The PP has harshly criticized the UN in response to a report by the organization against the decision of the PP and Vox to repeal historical memory laws in several regions they govern together – Castilla y León, Aragón, and the Valencian Community. The President of Aragón, Jorge Azcón, claims that the UN report contains “serious errors” because Aragón is not passing a law, but a “concord plan”. The UN report actually refers to a law passed by the Aragon Parliament, with the votes of the PP and Vox, which repeals the previous memory law. This law eliminates various entities and educational activities related to the memory of the Franco regime. The UN report states that these so-called concord laws could violate Spain’s obligation to preserve the historical memory of human rights violations.
Azcón denies creating an alternative memory law, insisting on a concord plan inspired by the spirit of the Transition. The PP has aligned with Vox in regressive positions on historical memory, repealing laws previously supported by the PP itself. In Aragón, the current law has repealed a previous progressive law. The President of the Valencian Community, Carlos Mazón, also criticized the UN report, highlighting the 422 exhumations carried out during his tenure. The UN report has led the central government to take action, with the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory announcing plans to invoke Article 33.2 of the Constitutional Court’s Organic Law to defend human rights and democracy.
The Minister emphasized a determination to challenge the PP and Vox laws in the Constitutional Court if necessary, emphasizing the violation of human rights in the UN report. The Justice Minister condemned the PP and Vox for their laws whitewashing the dictatorship, while Feijóo distanced himself from his party’s barons’ criticism, focusing on the memory of ETA terrorism. Vox defended the laws and attacked the UN, accusing globalist organizations of serving political agendas rather than citizens’ needs. The government insists that the PP and Vox laws cannot contradict state regulations, and it has taken the matter to European authorities.
The laws promoted by the PP and Vox in response to the government’s memory law have sparked a political debate, with the government and UN warning of human rights violations and lack of democratic principles. While regional leaders defend their actions, the opposition parties and international organizations criticize the suppression of historical memory activities. The government is prepared to challenge these laws legally, as they could potentially undermine the preservation of democratic values and the condemnation of past atrocities. The debate reflects broader ideological divisions within Spanish politics and illustrates the ongoing struggle to confront the legacy of authoritarianism in the country.
