50 years after Franco: how has Spain changed?
Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died on 20 November 1975. The death of the "Caudillo" marked the end of his nearly 40-year fascist regime and Spain embarked on the path to democracy as a constitutional monarchy. Commentators examine how the country has changed since then and what remains of the Franco-era legacy today.
Enormous progress and cause for optimism
La Vanguardia celebrates Spain's rapid modernisation:
“The cultural revolution ran parallel to the social one. If under Franco it seemed as if anything that was not prohibited was compulsory, democracy brought about a Copernican revolution in customs. ... The country overcame its backwardness and in some areas took the lead globally. In 1978, the year in which the constitution was adopted, the contraceptive pill was also legalised; in 1981 the divorce law was passed; in 1985 abortion was decriminalised; in the same year Spain signed the Treaty of Accession to the European Communities; in 2005 same-sex marriage was introduced. ... The cultural and social progress achieved over the last 50 years attests to our potential and gives us reason to be confident about the future.”
Better off without strongmen
The success of the country's democratic rebirth speaks for itself, The Times writes:
“In 1975, Spain was politically isolated. A backwater among its more developed neighbours, it remained dependent on an agrarian base, scarred by urban decay and 40 years of technocratic political repression. Life expectancy then was 73; today it is 84. ... The vast improvements in standards of living and cultural freedom are a testament to the unparalleled power of liberal, democratic norms. They are also a rebuke to the facile alternative provided by populist movements across Europe, which make a glib case for the utility of having strongmen in charge.”
Trivialisation in memes and clips
Political scientist Anna López explains in eldiario.es why the debate surrounding the legacy of the dictatorship continues:
“People say that Francoism died with the dictator. But much of it has survived in other forms. ... So-called 'sociological Francoism' is a way of thinking that has never been completely dismantled and has adapted to the times. Today, its vehicle is the digital space of the far right and certain areas of politics. Groups such as Vox are not exact copies of Francoism, but its cultural heirs: capable of transforming a historical authoritarianism into an anti-system aesthetic. ... The trivialisation of Francoism has become more sophisticated; it now circulates in the form of 30-second videos, memes and clips. ... The dictatorship is being transformed into a time when there was 'order and prosperity', in contrast to the current chaos.”
Ideological heirs are lying in wait
Spain's Francoist past is still omnipresent, observes Alain Mila, lawyer and descendant of Spanish Republicans, in L'Humanité:
“Although much has already been done, the scars of the dictatorship are still visible today, for example in street names and monuments. ... The Spanish government under Pedro Sánchez wants to send a signal on the 50th anniversary of the dictator's death and eliminate all traces of Franco's legacy. But the fractious members of the Vox party who openly claim to be Franco's heirs are lying in wait!”