dictatorships

Spanish outlet Diario Público reports criticism of Spain's census and electoral rules, arguing the system creates two-tier voting rights: descendants of Sephardic Jews expelled 500 years ago are offered easier paths to Spanish nationality and voting rights, while grandchildren of Spaniards exiled under Franco's dictatorship face obstacles. The comparison has become a talking point about historical memory and who counts as part of the Spanish electorate.

The Trump administration is lifting sanctions against Russia, prompting criticism that Washington is no longer hiding its sympathies toward Moscow. Commentators tracking support for Ukraine say the United States is being downgraded from a supporter to a bordering-partner status in the informal democracy-versus-dictatorship lineup, arguing the move marks a significant shift in American posture toward the war and Ukraine's Western backing.

A sculpture in Quart de Poblet, Valencia, honouring people repressed under Franco's dictatorship has been vandalised. The words 'Rojos no' were painted on the monument, according to El Periódico. The attack has drawn condemnation as an assault on the memory of victims of the Franco regime, in a town that had dedicated the work to those persecuted after the Civil War.

Commentators are accusing Donald Trump of making false Sunday statements about oil availability and ceasefire progress between Russia and Ukraine, arguing that US media report the claims uncritically and that the statements are timed to move stock markets. The accusation has circulated widely in political discussion, with critics using hashtags about a Trump dictatorship, market manipulation and the Ukraine war.