Disputing the past, remaking the present. the radical right and the battlefield of history education in Spain and Portugal (2019-2025)

Abstract

The article explores how the radical right in Spain (Vox) and Portugal (Chega) has instrumentalised history and history education between 2019 and 2025 to promote nationalist narratives and challenge democratic historical discourse. It shows how both parties seek to reconstruct a glorified national past while downplaying episodes of colonial violence, dictatorship, and civil conflict. By accusing the educational system of spreading "leftist" or "woke" ideologies, they advocate for a more "patriotic" reinterpretation rooted in traditional and religious values. Vox frames Spanish history through events such as the Reconquista and the Spanish Empire to reinforce unity. In contrast, Chega invokes nostalgia for the Estado Novo [New State] and the colonial empire to support exclusionary identity politics. Both parties reject professional historiography, promoting a populist freedom to reinterpret history, often through digital media. The article concludes that history has become a battleground where emotionally charged, politically motivated narratives challenge factual analysis. While curricular changes remain limited, the symbolic influence of these parties is growing, posing an epistemic threat to the integrity of history education and democratic pluralism.