Traumatic Pasts , Shifting Pasts : Battles Over Public Memory and Its Management
Unlike Spain , where the memory of the dictatorship remains a markedly divisive issue , Portugal has , until recently , seen greater consensus around the condemnation of the Estado Novo . In this case , the regime ’ s repression and limitations have been widely acknowledged , and there is a notable effort to educate new generations about this dark period in Portuguese history . This is because the processes of reconciliation and justice have differed between the two countries . In Spain , the transition was largely negotiated , which led to a “ politics of forgetting ” that avoided prosecuting those responsible for Francoist crimes to facilitate democratic consolidation . This has led to current debates on historical memory and the need for justice for the regime ’ s victims In contrast , the Carnation Revolution in Portugal allowed for a more open process of justice and reconciliation . Although elements of forgetting were present , the consensus around condemning the Estado Novo has been more pronounced .
Moreover , the memory of the Portuguese Revolution has been widely celebrated every 25 April . The country commemorates Freedom Day , marking the end of the dictatorship and the beginning of democracy . This date is a moment of reflection on democratic achievements and a tribute to those who fought for freedom . It has become a central element of Portuguese collective memory , with commemoration and ritualisation not only serving to remember the past but also to affirm democratic values in the present . In contrast , in Spain , this symbolic calendar , which includes 6 December 1978 , the date of the Referendum for the approval of the Constitution , though celebrated annually as a public holiday , is difficult to place on the same level of social significance and public celebration .
However , the legacy of the Carnation Revolution remains complex and ambivalent in the country ’ s collective memory . In the early years of the political transition , anti-fascist memories were dominant .
The political actors of the time promoted a narrative of breaking with the dictatorial past , but also of subversion and transformation of the political and social order . From 1976 , during the consolidation process , under constitutional governments , a conservative and counter-revolutionary discourse began to develop , seeking a homologation that aligned with the illusory desire to view the Portuguese case as the start of a third wave of democratisation . This was the result of a discourse about a country that began to deny the revolutionary moments of its democracy as foundational , instead portraying them as a prior , distorting force that had to be corrected ( Loff , 2024 ).
Over the years , the memory of the Revolution ( 1974-1975 ) has been the subject of historiographical debates and historical revisionism . There have been reinterpretations that reflect the changes in the country ’ s political and social context . This battle for memory in the public sphere was clearly expressed on the 20th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution in 1994 . The uses of that memory in different historical contexts have allowed it to be instrumentalized to serve contemporary political aims . Today , this issue remains vital , not just as a memory of the past , but as an active resource that influences current Portuguese politics . In fact , it has become an ideological battleground . Debates about its meaning and consequences have reflected broader political divisions in society . While the left has generally celebrated the Revolution as an emancipatory and progressive moment , certain sectors of the right have sought to minimize its impact or reinterpret its achievements , portraying it as a chaotic interruption in national history .
Nonetheless , the memory of the Revolution and the 25th of April has played a significant role in shaping national identity , rooted in the values of freedom , democracy , and social justice . School textbooks and educational programmes have been key tools in conveying official narratives about the Revolution . However , these narratives can vary and sometimes face tensions between a more critical view and a more celebratory interpretation of events . This suggests that national identity is not
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Observing Memories Issue 8