"Although the socialist government of the prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has organised a year-long series of events to mark the post-Franco transformation, it ruled out any state acts on Thursday, the actual anniversary of the dictator's death, to avoid accusations that it was seeking to celebrate his death. The anniversary comes amid increasing concerns about the lack of knowledge about the dictatorship, especially among younger Spaniards."
"Sanchez hailed Spain's almost unique democratic progress over the past 50 years, saying the country had gone from being a repressive dictatorship to being a full democracy, and from being a poor and isolated country to one that is prosperous and integrated in the world. But the prime minister, who pointedly did not refer to Franco by name, also noted that democracy didn't fall from the sky, adding that today's freedoms had been secured by the determination and resilience of the Spanish people."
Spain marked the 50th anniversary of Francisco Franco's death without official commemorative events. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for defending democratic freedoms won after the dictatorship and stressed that democracy and prosperity resulted from public determination. Franco's 1936 coup triggered a civil war and produced four decades of authoritarian rule; Franco died on 20 November 1975. The socialist government organized a year-long series of events to commemorate Spain's post-Franco transformation but avoided state acts on the anniversary to prevent appearing to celebrate his death. Polls reveal limited knowledge about the dictatorship and notable youth support for authoritarian alternatives, prompting concern and calls to reduce inequality and expand rights.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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