Before Zapatero's Historical Memory Law, Aznar's PP had already condemned Franco

The PP's official condemnation of Francoism under **Aznar** in **2002** preceded Zapatero's law and marked a turning point in Spanish politics.

On **20 November 2002**, a date laden with symbolism, the Partido Popular of **José María Aznar** issued an official condemnation of Francoism. This move, which joined the historical narrative already consolidated by the PSOE and the separatist parties, marked a turning point. The left and the independence movements had won the cultural and historical battle, gaining a legitimacy that, according to some analyses, had been denied to them in the **1976** referendum.

## The condemnation and its echoes

This official condemnation was no minor event. On the contrary, it was interpreted as the PP aligning itself with the forces seeking to rewrite Spain's recent history. By condemning Francoism, the **1976** referendum — from which the monarchy and the democracy of the **1978 regime** itself emerged — was implicitly called into question. For many, this decision was a time bomb against the legacy of Francoism, transforming the regime and opening the door to what is perceived as an involution.

## A change of course

The argument suggests that this official condemnation of Francoism by the PP, before the **Historical Memory Law** promoted by **José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero**, represented a significant change of direction. The PP, by adopting this stance, is seen as having abandoned the defence of Spain's historical continuity and embraced a narrative that sought to delegitimise aspects of the past. From this perspective, the shift had profound implications for the consolidation and understanding of Spanish democracy.