with the rebels' victory and the Francoist dictatorship. A foundational issue in the democratic-memory debate.