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Fifty Years After Franco, Spain’s Memory Fight Intensifies

Historians warn that inadequate teaching is allowing revisionist accounts of the dictatorship to spread.

Overview

  • The Spanish government’s official commemorations for the 50th anniversary have drawn sharp criticism from right‑wing parties and media, reopening disputes over how to remember the regime.
  • In a new interview, historian Julián Casanova argues current instruction on fascisms fails to counter misinformation and stresses that elements of Francoism extended into the early democratic years.
  • Casanova opposes plans to “re‑signify” the Valle de los Caídos, urging rigorous historical explanation of the site rather than adaptation or removal.
  • Recent cultural offerings reflect sustained interest: the film La cena has surpassed 500,000 viewers since its Oct. 17 release, and FlixOlé is running Transition and Memory selections through Nov. 21.
  • With the anniversary falling this week, Juan Carlos I’s memoirs—announced for early December—are poised to add fresh contention around narratives of the Transition.