CRISIS OF REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY IN SPAIN

The article examines the crisis of representative democracy in Spain, which is characterized by the growth of the population’s critical attitudes towards politicians and political institutions and the decline of the latter’s influence. Special attention is given to the reorganization of the party system, manifesting in the weakening of traditional parties’ influence and strengthening of newcomer parties challenging old elites. Political modernization is not a straightforward process, and can yield results different from the initiators’ expectation