Spain seeks to declassify Franco-era secret files
Spain's leftist government approved a draft law Tuesday to automatically declassify confidential documents older than 45 years, potentially shedding new light on the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco and the country’s transition to democracy.
The proposed law, which still must be approved by parliament -- where it could be subjected to changes -- would replace the existing secrets law dating from the dictatorship which lacks any timeline for automatic declassification, as exists in many other European nations.
Justice Minister Félix Bolaños said the legislation would align Spain’s secrecy laws with "European standards" and promote greater transparency around "sensitive information".
"I believe that with this law, we are finally overcoming a longstanding shortcoming in our legislation," he told a news conference following a weekly cabinet meeting that approved the draft bill.
The proposed law would lift secrecy on archives from before 1980 -- a period that includes Franco's decades-long dictatorship and the turbulent years that followed his death in 1975, during which Spain transitioned to democracy.
All classified materials older than 45 years would be made public unless their disclosure still poses a threat to national security or defense.
The bill would also restrict the classification of information to exceptional cases, which must be clearly justified.
Documents related to serious human rights violations or crimes against humanity could not be classified under any circumstances.
READ ALSO: 'Franco did it' - Five interesting ways the dictator shaped modern Spain
Multiple efforts to reform the outdated secrets law have failed in recent years.
The most recent attempt initiated by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in 2020 was shelved three years later when parliament was dissolved and a general election called.
Amnesty International welcomed the approval of the draft law and urged Spain's political parties to set aside partisan disputes to quickly approve it.
"This law could change history," the rights group said in a statement posted on X, arguing that the current law has hindered investigations into grave human rights abuses during the dictatorship and denied victims their right to reparation.
Franco ruled Spain with an iron fist after his side emerged victorious from Spain's 1936-39 civil war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
No senior officials from his regime were ever prosecuted, as the country adopted a sweeping amnesty following his death in 1975.
READ ALSO: Franco dictatorship splits Spain 50 years after death
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