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Spain Marks 50 Years Since Franco’s Death With Commemorations and Renewed Political Fault Lines

Government messaging on freedoms takes center stage on Madrid’s Gran Vía, reflecting how memory politics now intersects with a rising far right in the polls.

Overview

  • An official medical report signed on November 20, 1975, recorded Franco’s death in Madrid after 36 days of complications including peritonitis, cardiac issues and renal failure.
  • The government has announced close to 500 commemorative events through year‑end, with leaders highlighting recognition for victims of the dictatorship and the democratic gains that followed.
  • A new audiovisual campaign posted by the state channel España en Libertad features banners on the Gran Vía praising democratic rights, including a prominent message in Catalan, with further messages planned in Galician, Basque and Catalan.
  • La Vanguardia cites the latest CIS survey putting Vox at 18.8% of the vote—near the PP’s 22.4%—and reports Vox support at about 30% among voters aged 18 to 34, with the PSOE leading at 32.4%.
  • Media retrospectives and testimonies revisit the Transition and its legacy, recalling flashpoints such as Europa Press’s 4:58 a.m. ‘Franco ha muerto’ teletype and regional experiences in the Basque Country.