Chapter 198 General Election and Industrial Development

Since December 1875, the election atmosphere in various regions of Spain has been extremely lively.

Because the election results of the regional parliaments determine the candidates for the regional parliamentarians, the election competition in each region is very fierce.

For the three major parties in Spain, this election is also very important. Only by obtaining more than 60% of the seats in the House of Commons can the three major parties form a government and appoint a prime minister on their own.

If they cannot obtain more than 60% of the seats in the House of Commons, the three major parties will have to consider cooperating with other parties to form a coalition government.

During the reign of Prime Minister Primo, the Spanish House of Commons was controlled by the Progressive Party. Of the total 208 seats in the House of Commons, the Progressive Party occupied more than 51% of the seats, a total of 106.

Next is the Conservative Party, which occupies 25% of the total seats in the House of Commons and has 52 seats. The Liberal Party has the fewest seats among the three major parties, but it also exceeds 20%, with 42 seats.

The control of the three major parties over the seats in the House of Commons is evident. In addition to the three major parties, only 8 of the 208 seats in the lower house belonged to other parties and non-partisans who were not from the three major parties.

The reason for such a huge gap is largely due to the result of the revolution at that time.

The revolution promoted the constitutional government of Spain and established a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with the parliament as the main body.

In order to promote reform, Prime Minister Primo could only strengthen his control over the government and parliament. This also led to a large number of members of the Progressive Party and the Liberal Party in the lower house, and the Conservative Party could only rank second, with seats similar to those of the newly established Liberal Party.

But according to the actual situation in Spain, the number of conservatives and non-partisans is greater.

As the most powerful class in Spain, the aristocracy, most of them are conservatives or non-partisans who tend to be conservative.

This also means that in the new lower house of Spain, the proportion of conservatives and non-partisans will usher in a certain degree of growth, thereby widening the gap with the Liberal Party.

In Carlo's own estimation, the proportion of the Progressive Party and the Conservative Party should be around 30%, that is, 100 seats each.

The proportion of the Liberal Party should be around 10%, and it would be quite good to have 30 seats.

The number of non-partisan members may be greater than that of the Liberal Party, accounting for about 20% of the seats in the House of Commons, which is about 58 seats.

Although the support of the three major parties in various regions varies, this proportion is basically a reasonable estimate of the overall political environment in Spain.

After all, Prime Minister Primo, who supports the Progressive Party, has announced his withdrawal from politics. Spain's current Prime Minister Archduke Serrano and Deputy Prime Minister Count Canovas are both members of the Conservative Party.

The reason why Carlo thinks that the Liberal Party occupies no more than 10% of the seats in the House of Commons is that the current Spanish Liberal Party does not have an important figure who leads the overall situation.

The Progressive Party has Prime Minister Primo, and the Conservative Party has Archduke Serrano and Count Canovas.

The Liberal Party currently does not have a very outstanding leader. The only one who has a certain reputation in the government, Praxades Mateos Sagasta, is a member of the Liberal Party, but his behavior is more like the Progressive Party, or the Progressive Liberal Party under the rule of Prime Minister Primo.

Mateo is also quite famous in Spanish history. He has formed a cabinet seven times, and he and Canovas can be regarded as a rival of the times.

Especially in the nearly 13 years from 1884 to 1897, the position of Spanish Prime Minister rotated back and forth between Canovas and Mateo, realizing Mateo's pursuit of establishing a limited monarchy, and the king and parliament shared power to ensure political stability and peace.

During the period when he and Canovas exchanged power, Spain was also a relatively stable development stage.

Unfortunately, Canovas and Mateo both died around the beginning of the 20th century. Canovas died in 1897 and Mateo died in 1903.

After their deaths, the Spanish regime also gradually entered chaos, eventually leading to the birth of the Second Spanish Republic.

Carlo still admired Mateo. He was not extreme, but supported the establishment of a limited monarchy.

On this point, Mateo and Prime Minister Primo had the same attitude. Their ideal government is not completely controlled by the parliament, but the king and the parliament share power, and the government alternates between several parties to ensure that no party or force controls politics and avoids dictatorship in the Spanish government.

It is for this reason that Carlo finally decided to let the Liberal Party continue to exist, and hoped that Mateo could lead the Liberal Party to become one of the three major parties in Spain, alongside the Conservative Party and the Progressive Party. They did not rely on supporting reform to become the third largest party.

The elections in various regions of Spain are in full swing, and in the government building, the center of power in Spain, a long cabinet meeting is also taking place.

This cabinet meeting was requested by Archduke Serrano, the prime minister, and Carlo, as the king of Spain, also attended the meeting.

Unlike the period when Prime Minister Primo was in power, Carlo only had the power to listen to the content of the meeting at that time, and did not have the power to issue orders to the cabinet government and cabinet ministers.

But during the reign of Archduke Serrano, Carlo already had such power, at least other cabinet ministers did not dare to ignore Carlo's opinions.

During the deadlock stage of the meeting, Carlo's opinion even became an important way to end the deadlock. Although the meeting was convened by Archduke Serrano, the speaker at the meeting had become Carlo.

"Your Majesty the King, Your Excellency the Prime Minister. Based on the latest news from European countries, I think the economic crisis is likely to return in the new year." Evalde Batel, then Spanish Finance Minister, expressed his opinions at the meeting, He said with a rather serious expression.

Carlo nodded, looked at the finance minister who was trusted by Prime Minister Primo and was quite capable, and asked: "Is there any relevant basis?"

Carlo certainly knew that this economic crisis broke out in two phases and had an impact on European and American countries for several years.

But if someone else puts it forward and Carlo puts it forward, the results are completely different. Carlo doesn't need such a prophet to add a sense of mystery to himself. Preventing it in advance and avoiding Spain from being affected is what Carlo should do.

Ewald nodded, took out the information he had already prepared, handed it to Carlo, and then continued: "

This is the industrial production scale and market price conditions of European countries. A certain connection can also be seen from this aspect.

Although the impact of this year's economic crisis has been much weaker than that of the previous two years, this does not mean that the economic crisis is over.

On the contrary, I believe that the British economy is likely to collapse. If they cannot save the London market before the economic crisis returns, I am afraid that the next economic crisis in London will break out.

During the economic crisis, at least a quarter of steel plants and factories in various European countries were forced to suspend operations, and in severe cases, even one-third of the scale was suspended.

But in London, the number of affected factories falls far short of that number. Given the UK's distance from continental Europe, I believe the impact of the economic crisis will be delayed.

And this year, UK factory bankruptcies continue. For Britain, a country with extremely developed industries, they have been the most severely affected by the impact of the economic crisis.

If the crisis is ignited, it is likely to turn into a new economic crisis no less than the last one. I think it is necessary for us to prepare in advance to deal with a new wave of crises that are likely to affect Europe. "

Carlo looked at the data prepared by Ewald, and it was indeed what he said. In the last round of economic crisis, Germany and Austria were the most severely affected. (U.S. data is incomplete)

But theoretically speaking, as the most industrially developed country, the UK should be the most severely affected.

Part of the reason why Britain has not been affected by Germany and Austria on the same scale is because Britain's industrial and economic development in recent years has not been as rapid as that of Germany and the United States.

In addition, Britain has a larger colony, which also represents a huge market. The UK does not face the serious overproduction problem like Germany and the United States, so it will naturally be able to handle it in the early stages of the economic crisis.

But the impact of the economic crisis is comprehensive. Britain's industry and economy are the strongest in Europe, so it is naturally impossible to survive.

Because of the outbreak of the economic crisis, Europe's industrial manufactured goods declined significantly. Especially for metal processing products related to steel, the price drop has been extremely exaggerated.

Falling overall European prices have put British factories under greater pressure. Either they lower their selling prices, or they face competition from low-priced European industrial products.

In addition, countries have reduced the scale of imports during the economic crisis, which also puts British industry at certain risks.

With the accumulation of several risks, even if Britain's industrial development is not as frivolous as that of Germany and the United States, it does not mean complete security.

Although Carlo's attitude is in favor of preventing a second round of economic crisis, this does not mean that Carlo will express his views directly.

As the king of Spain, what Carlo has to do is not to express his views directly, but to let the cabinet meeting express his own attitude on how to deal with this matter.

On the one hand, it is to mobilize the enthusiasm of cabinet members. There is a fundamental difference between Carlo giving a straightforward order and cabinet ministers discussing a solution.

The solutions you propose yourself will have more motivation when implemented. If Carlo ordered them directly, it might be fine in the short term, but it might cause dissatisfaction among some cabinet ministers in the long term.

