Podcast Summary: Todo Concostrina – "Acontece que no es poco | 15 de octubre de 1933 y 1940: Ultraderecha nazi española y el fusilamiento de Lluís Companys"

Host: Nieves Concostrina
Guest/Co-Host: Carlas
Date: 14 October 2024
Duration (content): ~00:19:00
Main Theme: Examining the eerie historical coincidences and direct links between two key events in Spanish history: the beginning of the ultraderecha/nazi-influenced right’s electoral campaign in 1933 and the fusilamiento (execution) of Lluís Companys, President of the Generalitat de Catalunya, in 1940.

Overview

In this thought-provoking episode, Nieves Concostrina draws a historical parallel between two events that took place on October 15, albeit seven years apart. The first is the 1933 inauguration of the ultraconservative CEDA’s (Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas) campaign—the start of a direct path to the rise of fascism in Spain. The second is the 1940 execution of Lluís Companys at the hands of the Franco regime, enabled by transnational fascist collaboration between Nazi Germany and Francoist Spain.
Concostrina offers her signature sharp, witty, and critical analysis, framing these events not only as history but as alarmingly resonant with today’s politics.

Key Points & Insights

1. A “Two-for-One” in History – Why These Dates Matter

• Nieves introduces the episode as a “pack de dos acontecidos que coinciden en fecha pero que están íntimamente relacionados entre ellos” (01:04), underlining that the thread of ultraderecha violence and intolerance runs straight from 1933 to 1940 and into current political climates.

2. The 1933 CEDA Campaign: The Blueprint for Modern Ultraconservatism

• Madrid, October 15, 1933: CEDA’s leader, José María Gil Robles, kickstarts a campaign pushing for a new totalitarian state.
• First time women in Spain are allowed to vote: “6.800.000 mujeres estaban censadas.” (03:57)
• Concostrina quotes Gil Robles’ chilling speech:

  “Hay que ir a un Estado nuevo y para ello se imponen deberes y sacrificios. ¿Qué importa que nos cueste hasta derramar sangre para realizar este ideal? ... La democracia no es para nosotros un fin, sino un medio para ir a la conquista de un Estado nuevo. Llegado el momento, el Parlamento o se somete o lo hacemos desaparecer.” (04:24)
  [“We must go towards a new State which demands sacrifices—even shedding blood if necessary... Democracy for us is not an end, but a means to conquer a new State. If at any point Parliament does not obey, we eliminate Parliament.”]

Analysis & Connection to Present:

• Concostrina bluntly draws a historic continuum, comparing CEDA’s aims with the present-day Spanish far-right:

  “Por eso decimos siempre que cuando la ultraderecha, Vox, se sienta en un Parlamento... lo hace para reventar la democracia desde dentro, porque desde fuera no puede.” (05:20)

3. Who Votes for Antidemocrats?

• Carlas raises the question of why democrats might vote for antidemocratic parties (05:45).
• Nieves responds, referencing the Greek etymology of "idiota" and criticizing the self-sabotage of voters supporting parties that damage their own interests (06:02).
• Analysis of the 1933 election loss for the left: disunity versus right-wing unity, not women's votes (07:12).

4. Myth-Making and Symbol-Politik: Covadonga and Pelayo

• Nieves exposes how the far right mythologizes sites like Covadonga and historical figures (08:13). “Covadonga, lamentándolo mucho, es el sitio que reúne más mentiras demostradas de todo el Estado... es toda una leyenda, es todo un cuento.” (08:31)
• The nationalist ritualization and propaganda techniques (copied directly from German Nazism) by Gil Robles and—decades later—Abascal.

5. Transnational Fascism: The Case of Lluís Companys

• After exile, Companys remained in France to stay close to his ailing son, refusing to flee to Mexico like the rest of his family (10:17).
• When the Nazis occupied France, they cooperated with Franco’s regime—arresting exiled Republicans based on lists sent from Spain. “Los franquistas les dieron a los alemanes una lista de 800 nombres... Uno de esos nombres era Lluís Comp, que fue detenido por los nazis alemanes y entregado a los nazis franquistas.” (11:01)
• Notable quote:

  “Esa placa recuerda la entrega por parte de los nazis alemanes a los nazis españoles del presidente de la Generalitat Lluís Compáñ.” (12:21)

• The exchange point: The bridge at Irún/Hendaya (puente Avenida) is now marked by a memorial plaque (12:21).
• Companys, once detained, was executed just 1.5 months later (12:20).

6. Legacy, Remembrance, and the Test of Conscience

• Nieves recommends visiting Irún, the Isla de los Faisanes, and the relevant bridge for their historical importance (12:54).
• Poignantly, she asserts:

  “Si sabiendo esto no te conmueves al atravesar el puente Avenida de Irún es que eres nazi. Esa es la prueba del algodón.” (13:33)
  [If knowing this, you cross the Avenida Bridge in Irún and aren’t moved, you’re a Nazi. That’s the acid test.]

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• On ultraderecha’s DNA:

  “Para entender que lo de asesinar al opositor la ultraderecha lo lleva en su ADN.” (01:23)

• On fascism’s use of democracy:

  “La democracia no es para nosotros un fin, sino un medio para ir a la conquista de un Estado nuevo.” (04:33) — Gil Robles

• On myth and national symbols:

  “Covadonga, lamentándolo mucho, es el sitio que reúne más mentiras demostradas de todo el Estado.” (08:31)

• On international fascist collusion:

  “La ultraderecha nazi española capturaba disidentes alemanes y los entregaba a los nazis, los alemanes capturaban españoles y los entregaban a los nazis franquistas para que los fusilaran.” (09:43)

• On memory and conscience:

  “Si sabiendo esto no te conmueves al atravesar el puente Avenida de Irún es que eres nazi. Esa es la prueba del algodón.” (13:33)

Segment Timestamps

• Historical set-up, significance of the date: 01:04 – 02:27
• 1933 CEDA campaign & political manifesto: 03:42 – 05:45
• Discussion about voter behavior & the left’s defeat: 05:45 – 07:58
• Mythology of Covadonga/propaganda: 08:13 – 09:43
• Nazi collaboration and the case of Companys: 10:13 – 12:21
• Significance of Irún bridge, remembrance: 12:21 – 13:39

Conclusion

This episode offers much more than a historical account—it is a sharp warning about the persistence of antidemocratic forces and the repetition of old tactics with new faces (“los mismos perros con distinto collar”). Nieves Concostrina’s lively, unvarnished tone, her ability to link myths, propaganda, and the brutal facts of collaboration, make the episode an urgent listen for those reflecting on Spain’s past and its lessons for the present.