The foundations of Spain s current labor laws date to 1938, when the civil war was tearing the country apart. The system created by Generalissimo Francisco Franco following his victory offered workers job security and strong collective bargaining rights, which helped to maintain social stability in the absence of democracy.

Presenting himself and his Party as champions of democracy, Chen sought to create the impression among Taiwan s voters that their freedom would perish in the hands of the Kuomintang (KMT) or any party other than his own. But in fact, it was the late President Chiang Ching kuo, the son of Generalissimo Chiang Kai shek, who instituted the unprecedented democratic reforms that paved the way for the eventual electoral triumph of Chen s formerly banned DPP.