There is also the need to mobilize the enthusiasm and ideas of cabinet ministers to deal with the situation so that the Spanish government will not become too rigid.

Although Carlo can put forward his opinions directly on the economic crisis, this does not mean that Carlo can decisively find reasonable solutions to every problem.

Active discussions among cabinet members have become particularly important. Not only can we brainstorm to find a better way, but we can also use this brainstorming method to make cabinet ministers more involved and shape a more democratic Spanish government.

Of course, there is a more important point, which is to find someone to take the blame when things fail to be resolved.

For the proposal made by the king himself, the responsible person must be the king himself. But if the proposals put forward by other cabinet ministers fail to be implemented in the end, the king will not have much responsibility.

This is also the way Carlo understands how to be a king. Although what Carlo wanted to create was a government that obeyed his orders, this did not mean that everything in the Spanish government had to rely on Carlo's orders to run.

Carlo will only lead in a relatively correct direction, and the implementation of specific details must depend on the cabinet government itself.

Seeing that Carlo did not express his opinion, Grand Duke Serrano paused for a moment, then looked at Minister of State Canovas and asked: "Count Canovas, what do you think?"

Grand Duke Serrano is really not good at economic development. Since Carlo had no intention of expressing his opinion, Grand Duke Serrano could only ask the deputy prime minister who had more experience and ability in this matter.

Anyway, the official name of the deputy prime minister is the minister of state. To put it bluntly, he is the cabinet minister who helps the prime minister handle state affairs.

Since Grand Duke Serrano couldn't make up his mind, it was quite reasonable to ask Count Canovas.

"I think it is necessary." Count Canovas expressed his opinion, but he did not give a relatively positive attitude, but said more euphemistically: "I think a vote can be held. If everyone feels that it is necessary, We need to be prepared for a second round of economic crisis, so it’s natural to be prepared.”

In the nearly two years since Canovas served as Minister of Industry, he has a deep understanding of the impact of the economic crisis on industry, and he also has a certain understanding of the losses suffered by European countries in the economic crisis.

But understanding is understanding, and Canovas would not be stupid enough to make a decision directly in front of Carlo. Carlo didn't even express his opinion, so what's the point of him just making the decision directly from his deputy?

Letting cabinet ministers vote is obviously the most conservative option, but it is also the best option. Regardless of whether the result of the vote is in favor of an early response or that they do not believe that there will be a second round of economic crisis, in short, this vote was participated by all members of the cabinet, and there will be no suspicion of overstepping their authority in front of Carlo.

Cabinet members voted quickly and most supported an early response to the economic crisis.

In fact, there is nothing to vote for. After all, the response to the economic crisis does not require the Spanish government to pay too much.

Mainly because Grand Duke Serrano was undecided about this, and Count Canovas was unwilling to overstep his authority in front of Carlo, which led to this unnecessary vote.

But the results are always good, which is in line with Carlo's expectations.

"Although we may face the threat of a second round of economic crisis in the new year, it is not all bad news for us." Minister of State Canovas stood up with a smile after the vote and faced Carlo and other cabinet ministers said: "

As long as we can avoid the impact of this economic crisis, we can take advantage of this economic crisis to accelerate development and narrow the gap with countries such as Britain, France, and Germany.

Judging from our current industrial and economic development speed, this can be easily achieved. At present, we have sufficient funds to deal with the risks caused by the economic crisis. This may not be a crisis for us, but an opportunity to accelerate development. "

The other ministers in the cabinet also nodded, agreeing with this statement.

Although the economic crisis has had an impact on Spain, the impact is not significant, or it is not fatal. During the economic crisis that severely affected the industrial production of European powers, Spain's industrial production was not too seriously affected.

When the economic crisis broke out, Spain's industrial scale was really limited, and only a handful of factories went bankrupt.

Even during the economic crisis, Spanish industry achieved positive growth. This is quite rare in other countries when the scale of industrial production is declining due to economic crises. It also proves that the efforts of the Spanish government in the economic crisis have not been in vain.

"The cabinet government should be the primary contributor to avoiding the impact of this economic crisis." Carlo also nodded and expressed praise for the efforts of the cabinet government: "

When this economic crisis is over, I will reward everyone according to their merit. But before that, it is still necessary to respond to the second round of economic crisis, and at the same time, try to find opportunities in the economic crisis to bridge the gap between Spain and other European powers. "

When it came to the matter of rewards based on merit, everyone present looked happy and looked forward to it.

