20 November 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. In April, 80 years passed since the execution of Italian 'Duce' Benito Mussolini. from, despite the passing of time, both figures remain vividly present not only in the Spanish and Italian cultural imagination, but also on social media. This phenomenon can be termed 'pop fascism'. Memes, 'humour', regime anthems and military marches have become TikTok trends, and footballers are being used to idolise dictators and shout their regimes' slogans. False myths and disinformation narratives are continuously repeated through the implementation of multiple strategies.
'Pop Fascism' is an international investigation by Maldita.es in Spain and Facta in Italy that explores how fascist content has been adapted for social media and the strategies used to circumvent platform restrictions by using coded language, symbols, emojis and memes to deny events such as the Holocaust.
To this end, the two media outlets collected data from social media between June and September 2025. More than 500 pieces of content were recorded in total, and only posts that praise Francisco Franco, Benito Mussolini or Adolf Hitler, or endorse the policies, actions or symbols associated with their regimes, were selected.
Drawing on a variety of sources and the insights from experts in both countries and around the world, the research explains how 'pop fascism' has evolved and become normalised in our daily lives, facilitated by the dynamics of the digital space.
On the right: Photo by Malu Jaramillo / Maldita.es
