The Sobremesa Podcast

San Fermín Beyond Hemingway 12.07.2026 52Min.

2026 marks the centenary of Ernest Hemingway’s novel ‘The Sun also Rises’, which brought Pamplona’s San Fermín festival international fame. Yet beyond its place in Hemingway’s iconic novel and the yearly international news reports of tourists injured or even dying in the running of the bulls, the fiestas of San Fermín has also served as a symbolic battleground in Navarre's unresolved identity conflict. As the capital of Navarre, Pamplona sits at the intersection of two competing national projects: Basque nationalists regard the region as an inseparable part of the historic Basque homeland, while Navarrese regionalists and Spanish unionists insist on Navarre's distinct political identity and institutions. Every July, those rival visions spill into the festival through disputes over flags, language, official ceremonies and the public symbolism of the encierro. Today on Sobremesa Podcast we look to go beyond the cliches and instagram posts generated around Sanfermin and look at its deeper cultural, historical and political significance. To do so, I am joined once again by Tulane University’s Brittany Kennedy - an expert in Basque culture. If you like what we are producing and want to keep the podcast sustainable, please consider donating to our buy me a coffee page. The link is the show notes. Okay, I hope you enjoy my interview with Brittany.

Sánchez under Siege 27.06.2026 1Std.

In recent months Pedro Sánchez's government has faced the most sustained judicial offensive of its time in office. Sanchez’s wife has been ordered to stand trial for influence peddling and her passport confiscated because a right-wing judge believed she constituted a flight risk. Meanwhile the prime minister’s brother is now awaiting a verdict in a highly controversial trial for influence peddling and malfeasance that was based entirely on circumstantial evidence. At the same time, Former Socialist prime minister and key Sanchez ally, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has also been placed under criminal investigation - after the US Homeland Security Department supplied messages from a cloned phone that suggests he could have lobbied for a pandemic-era loan for a Venezuelan airline. Lawfare has been a key weapon for the Spanish right in undermining Sanchez’s left-leaning administration over the last 8 years - with its use accelerating particularly after the 2023 Catalan amnesty. But the intervention of the Trump administration adds a new international dimension - with many in the Spanish media and politics believing that the questionable evidence sent by US Homeland Security against Zatatero in March was retaliation for Sanchez’s stance on the war in Iran. It was a move which has certainly killed most of Sanchez’s momentum from his growing international profile and plunged his administration into renewed crisis.Today on Sobremesa podcast, we discuss the judicial siege that Sanchez, his government and family now find themselves under. And to do so I am joined by IE University’s Joe Haslam.If you like what we are producing and want to help keep the podcast going, please consider donating at our buy me a coffee page. https://buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Tribulete 7: The Building on the Frontline of Madrid's Housing Crisis 15.06.2026 54Min.

Let me tell you a story about Lavapiés. Spain's housing crisis has finally come for you. Your home has just been sold to a vulture fund and they want you out. What would you do? The residents at Calle Tribulete 7 came together and set out on a path of resistance, one that would transform them into a Madrid-wide symbol of the battle for housing rights. The documentary Soy Tribulete 7 (I am Tribulete 7) takes us inside the 107-year-old Lavapiés building and into the lives of an extraordinary community whose looming eviction launched the fight of their lives.This week on Sobremesa podcast, we discuss the new documentary and the housing block behind. To do so, I am joined by the film’s co-director Leah Pattem. Leah is a photo and investigative journsalist and the founder of the blog Madrid No Frills. Remember if you like what we are producing and want to keep the podcast sustainable going forward, please consider making a donation to our Buy me a Coffee page: https://buymeacoffee.com/thesobremeyTrailer for the documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wr1hdNO51I

Conquistadors and Culture Wars 06.06.2026 1Std. 4Min.

Last month Madrid’s right wing regional premier Isabel Ayuso took it upon herself to travel to Mexico so as to lecture the Mexican public about their own history - as she participated in a homage to the conquistador Hernan Cortes. Proving once again her reputation as a Trumpian figure within the mainstream conservative Popular Party, she even went as far as to insist on her return to Madrid that “Mexico did not exist until the Spanish arrived.” She and much of Spanish right have form on this. In 2021 as Pope Francis apologised for the Catholic Church’s role in the conquest of the Americas, she responded: “It surprises me that a Spanish-speaking Catholic would speak that way about a legacy like ours, which was precisely to bring Spanish—and, through the missions, Catholicism, and thus civilization and freedom—to the American continent,”Today on Sobremesa podcast we talk about Spain’s other memory war, that is: The Spanish right’s revisionist crusade to revindicate the supposed civilizational mission associated with the conquest of the Americas. To do so I am joined by the historian Juan José Ponce Vázquez, of The University of Alabama.Please remember if you like what we are producing, consider making a donation to our buy me a coffee page:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey⁠

The Battle over Picasso's Guernica 10.05.2026 53Min.

