Forty years after the passing of Enrique Tierno Galván, his figure emerges as an indispensable point of reference in a political landscape often marked by noise, simplification, intolerance, and confrontation. The former mayor of Madrid, affectionately known as the “Old Professor,” left an indelible mark not only through the offices he held but through the ethical, intellectual, and civic legacy he bequeathed to collective memory.
An Intellectual in Action: Coherence and Commitment
Tierno Galván embodied a rare combination of rigorous thought and a practical will to intervene. He was, above all, an intellectual in the broadest sense, believing in the power of ideas, the political significance of language, and the cultural sphere as a battleground for values. His trajectory demonstrates an unwavering coherence, where words were never detached from responsibility. For him, thinking was a form of action, and acting without thought was a moral capitulation.
During the Franco regime, Tierno Galván faced the consequences of his convictions. His expulsion from the university in 1965, alongside Aranguren and García Calvo, for critical remarks, was not merely political reprisal but a testament to his unusual consistency and his refusal to separate academic commitment from civic engagement. This act alone encapsulated his profound ethical stance.
His literary prowess is evident in the aesthetic and political grandeur, depth, and stylistic simplicity of the Preamble to the Spanish Constitution, which he penned. Few others in the Constituent Cortes could have undertaken such a monumental task with his unique blend of intellectual rigor and clarity.
A Singular Path in Spanish Politics: Humanism and Responsibility
Tierno’s role within the Spanish left was always singular. He was neither a dogmatist nor a militant of slogans. Instead, he championed a humanist, enlightened socialism that centered the individual and distrusted both dogmatism and empty pragmatism. He founded his own political projects, such as the PSI and later the PSP, which, despite not achieving significant electoral success, held immense symbolic and intellectual importance.
His decision to integrate into the PSOE was, once again, driven by an ethics of responsibility. He understood that building a solid alternative to the right demanded personal sacrifices. This was not an opportunistic conversion but an act of service, demonstrating his commitment to a greater political cause.
The Mayor of Madrid: Translating Thought into Action
It was as Mayor of Madrid that Tierno Galván reached the culmination of his long journey. Here, his complex thought was visibly translated into comprehensible, accessible, and effective public policies. He transformed his extraordinary intellectual strength into a policy of constant dialogue with reality, expressed through concrete actions. This approach brought him closer to the people, especially the youth of the time, who found in this almost historical figure a “colleague” they admired and respected, recognizing sobriety as a form of commitment to their needs.
He governed with austerity and transparency at a time when these words were not mere campaign slogans but genuine principles. He spearheaded a comprehensive plan to rescue working-class neighborhoods, which had grown neglected during the Franco regime, from marginalization and misery. Today, as housing once again takes center stage in societal problems, it is crucial to recall his mayoral projects that constructed thousands of homes to address urgent and structural needs head-on.
Tierno designed a genuine political architecture that placed basic subsistence needs on par with often-ignored needs for vital and personal enrichment. His initial action was to treat Madrid’s citizens with education, closeness, and elegance, the opposition with respect, and the media with consideration and sincerity. His municipal decrees and personal style remain a lesson in pedagogy and democratic quality.
He promoted urban transformation with a social conscience, designed for citizens, and defended culture as a right and a space for shared freedom. This vision gave rise to projects such as the Green Corridor, the park that now bears his name, the sanitation of the river, and IFEMA. His relationship with the “Movida” cultural movement was neither paternalistic nor instrumental; he understood that a democratic city must allow space for experimentation, for a new modernity based on innovative and risky creativity, without abandoning respect for cultural traditions that Francoism had treated with disdain or triviality.
A Legacy That Interrogates Our Present
The massive funeral that bid farewell to Tierno four decades ago was not just an impressive and extraordinary goodbye to a truly beloved mayor. It was also an expression of collective recognition for a way of doing politics that is sorely missed today. His legacy challenges us by questioning our current shortcomings and renunciations: the trivialization of discourse, the loss of ethical references, and the confusion between popularity, populism, and leadership. Tierno was not perfect, but he was honest; he was not a savior, but a public servant in the noblest sense of the term.
To write about him is an act of gratitude and memory. A tribute that does not seek to idealize but to understand and recognize. Because remembering Enrique Tierno Galván forty years after his death is also remembering another way of doing politics-a way that was so necessary then, and perhaps is again. To achieve this, we would need to recover honest language that explains and builds, ethics as a compass, and humanism as a guiding star. If twenty years were nothing in the old tango, forty years are even less in our political reality. It is time to recover and bring his impressive legacy back to the forefront.
Juan A. Barranco Gallardo is a former mayor of Madrid.
