Spain Commemorates Five-Decade Milestone of Francisco Franco's Death
Spain has observed the half-century mark of dictator Franco's demise with an absence of official events but with a statement by the premier to heed the lessons of the authoritarian regime and protect democratic liberties that was wrenched from us for generations.
Background History
Franco, whose rebellion against the democratically elected administration in 1936 sparked a civil conflict and resulted in forty years of authoritarian rule, died in Madrid on 20 November 1975.
While the current administration has organised a year-long series of programs to observe the post-Franco transformation, it avoided official ceremonies on the actual anniversary of the leader's passing to deter suggestions that it was seeking to celebrate his death.
Current Issues
The marking happens alongside increasing concerns about the lack of knowledge about the repressive era, particularly among the youth.
Recent polling has shown that more than 21% of respondents felt the Franco regime was favorable or highly favorable, while another study found approximately one-fourth of young Spanish adults felt that an non-democratic system could occasionally be better to a democratic government.
Administration View
No democracy – including ours – is perfect, the leader stated. Considerable work lies ahead to build the desired nation and that we can be: a place of more opportunity; expanded liberties and diminished inequity.
The government official, who pointedly did not refer Franco by name, also observed that liberties weren't automatically granted, adding that today's freedoms had been obtained via resilience and persistence of the population.
Remembrance Programs
The government has used commemoration statutes introduced three years ago to try to help Spain reconcile with history.
- Redesignating the Valley of Cuelgamuros – formerly called the Valley of the Fallen
- Creating a catalog of property confiscated during the era
- Seeking to eliminate the final remnants of dictatorship imagery
Organization Shutdown Attempts
The government is also in the last phases of its initiatives to dissolve the Francisco Franco National Foundation, which operates to maintain and advance the leader's memory.
The cultural affairs official declared that his ministry was attempting to ensure that Franco's official archive – currently in the possession of the organization – was handed over to the state so it could be accessed by all Spaniards.
Partisan Objections
The right-wing political group is boycotting the government's initiative to observe half-century of liberties, as is the right-wing political organization, which dismissed the programme an unnecessary obsession that divides Spaniards.
Historical Legacy
More than 500,000 people perished in the civil war, while numerous others were compelled to leave.
Punitive measures extended well after Franco's victory in 1939, and the bodies of more than 100,000 people killed during the war and in its consequences are estimated to lie in unidentified collective tombs.
Political Evolution
Following the leader's demise, Spain started the journey back to democracy, holding free elections in that period and adopting a modern framework in a national vote subsequently.
