On March 17th in the middle of night, under a pretext of carrying out road works, the Ministro de Fomento removed the last statue of Franco from the capital. The horse went too. Although it was meant to be a secret operation, some 100 supporters turned out to demonstrate against the removal. The midnight errand provoked a strong reaction from the Far-Right who dragged themselves up from their usual petrified positions to protest in the loudest terms possible. Why stir up the past, asked the Partido Popular, Spaniards are not interested in these things.

It is precisely because the past remains stirred up that this issue has come to the fore again. The Goverment has begun to argue that they cannot create a law about the removal of Francoist symbols as it is up to each local authority to act as it sees fit and to act according to its conscience. But the rest of Parliament (PSOE, Nationalist’s etc etc) have proposed to draw up exactly such a law, one that has so far been approved by all the parties (except of course by the Partido Popular). 

The problem is further compounded by the fact that many of these symbols are on church property, causing the continued calls to remove them to fall on deaf ears. Certainly if you travel through some of the smaller villages of Extremadura or Castilla y Leon you will find the Falange insigna engraved on church walls, situated in the local Plaza Generalisimo or alongside Avenida Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera (Father of the Falange Party). The church has also been a willing partner in prohibiting access to burial sites and nothing short of legislation, argue the associations will open their doors to the families of the deceased.

But then, the church isn’t too happy right now with Zapatero. The legalisation of gay marriages and the forced distancing of the church in education has not made senor President the Catholic Kid of the month in ecclesiatical circles. Neither is his party, the PSOE, seen as a natural bedfellow of the military, and it is in this arena that perhaps the greatest resistence to any change in history will be found. The military has all the archives and details of burial sites but is unwilling to share what it feels to be its’ own exclusive version of history. There is almost no access for historians or politicians let alone families of the Republicans trying to trace what happened to their relations. Even Paul Preston, the famous biographer of Franco and Spanish historian was denied access to organisations such as the Franciso Franco Foundation, created under the last PP government – and headed by Franco’s daughter.

Whilst Zapatero tries to balance the increasingly polarised sectors of Spain, Amnesty International has this summer demanded that the government stop delaying and act now on these issues. It argues that the Associations are getting impatient and that the issue is now of greater urgency given the advanced age of the few surviving members. And the Governments partners in power: ERC and Izquierda Verde have requested that at least the issue of the Valle de los Caidos (Valley of the Fallen) be resolved before the significant 20th of November anniversary this year. They wish for the Valley to be turned into a permenant exhibiiton of the Dictator’s reign of terror. This cold and nightmarish symbol of the Franco regime - a 300 foot cross under which both Franco and Primo de Rivera are cosily buried - was built by12,000 political prisoners. Many lost their lives in its construction as they quarried 250 metres into the valley. It is usual for supporters to congregate at the Valle de los Caidos each 20th of November to comemorate the little man in a rather sad display of  political worship. But it wasn’t just the Valley that Franco put his prisoners to work on. They were also hired off to work for private companies constructing dams, canals, railways and factories. In return they received just 25% of the normal low wage whilst the state took the rest. 

Disinherited properties, unmarked graves, inaccessible archives and fascist symbols everywhere. Is the “time right” to now implement the last wishes of Captain Juan Rodriguez or will, delays, diplomacy and the “forgive and forget” legacy dilute any real legislation from the Socialists in power? And how effective is the removal of one paint splattered statue when many other street names in the capital and elsewhere remain so boldy displayed? (Such as those dedicated to General Millan Astray - famous for his statement: “Death to intelligence.”)

The Government is already under pressure from the Church, can it shoulder added pressure from the Military, the Partido Popular and the fringe right still active in Spain? It certainly has an obligation to try, an obligation to history and to itself as a new Euro-centric power. Zapatero has proved himself capable of acting decisively against these forces before now, when he stood up to Bush and Blair by withdrawing Spanish troops from Iraq. Such decisiveness is needed now.

The following are Paul's previous articles for the magazine:

• On An Olive Farm In Spain ~ Zen And The Art Of Gorse Clearance
• In Need Of Energy ~ 3 Paths To Personal Power From The South Of Spain
• Taking The Slow Route Home ~ Living On A Spanish Farm

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