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Spain has commemorated the 50th anniversary of Franco's passing with an absence of official events but with a statement by the premier to understand the warnings of the authoritarian regime and defend democratic freedom that was wrenched from us for so many years.

Past Events

The dictator, whose armed uprising against the democratically elected administration in 1936 led to internal warfare and brought about four decades of repressive regime, died in Madrid on the twentieth of November, 1975.

Although the socialist government has planned a twelve-month program of programs to observe the political evolution, it ruled out any state acts on the exact day of the leader's passing to avoid accusations that it was trying to honor his death.

Current Issues

The anniversary comes amid rising apprehension about the limited understanding about the repressive era, especially among younger Spaniards.

Recent polling has indicated that over one-fifth of participants felt the Franco era was good or very good, while additional research found nearly 25% of young Spanish adults felt that an authoritarian regime could sometimes be preferable to a democratic government.

Official Position

Every democracy has imperfections, the official noted. Considerable work lies ahead to build the desired nation and that we can be: a place of more opportunity; more rights and less inequality.

The government official, who deliberately avoided mentioning Franco by name, also observed that liberties weren't automatically granted, adding that current liberties had been achieved through perseverance and fortitude of citizens.

Commemoration Initiatives

The administration has employed historical memory legislation passed in recent years to support the country come to terms with its past.

• Renaming the historical site – previously known as the Memorial Valley
• Developing a registry of goods seized by the regime
• Attempting to remove the last vestiges of Francoist symbols

Organization Shutdown Attempts

The authorities are presently in the concluding steps of its initiatives to dissolve the Franco legacy organization, which functions to uphold and support the regime's heritage.

The heritage department head declared that his ministry was attempting to ensure that the historical records – now owned by the foundation – was transferred to government control so it could be accessed by all Spaniards.

Partisan Objections

The right-wing political group is boycotting the government's initiative to celebrate 50 years of democracy, as is the conservative faction, which rejected the initiative an morbid fascination that creates division among citizens.

Past Consequences

More than 500,000 people lost their lives in the fighting, while countless additional people were forced into exile.

Retaliation persisted well after Franco's victory in 1939, and the bodies of more than 100,000 people who perished in the violence and in its consequences are believed to be in unidentified collective tombs.

Political Evolution

After the dictator's death, Spain started the journey to representative government, organizing open polls in 1977 and approving a new constitution in a national vote subsequently.