Replaced the 1939 Iberian Pact with a democratic friendship treaty, marking a new bilateral relationship between Spain and Portugal after both nations transitioned to democracy.
Key Facts
- Date signed
- 22 November 1977
- Ratified in Portugal
- 17 April 1978
- Ratified in Spain
- 25 April 1978
- Treaty replaced
- Iberian Pact of 1939
- Portuguese signatory
- Prime Minister Mário Soares
- Spanish signatory
- Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez
By the Numbers
Cause → Event → Consequence
Both Spain and Portugal underwent transitions to democracy in the 1970s — Portugal through the Carnation Revolution and Spain following the 1977 general election. These changes rendered the 1939 Iberian Pact, signed under the authoritarian regimes of Salazar and Franco, politically obsolete and incompatible with the two nations' new democratic identities.
On 22 November 1977, Portuguese Prime Minister Mário Soares and Spanish Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez signed the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Spain and Portugal. The bilateral agreement formally replaced the 1939 Iberian Pact and declared the shared commitment of both governments to strengthening friendship and solidarity between their countries.
The treaty was ratified by Portugal on 17 April 1978 and by Spain on 25 April 1978, establishing a new diplomatic foundation for Iberian relations. It signaled both countries' reorientation toward cooperative, democratic governance and helped pave the way for their eventual joint accession to the European Communities in 1986.
Political Outcome
A bilateral treaty of friendship and cooperation was signed, replacing the 1939 Iberian Pact and formalizing democratic Iberian solidarity.
Bilateral relations governed by the 1939 Iberian Pact, signed under authoritarian regimes
New framework of democratic friendship and cooperation between Spain and Portugal