The death of dictator Francisco Franco half a century ago marked a turning point in the Transition to democracy; taking advantage of the anniversary, ten prominent figures explain to ARA what this experience was like for them.

When Pedro Sánchez announced that in 2025 he would organize a series of institutional events to commemorate fifty years of "freedom," the opposition reacted angrily. "They can exhume Franco 100 times and act nostalgic for the conflict between Spaniards, but that won't stop the rest of us from wanting to build a future together [...]. How tiresome," said the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, and the far-right Vox party went even further, adding that one can speak "well or ill" of the dictator. This episode is a paradigmatic example of how, half a century later, the figure of Franco is a divisive element in Spanish politics. There is no consensus on historical memory between the right and the left, and, moreover, there is a new glorification of Francoism that is taking root in the younger generations. The clearest example is the speech given by Vox deputy Manuel Mariscal, 33, from the podium in Congress: "And thanks to social media, many young people are discovering that the period after the Civil War was not a dark time, as the government portrays it, but rather one of reconstruction, progress, and reconciliation."

Next week marks the 50th anniversary of the death of dictator Francisco Franco. Older generations vividly remember the atrocities of the regime and the rollback of freedoms, human rights, and social injustices caused by the coup against the Republic. However, his figure is being championed not only by nostalgics but also by far-right groups and, increasingly, by a segment of young conservatives who have made it a trending topic. This Sunday's report delves into this phenomenon and the price paid when the past is not held accountable.