Margarett Thatcher, Britain's Iron Lady, something like the English reincarnation of Chancellor von Bismarckin of the twentieth century , had no good publicity in Spain. It was, however, one of the most important British figures of the second half of the twentieth century, sharing honors with W.Churchill and perhaps Tony Blair.
She exercised undisputed political leadership in her party or in the opposition for more than a decade that dominated the national and international scene. In Spain she is associated with Reagan's conservative revolution and anti-social policies. However, no one disputes that her authority to curb excessive power of Trade Unions was a point of no return. Today British politicians, including socialist memberships recognize it.
Her conservative revolution was to give prominence to the middle class by promoting their access to property. For this reason, the British housing market bubble resemble both in Spain and in England. Also her attitude in favor of the individual against the State, which Thatcher pushed for policies to reduce public spending and public services, and she reprivatized nationalized services in England after World War II. Railways, water, airports, energy were subject of neoliberal policies, later followed by other countries with more or less success. Perhaps the big hit was the National Health Service, not being privatized, that saw some investments being cut.
Mrs. Thatcher was as good conservative British Eurosceptic. She held firm positions against leaders of European political stature as Mitterrand, Kohl and Felipe González. She started the famous check back for the British from agricultural expenditure (PAC). And she opposed to the end of her political power at the entrance of her country in the euro with the famous Parliament negative (no, no, no) and got the maintenance of sterling as a currency and the Bank of England as an issuing bank. What perhaps her successors and her countrymen thank her today is that they have been able to maintain national sovereignty against the euro zone colonized by Germany now.
It was not, surely, that the source that inspired their opposition to a greater European integration project, but also her distrust of the bureaucracy of Brussels, the European spending policies and the traditional weight of Westminster Parliament in governing the country.
In foreign policy her clearly anticommunist position did not prevent easy opening Gorbachev (glasnost), with whom she had good manners, and her strict policy of alignment with Reagan was instrumental in the downfall of communism in the Iron Curtain countries.
Separate record deserves her resolution of the conflict in the Falklands, which earned her worldwide fame and eternal hatred of Argentines, although it should be noted that Argentina's dictatorship tried to wash the dirt of the military period, wrapping itself in the flag of Argentine nationalism.
In her autobiography, The Downing Street years, Margaret Thatcher recorded her political work and her time in power. In one of the final chapters she staged though her stay at the International Policy: the world law.
She ended her days as Prime Minister because the conservative parliamentary group withdrew its confidence on her in Parliament. The legacy of the Iron Lady, although we personally didn't like, either for her purse or hairstyle, marked an era. They say Mrs. Merkel has in her political devotional background this great lady of the policy that was Margaret Thatcher.
