Reforma o ruptura

Reforma o ruptura () is the expression used to synthesize the political dilemma faced by Spanish society in the aftermath of the death of Spanish leader Francisco Franco.
After the death of Franco, Spanish society as a whole was not politically active, especially compared to other Western European countries, due to Francoist Spain's sheer length (36 years); citizen political affiliation was very low. There were some demonstrations, especially demanding the amnesty of political prisoners; however, the protests never were a threat to the political stability of Spain. The political and social unrest was concentrated in the Basque Country and in Navarre (due to the repression of Basque nationalism) and, to a lesser extent, in Catalonia.
However, the uncertainty regarding the continuity of the Francoist State boosted political activism, leading to the configuration of a debate on the political future of Spain in which there were essentially two options, with the possibility of a "Francoism without Franco" () being rejected early on: