Forty-five years ago Monday, on 23 February 1981, Spain faced its most serious threat to democracy since the end of the Franco dictatorship in an attempted military coup known as 23-F.
During a live parliamentary session to vote in a new prime minister, Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero burst into the Congress of Deputies with armed Civil Guard officers, firing shots into the air and holding MPs hostage. At the same time, elements of the military attempted to seize control in other parts of the country, most notably in Valencia, where tanks appeared on the streets.
The plot aimed to halt Spain’s democratic transition and install an authoritarian “government of national unity.” For hours, the country waited in uncertainty as the fate of the new democracy hung in the balance.
The coup collapsed after a decisive televised address by King Juan Carlos I, who firmly backed the Constitution and ordered the armed forces to remain loyal to the democratic government. Without royal or military support, the coup leaders surrendered the following morning.
No one was killed, but the shock was profound. Tejero and other conspirators were later tried and imprisoned.
Tejero was sentenced in 1982 to 30 years in prison for military rebellion. He ultimately served around 15 years and was released on parole in December 1996.
After his release he lived a largely withdrawn life and remained publicly unrepentant about his role in the failed coup. He died in October 2025 at the age of 93 at his home in Valencia
23-F became a defining moment, cementing civilian control over the military and strengthening Spain’s democratic institutions. It remains a powerful reminder of how fragile — and how resilient — Spanish democracy proved to be.