After all, Spain is a monarchy, and the nobility is still very important in Spain. Regardless of whether it is the Progressive Party, the Conservative Party or the Liberal Party, they naturally do not reject becoming a noble.

This not only represents an increase in status, but also an increase in political influence. What's more, in addition to rewards for titles, nobles can also receive other rewards including land, capital, and factory shares.

Although the new nobles entrusted by Carlo cannot obtain the land, castles and manors owned by the traditional landed nobles, they can also obtain some funds and other benefits. In short, there are many benefits.

The nobility is also the largest force in Spain. Becoming a member of the Spanish nobility means that you have become the upper class of the country in the Kingdom of Spain.

"In this case, why not all departments report on their achievements this year and formulate next year's tasks." Archduke Serrano said with a smile: "

If a second round of economic crisis really breaks out next year, this also means that next year's development will be very important for Spain.

It is necessary to formulate development plans in advance. I also hope that all departments can successfully complete the development plans and make our country stronger. "

The so-called performance report is actually to let Carlo know what each department has done, and also to understand the achievements of the ministers of each department.

Cabinet ministers with more achievements will receive richer rewards. Grand Duke Serrano has reached the top of the Spanish nobility, and he has no desire for rewards.

But other nobles are different. Most of the cabinet ministers are non-aristocratic, and they are still eager to become a real aristocrat.

After excluding Ruiz from the current Spanish government, all ministers in the current cabinet government are pro-monarchy.

"Your Majesty, the development of the industrial sector is very good. Our Barcelona industrial base is being constructed very smoothly and is expected to be initially put into production in the new year.

So far, there have been more than 786 new factories, large and small, in the country throughout the year, of which 472 have a capital of more than 50,000 pesetas and 133 have a capital of more than 100,000 pesetas.

At present, there are 34 large-scale factories with a value of more than 1 million pesetas or employing more than 1,000 people in various regions of the country, and they are mainly concentrated in Madrid, Seville and Barcelona.

The industrial sector plans to invest more than 12.25 million pesetas in the new year to promote the development of factories and related enterprises across the country and to introduce more factories to the Barcelona industrial base.

Originally, without the impact of the economic crisis, it was expected that the number of new factories in my country would reach a new high in the new year. But since we need to be prepared for the impact of the economic crisis, perhaps the number of new factories will be reduced to about 500 in the new year.

However, the industrial sector plans to invest more than 15 million pesetas to help factories cope with the possible economic crisis, which can further reduce the impact of the economic crisis on our industry.

At present, my country's total steel production has exceeded 950,000 tons, and it is expected to officially exceed one million tons in the new year.

Among them, my country's annual steel production exceeds 270,000 tons, and its annual iron production exceeds 680,000 tons, both showing good growth compared with last year.

However, taking into account the impact of the economic crisis, the industrial sector has set the expected growth target for steel production in the new year at 1 million tons, with steel production at 300,000 tons and 700,000 tons respectively. "

Canovas gave a detailed report on the situation of the industrial sector and the development of the coming year, giving other cabinet ministers a good start.

In the two years since Canovas took over the industrial sector, the industrial sector has developed relatively rapidly.

This is why Carlo was satisfied with Canovas' evidence and planned to make him the new Prime Minister of Spain. Although he is a member of the Conservative Party, Canovas's personal abilities are quite good.

With Carlo setting the general direction of Spain's development, and Canovas controlling the details of the small direction, Carlo is confident that he will witness a new period of golden development in Spain.

Of course, Canovas cannot always be the Prime Minister of Spain. For a talent like Mateo, Carlo doesn't mind giving him a certain amount of time to grow.

If someone with real ability competes with Canovas, and his loyalty is determined, Carlo would certainly like to see more people competing for the position of prime minister to avoid the same person sitting in the position of prime minister for too long. time.

Carlo's intention to maintain the three major parties in Spain is actually to let the prime minister candidates alternate between these three parties, so that the three parties can compete with each other and supervise each other.

The three parties can also avoid the phenomenon of two parties fighting for the sake of opposition like the British government. Coupled with Carlo's central control, it can also ensure that the King of Spain has enough power and will not be turned into a mascot by the Prime Minister or Parliament.

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