Pablo Picasso’s Guernica is probably the most well known painting of the 20th century, and has become a universal symbol of the horrors of war. But it has also been the subject of renewed controversy in recent weeks in Spain - over a yet another request by the Basque government for the painting to be displayed at least temporarily in Bilbao. The current request comes ahead of the 90th anniversary of the bombing that the painting evokes - when during the Civil War the Nazi Condor Legion unleashed a relentless aerial assault on the Basque town.The long-running debate over moving the painting to the Basque Country centres on competing claims, with Basque sovereignists arguing that it should be displayed in the same location as the events it commemorates, against Spanish government’s insistence it remain at Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid for reasons of conservation and national heritage. Today on Sobremesa, we discuss the controversy and the relationship between the work’s power and universality and the concrete, historical atrocity inflicted on Gernika the town. To do so Eoghan is joined by Brittany Kennnedy, Senior Professor of Practice at Tulane University’s Department of Spanish and Portuguese. Brittany is the author of Between Distant Modernities: Performing Exceptionality in Francoist Spain and the Jim Crow South.Please remember if you like what we are producing, consider making a donation to our buy me a coffee page:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey⁠

Gabriel Rufian and the Spanish left 15.04.2026 1Std. 4Min.

With the announcement from deputy prime minister Yolanda Diaz that she would not be standing as a candidate in next year’s general election, Spain’s radical left currently looks leaderless and increasingly fragmented. In this context, attention has turned towards Gabriel Rufian as a potential new left-wing figurehead. Yet there is one major issue: Rufian, a charismatic,working class Catalan MP is also pro-independence. Indeed, eight years ago he was one of the most visible faces in the Spanish parliament representing the attempted unilateral push for Catalan independence.Please remember if you like what we are producing, please consider making a donation to our buy me a coffee page:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

From Faith to Freedom: Catholicism, Liberalism, and Hispanidad in Cádiz 1812 01.04.2026 50Min.

On this episode Alan is joined by Gregorio Alonso, Associate Professor in Hispanic History at the University of Leeds. We explore the 1812 Cádiz Constitution, a landmark document born in a time of siege and upheaval.Gregorio takes us through the tensions between liberalism and Catholicism, the shaping of Hispanidad, and how these ideas influenced Spain and the loss of its empire. This conversation uncovers how faith, freedom, and imperial identity collide in one of Spain’s most fascinating historical documents .Please donate at to make the podcast sustainable:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Sánchez on the World Stage 09.03.2026 1Std. 24Min.

Hours after the United States and Israel bombed Iran on Saturday morning, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez released a statement which read: “We reject the unilateral military action of the United States and Israel that entails an escalation and contributes to a more uncertain and hostile international order...We demand immediate de-escalation and full respect for international law." He also condemned the Iranian retaliation missile and drone attacks on neighbouring Arab states.Apart from the Norwegian foreign minister’s condemnation, Sanchez stood alone among European leaders in his willingness to call out US-Israeli aggression. Indeed as he attended the Goyas film awards on Saturday night, he told reporters: ““We are witnessing a violation of international law…Violence only produces more violence.”To do so Eoghan is joined by Bécquer Seguín - associate professor of Hispanic Studies at John Hopkins University and who covers Spanish current affairs for the Nation Magazine. Just to note our discussion was recorded on Friday 27th of February - the day before the US-Israeli military aggression against Iran.Please remember if you like what we are producing, please consider making a donation to our buy me a coffee page:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Francoist Prison Worlds: Totalitarianism and Social Control 25.02.2026 58Min.

Today's guest is historian Helen Graham, who discusses her research into the brutal prison system under Francoist dictatorship. Her work shows how mass incarceration after the Spanish Civil War was only one part of a much wider system of control and surveillance — one that reached beyond prison walls into families, communities, and everyday life, shaping how millions of people experienced dictatorship.Helen Graham is Professor Emerita of Modern European History at Royal Holloway, University of London, and the recipiant of the Walter Benjamin International Memorial Prize 2025-6. Amongst other works, she is the author of ‘The Spanish Republic at War 1936–1939’, The Spanish Civil War: A Very Short Introduction (a new edition of which is out this summer) and the forthcoming ‘After the Spanish civil war: the twentieth century through five antifascist lives’Please remember if you like what we are producing, please consider making a donation to our buy me a coffee page:⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/thesobremeyHelen's essay on prisons: https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/en/publications/not-recognizing-the-political-analysing-francos-long-dictatorship/ Also the trailer for film we discuss, Modelo 77: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1e-NJObVFQAnd the documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKVktmqsx4Q&rco=1

Barcelona and the 1936 Popular Olympics 13.02.2026 52Min.

