Far-right uptick in Spain raises spectre of Franco 50 years after his death

By Emma Pinedo and David Latona

MADRID (Reuters) -A spike in support for Spain’s far right is reviving memories of late dictator Francisco Franco and burnishing his legacy among disaffected young Spaniards, even as the left-wing government seeks to eradicate symbols of the fascist past.

AI-generated clips of Franco railing against modern ills proliferate on social media along with revisionist history lessons and nightclubs playing techno remixes of Spain’s fascist-era anthem.

A survey by state‑run pollster CIS last month showed that more than one in five – 21.3% – of Spaniards saw the Franco era as “good” or “very good” for the country, compared to 11.2% when asked a similar question in 2000.

In another CIS poll from July, 17.3% of Spaniards aged 18-24 said they preferred an authoritar