Antoni Bassas' analysis: 'Neither Juan Carlos condemns Francoism, nor Felipe the bombing of Guernica'

Last Friday, the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, visited Gernika and laid a wreath at the monument to the victims of the bombing of this Biscayan town by the Condor Legion, the Nazi air force, in 1937. They chose a market day to do more damage, and they did: they did: they did.

The German president's gesture had a powerful, healing effect. A country acknowledges the harm it caused to another. This is to its credit. But Steinmeier was not alone. He was accompanied by King Felipe VI of Spain.

Did the King of Spain say anything? Did he lay a wreath? Did he apologize? No, he simply stood next to the German head of state. He took advantage of the German gesture to get himself in the photo, to imply that he agreed with the redress, but silently, without uttering a word. I'm there, but I'm not saying anything. A missed opportunity for Felipe to distance himself from his father, Juan Carlos, who is now saying that he doesn't intend to criticize Franco. A few years ago, when King Felipe showed Obama the painting Guernica, I wondered if he explained precisely that the person responsible for that bombing, Franco, was the one who had put his father in power. It wasn't mentioned that the king brought democracy but didn't break with the dictatorship, and even less so his son, even though it's been 50 years since the dictator's death. In this, the Bourbons have done as Aznar did the other day, who said: "If we're talking about Francoism, I'm not going to condemn something in which my father participated. My father served three years of the war." Ah, so if your father was a Franco supporter, you are too.

Sociological Francoism, understood as those who have always truly held power, has never disappeared. But now the culture war being waged by the PP and Vox is the public revival of Francoist pride. A great way to commemorate the half-century since the dictator's death.

Good morning.