Originally released 01 August 2024On the eve of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936, Barcelona was set to host the Popular Olympic games. Bringing together athletes from around the world under the banner of anti-fascism, the event was meant to take place just weeks before the Nazi Olympics in Berlin. Yet as the athletes gathered for the opening ceremony, the military coup was launched, in turn, leading to revolution in the city's streets.In this podcast, Catherine talks to James Stout, author of 'The Popular Front'. Barcelona and the 1936 Popular Olympics', about the organisation of the event, the nature of popular sport in Catalonia, and how the Popular Olympics can be seen as both one of the first casualties of the Spanish Civil War and also one of the first great examples of international anti-fascist solidarity and cooperation.If you like what we are producing, please consider making a donation at our Buy Me a Coffee page here - ⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Exhuming Violent Histories: How to Tell the Story of Spain's Mass Graves 01.02.2026 50Min.

Originally published: 12/07/22This week's guest is sociologist Nicole Iturriaga who Eoghan talked to about her new book 'Exhuming Violent Histories: Forensics, Memory and Rewriting Spain's Past'. The book provides a detailed case study of Spain’s best-known historical memory organization, the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory which since 2000 has been responsible for exhuming many of Spain's Franco-era mass graves. In the book, Nicole argues that part of the association's success has been due to its use of a depoliticised approach, i.e. using forensic science and family testimony, rather than overtly political arguments, to force the issue of Francoist state terror back onto the public agenda. It is available to buy on amazon (including in a very reasonable ebook version): https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B094YXN968/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0

Poetry of the International Brigaders 21.01.2026 1Std.

Jim Jump, the editor of the poetry anthology "Poems from Spain: British and Irish International Brigaders on the Spanish Civil War", joins Alan to discuss the collection of poems that stretch the length Spanish Civil War and after. All poems were written by men and women participating in the International Brigades. They cover the lives of the poets themselves, recite poetry from the book and discuss why it was so prominent in the war. The collection can be brought from the publishers Lawrence and Wishart's website hereIf you like what we are producing, please consider making a donation at our Buy Me a Coffee page here - ⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

2025 - The Year in Spanish Politics 27.12.2025 1Std. 26Min.

2025 was the year Spain stood out in Europe over its clear opposition to the Israeli genocide in Gaza, as well as over its critical stance towards the Trump-led military spending spree in NATO. With the fall of the Social Democrats in Germany, the country’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez also reinforced his position within the EU as the major figurehead of the continent’s centre-left. Yet, at home Sanchez has faced a series of crises and scandals within his own Socialist Workers Party while his complicated parliamentary majority hung by a thread while far-right Vox surged in the polls.To discuss the year’s events, Alan and Eoghan are joined by regular end of year guest IE university professor and Galician beach bar owner Joe Haslam. If you like what we produce, and want more, please think of contributing and making the podcast sustainable going forward:⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Fields of Exploitation: Corporate Farming in Spain 13.12.2025 43Min.

Spain is the European Union’s largest fruit and vegetable producer, with exports topping €18 billion in 2024. Yet those whose work sustains this lucrative sector face widespread underpayment and labour rights violations - with some facing extreme exploitation bordering on modern slavery.As Eoghan tells Alan, this model should not be seen as some antiqued part of the Spanish economy but rather in its employment of digital surveillance techniques and with the growing financialization of the agricultural sector, Spain is at the cutting edge of European farming.If you like what we produce, and want more, please think of contributing and making the podcast sustainable going forward:⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/thesobremeyThe investigation discussed in this episode:1. Revealed: EU Farm Subsidy ‘Bankrolls’ Widespread Labour Abusehttps://www.desmog.com/2025/09/29/revealed-eu-farm-subsidy-bankrolls-widespread-labour-abuse/ 2. In Spain, Farmworkers Are Dying in the Heat https://jacobin.com/2025/10/spain-farmworkers-heatstroke-climate-crisis

Franco Anniversary: What Is His Regime's Legacy after 50 Years? 23.11.2025 1Std. 13Min.

As Spain marks the fiftieth anniversary of the death of dictator Francisco Franco, Eoghan sits down for a wide-range interview with Sebastiaan Faber, Professor of Hispanic Studies at Oberlin College and author of Exhuming Franco. They discuss the very contested institutional, political and ideological legacies of the dictatorship - as well as the continued fascination with Franco on the far-right in the United States. ⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Between the Bottle and the Bullet: Alcohol, Drugs and the Spanish Civil War 12.11.2025 1Std. 1Min.

