9 . ▁He ▁exerc ised ▁little ▁if ▁any ▁influence ▁on ▁the ▁emer ging ▁party ; ▁its ▁Est at uto ▁and ▁internal ▁structures ▁were ▁designed ▁by ▁Ser rano , ▁who ▁– ▁together ▁with ▁his ▁Fal ang ist ▁ent ou rage ▁– ▁became ▁Bil ba o ' s ▁chief ▁oppon ent . ▁He ▁rather ▁excel led ▁as ▁a ▁speaker , ▁mobil ising ▁support ▁at ▁Vas cong adas ▁public ▁fe asts . ▁ ▁Minister ▁of ▁Justice ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁Bil ba o ▁became ▁president ▁of ▁Com isión ▁de ▁cod ificación ▁within ▁the ▁Franco ist ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Justice ▁and ▁comm enced ▁work ▁on ▁bu il dup ▁of ▁the ▁Franco ist ▁legal ▁code . ▁When ▁his ▁fellow ▁Car list , ▁con de ▁R ode z no , ▁left ▁the ▁minister ial ▁seat , ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁Bil ba o ▁replaced ▁him , ▁holding ▁the ▁post ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁As ▁Minister ▁of ▁Justice ▁he ▁pres ided ▁over ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁repr ess ive ▁legal ▁systems ▁of ▁modern ▁Europe . ▁ ▁In ▁terms ▁of ▁number ▁of ▁jud icial ▁execution s , ▁early ▁Franco ist ▁Spain ▁exceed ed ▁Naz i ▁Germany ▁and ▁was ▁second ▁only ▁to ▁the ▁Soviet ▁regime . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁death ▁pen alt ies ▁sent enced ▁in ▁few ▁years ▁following ▁the ▁Civil ▁War ▁was ▁ 5 1 , 0 0 0 , ▁though ▁nearly ▁half ▁were ▁reduced ▁by ▁Franco ▁and ▁there ▁were ▁some ▁ 2 8 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁executed . ▁When ▁assuming ▁the