Legacies of Francoism: The Influence of Historical Memory Frameworks on Spain's Political Divide

For almost 44 years after his death, the remains of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco resided in a central place in the Valley of the Fallen, a grand mausoleum built during his rule in Madrid. Franco’s reburial on October 24, 2019, took place in a period of great political significance, in which party divisions were deepening and the legitimacy of Spain’s democracy was questioned. The political debates sparked by the exhumation included strong allegations of Francoism and delegitimizing Spain’s democracy, showing that the historical memory of Franco continues to play a large role in keeping political parties from reaching a consensus, as represented in public discourse. This research explains how historical memory frameworks of Francoism have influenced the political divisions surrounding Franco’s exhumation as portrayed in public debate. It will thereby focus on discussions and representations in Spanish media regarding these influences and their dividing effects. This research will not only explain how historical narratives are used for political purposes by public actors – in this case, newspapers –, but also how the analyzed media functions as active agents in constructing and transferring these narratives. As a large part of the population are too young to remember the Francoist period, the high level of influence of these actors in constructing historical memory becomes apparent. In this case, it has become clear that each investigated national newspaper – El País, eldiario.es and El Mundo – has offered varying interpretations on Spain’s path to reconciliation. Where the repressive aspect of Franco’s rule seems to be confirmed across the various media, the aftermath of his regime is heavily debated and differently presented in the newspapers. The period of political silence following Franco’s death, as well as the recovery of historical memory that has been progressing over the past twenty years, are either praised or condemned in each newspaper. In this way, it has become clear that these forms of public media do not only construct and transfer clear interpretations of Spain’s past, but also link these ideas to political views and parties, thereby promoting and demoting political actors. In the case of Franco’s exhumation, the influence of historical memory on the political debate is strongly underlined in the media and shows that Spain continues to be at odds on how to achieve (political) reconciliation and whether this is even necessary