Transformations of the Political Ideology of Francoism in Modern Spain

The article is devoted to the transformations of the political ideology of Francoism in modern Spain. The author divides the historical evolution of “Francoism after Franco” into two stages: neo-Francoism (completed) and post-Francoism (incipient). Neo-Francoism is formed during the times of democratic transit (1975–1982), post-Francoism arises as a result of political innovations implemented by the two social-democratic Governments of J.L. Rodriguez Zapatero (2004–2011) and P. Sanchez (from 2018 to the present) and is associated with a negative attitude to “historical memory” (Law of 2007th year) and “democratic memory” (Bill of 2020th year), respectively. Analyzing the internal structure of neo-Francoism, the author decomposes it into three types in accordance with a more general typology of conservatism by A.A. Galkin and P.Yu. Rakhshmir: the right wing (right-wing radical conservatism), centrist neo-Francoism (traditionalism) and the left wing (liberal conservatism). The internal structure of post-Francoism is still being formed, therefore it is revealed in less defined concepts although on the basis of the same classical triad: the right flank (mainstream), the center (“sympathizers”) and the left flank (“fellow travelers”). Comparing the “Francoisms”, the author shows that Francoism under Franco was a closed ideology and had as its main goal the destruction of opponents (expulsion from the country, prison, executions); neo-Francoism was a semi-open ideology and preferred to discuss with opponents (Parliament, media, scientific and journalistic literature). In this context, the fundamental difference between post-Francoism and other Francoisms is its open nature and publicly articulated invitation for all kinds of opponents from across the political and ideological spectrum to mutually beneficial cooperation for the progressive development of the country, thanks to which not only neo-Francoists, but also anti-Francoists (in particular, representatives of the “Communist Party of Spain” who have traditionally been enemies of any Francoism) appear in the logic of its nascent discourse today, which allows the author to add the prefix “post” to it. 

Keywords: political ideology; Francoism; neo-Francoism; post-Francoism; “historical memory”; “democratic memory”; modern Spain