As Spain marks half a century since the death of General Francisco Franco this week, a significant number of young people now view the brutal Spanish dictator in a positive light.
Far from being reviled as the man who plunged the Iberian nation into a bloody civil war between 1936-1939, then followed this with years of repression, young people are trumpeting Franco’s achievements.
‘Life was better under Franco’ has become a trope on social media which has provoked fierce debate within Spain.
It comes as young Spaniards face a housing crisis, with many living with their parents until they are in their thirties, and a febrile row over immigration in the past decade with citizens born outside of Spain now representing nearly 20 per cent of the population.
The socialist government has championed immigration to help boost growth in a country with a low birth rate but right-wing parties like the People’s Party and Vox urge greater controls.
A recent poll published by the state-run Centre for Sociological Studies (CIS) found one fifth or 21.5 per cent of Spaniards thought the Franco dictatorship was “good” or “very good”. The same survey found 19 per cent of people aged 18-24 shared this view. The CIS survey also found 65.5 per cent saying it was “bad or very bad”.
Another recent poll, for the right-wing El Mundo newspaper, found that the socialists were no longer the most popular party among young people aged 18-29.
Hugo Escarpa, 21, a criminology student at the University of Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, said the left was not championing the causes concerning young people.
“The parties of the right, like the (conservative opposition) People’s Party (PP) and Vox are addressing issues which matter to young people – the housing crisis, how to find a job and illegal immigration,” he said. “The left is not doing that. That is why young people are supporting them.”
Mr Escarpa said he thought it ironic that Franco was reviled by many but supporters of the Basque separatist organization ETA – responsible for the deaths of over 800 people during a fifty-year armed campaign which ended in 2011 – were serving as MPs in the Spanish parliament.
He was referring to the Basque separatist party EH Bildu which has refused to label ETA a terrorist organisation. The party supports the current Spanish coalition government.
“I believe in democracy. But I don’t understand why they are still attacking Franco, who died more than 50 years ago, yet there are members of parliament who supported ETA which did much more damage to Spain than the repression of Franco,” he said.
Andrea Llopart, 25, who works in finance in Castelldefels near Barcelona, said young people were increasingly attracted to parties on the right which delivered clear messages about issues concerning young people like housing, the job market and illegal immigration.
Llopart said during the dictatorship there were “good things and bad things”.
