To celebrate the achievement of rapidly consolidating democracy in Spain after 40 years of Francisco Franco's dictatorship, to "pay tribute" to those who helped transform the kingdom into a "more prosperous and cohesive, free and tolerant society" and, above all, to "transmit to our young people the importance of living in democracy": These are the three objectives set by the head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchez, for the 2025 events commemorating the 50th anniversary of Franco's death.
The socialist leader set the tone for the start of this political year, on Wednesday, January 8, at the presentation of "Spain in Freedom," the name given to the celebrations. "The fascism we thought we'd left behind is now the third political force in Europe," and "the richest man on the planet" leads an "international reactionary movement" that is "openly attacking our institutions [and] inciting hatred." He added that "freedom is never won on a permanent basis," warning that "this regression [could] be repeated, in his speech held in the auditorium of Madrid's Reina-Sofia Museum of Contemporary Art, famous for housing Pablo Picasso's famous painting Guernica, depicting the horrors of the Spanish Civil War.
Neither the People's Party (PP, right) nor the far right (Vox) were present. The PP party criticized the government for using "Franco as a pretext" to "cover up the alleged corruption scandals" involving individuals close to Sanchez. Increasingly open in its defense of the dictatorship, Vox claimed "freedom of thought" and "to speak well of General Franco." As for King Felipe VI, he was detained at the presentation of credentials to new ambassadors, according to the Royal Palace. He is, however, expected to attend two ceremonies scheduled for 2025.
These absences reflect the lingering divisions in Spain over how to address Franco's dictatorship, which was established after a civil war. Although they are the pillars of the current political system, the two major parties, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and the PP, remain unable to agree on a shared narrative to commemorate. Furthermore, the decision to mark Franco's death, although widely regarded as the starting point of the transition to democracy, is far from accepted by all.
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