Editorial: La Vanguardia

• Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain for forty years, died half a century ago.
• Spain has seen tremendous transformations since then, with advances in demographics, life expectancy, and economic indicators, in addition to integration into European institutions.
• Today, Spain is one of the top fifteen economies in the world, with high democratic quality.
• Despite these achievements, there are outstanding challenges such as inequality, access to housing, and the need for reforms.
• At the same time, there is a rise in populisms and far-right movements, taking advantage of the institutions to spread messages contrary to democratic achievements and undermining the system.

Conclusion: It is important to defend democracy and continue working to improve and strengthen the system, despite its imperfections and the threats of authoritarianism.

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