One fifth of Spanish people believe Franco’s period was good or very good

ONE in five Spaniards believe the 36-year Franco dictatorship was either ‘good or very good’ for the country, according to a shocking new national survey.

And the results were not limited to the older generations – the view was equally shared among young adults aged 18 to 24, who displayed an unnerving affinity for the dictator when quizzed. 

The October barometer of Spain’s national pollster, the Centro de Investigaciones Sociologicas According to the (CIS) survey, 21.3% of respondents viewed Franco’s rule as positive.

This poll was published just a few weeks before the 50th Anniversary of the death of the dictator on November 20, 75. 

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While 39.1% of respondents described Franco’s regime as ‘very bad’ and 26.4% as ‘bad’, a striking 16.8% said it was “good” and 4.5% ‘very good’. 

A further 6.1% called it ‘so-so’ and 7.2% either did not know or refused to answer.

In a segment of Spanish television, the young people interviewed from Madrid and Valencia seemed divided. 

Some dismissed Franco’s crimes, with one saying ‘Franco wasn’t perfect, but he also did quite good things.’

Another person said: “Older folks have told us that they lived better. Especially with housing.”

Others claimed that ‘some tough things are needed for a country to move forward’ and that ‘a little repression, maybe even a war, is necessary’.

One way to say it is: “Franco is cool.”

Others believed ‘we are also a bit of a dictatorship right now’, and that ‘war is better than socialism’.

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The comments received widespread criticism. Viewers expressed their disbelief, expressing that such attitudes still persist a half century after the fall of the dictatorship. 

Historians, victims’ groups and other experts have warned for years that a lack of education on the Franco period, coupled with economic frustration and polarisation in politics, could lead to historical amnesia. 

Spain’s Democratic Memory Law passed in 2022 obliges schools, to teach about the realities of Franco-era repression, censorship, and executions. But implementation remains uneven.

The findings have also reignited the debate on Spain’s collective memories and the influence older generations. 

Some analysts say nostalgia for ‘order’ and ‘cheap housing’ persists in families who experienced postwar stability but not the regime’s persecution. 

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Some point to social media where videos praising Franco and trivializing dictatorship are widely circulated.

CIS director Jose Felix Tezanos said the barometer ‘reflects enduring divisions in Spanish historical memory’, noting that while rejection of Francoism remains the majority view, positive perceptions among younger citizens show ‘a worrying disconnection from historical reality’.

From 1939 to 1975, the Franco dictatorship was marked by mass executions and censorship, as well as the suppression of regional dialects and opposition parties. 

Though Spain transitioned to democracy soon after, the legacy of those decades continues to shape political and cultural life – and, as this latest survey suggests, remains far from settled.

But it is worth noting that 71% have a negative impression of Franco.

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