In this episode of The Sobremesa Podcast, Alan McGuire speaks with historian Dr. Jorge Marco, author of Paradise in Hell: Alcohol and Drugs in the Spanish Civil War (University of Wales Press).They explore how intoxication shaped the Spanish Civil War. Not just on the battlefield, but in propaganda, gender roles, and moral control. From the image of the “drunken enemy” to the ideal of the sober, disciplined soldier, Marco reveals how alcohol and drugs became tools for defining masculinity, nationhood, and the enemy.If you like what we produce, and want more, please think of contributing and making the podcast sustainable going forward:https://buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

Spanish Football under Franco: Sportswashing Avant la Lettre 08.11.2025 59Min.

This week we discuss the use of football as a propaganda tool under the Francisco Franco dictatorship, concentrating in particular on the cases of Real Madrid and Barcelona. Eoghan speaks to historian Alejandro Quiroga, author of the book the book ‘Football and National Identities in Spain’. If you like what we are producing and want more, please consider making a donation to our Buy me a coffee page. All contributions help make the podcast financially sustainable. Donate here!

Not Such a Soft Dictatorship: Francoism and the Forgotten Repression of Sexual Minorities 26.10.2025 49Min.

In the later years of Franco’s regime, Spain was beginning to change socially, culturally, and economically. But beneath the surface of so-called “soft dictatorship” the state continued to torture, imprison, and silence those who didn’t fit its moral order and catholic ideology.In this episode, we revisit a conversation with Sonia Cuesta Maniar, a doctoral researcher at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, whose work examines how the Spanish state persecuted gay and trans people during the late Francoist period, turning them into public enemies that threatened the social order of the country.We talk about how the regime used psychiatry, imprisonment, and humiliation as tools of control, and how these acts of violence were justified.Re-released as part of our Francoism series, this episode reminds us that the dictatorship was not the “soft” authoritarianism it’s sometimes remembered as, but a system built on fear, repression, and the erasure of those who lived outside its narrow vision of Spain.The Sobremesa Podcast is completely independent; no ads, no sponsors, just time, research, and a lot of coffee. If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us through Buy Me a Coffee so we can keep the podcast sustainable.Donate here!

Spain, Palestine, and the Politics of Solidarity 12.10.2025 45Min.

In this episode of The Sobremesa Podcast, Alan McGuire and Eoghan Gilmartin are joined by Barcelona-based Italian journalist Tiare Gatti Mora. they discuss Spain’s relationship with Palestine and Israel.The conversation explores the political and moral dynamics behind Spain’s arms embargo, its efforts to help stop the genocide in Gaza, and the possible calculations shaping Pedro Sánchez’s stance on Palestine. This, of course, takes into account Spain's membership of NATO, its relationship with the Trump administration and European politics.Later they also compare Spain’s position with Italy’s response to the crisis, reflecting on how both countries’ left movements and governments have engaged with the question of solidarity.This episode offers a deep, timely analysis of how the European left have acted, and what its limitations are, when responding to one of the biggest war crimes of our time.If you want to help make the podcast more sustainable and help us pay for the programs we need to produce the podcast, please consider buying us a beer! The link is ⁠here

Catalonia Under Franco: Repression, Co-option, and Resistance 31.07.2025 1Std.

In this episode of The Sobremesa Podcast, we explore the complex and often contradictory history of Catalonia under Franco with historian Dr. Andrew Dowling.We unpack how the Francoist regime initially crushed Catalan language and culture, only to later co-opt selective elements for its own purposes — reshaping Catalan identity under authoritarian rule.We also examine the uncomfortable truths of the period: the early support of the Catalan upper class for the Franco regime, and how this changed in the face of growing repression and political decay.As the dictatorship entered its final, violent phase, a surprising alliance emerged — Catalan communists and the Catholic Church working together to organise resistance and push for democratic change.This episode is about memory, identity, collaboration, and struggle — and how Catalonia’s past continues to shape its present.🎙️ Support The Sobremesa PodcastWe love making The Sobremesa Podcast — bringing you deep dives into Spanish politics, culture, and history with voices you might not hear elsewhere.But here’s the truth:We have no external funding.We’re entirely volunteer-run — researching, writing questions, recording, editing, and promoting each episode ourselves.Your support helps us cover the basics:🎧 Recording platforms🎛️ Editing softwareIf you value independent, grassroots media that brings Spain to a wider audience — please consider donating to our Buy us a Coffee page. Even a few euros make a real difference and keep us going.We do this because we care — but we can’t do it alone.Gracias siempre for listening and supporting us.