No, Franco didn't steal Eurovision from the UK (as far as we know)

It seems unbelievable that we can still continue to tell stories about Spain's much-discussed only triumph at Eurovision - Massiel 's La, la, la (1968) - but the fact is that yes: as a remote Great National Narrative, the tangle of realities and myths that imprisons the event is such that there will always be something to clarify.

Furthermore, we already know that a good historical controversy has neither beginning nor end, so The Sun can easily headline "Spanish fascist leader General Franco rigged the votes." No one is too surprised, since in the United Kingdom it's almost commonplace to believe that Cliff Richards' Congratulations had his wallet stolen by Franco's briefcases. A belief that José María Íñigo —historical Eurovision presenter—contributed to when he casually said a few years ago that RTVE had tied up votes for Massiel, only to later clarify that he hadn't meant to say that.

The song , a Movistar + series that premieres this week, now recreates the core, the hectic internal backstage of the operation, from Pardo to Prado del Rey, from Serrat to Massiel, with fictional licenses, but a previous work of historical exploration by the scriptwriters and creators Fran Araújo and Pepe Coira , behind series such as Hierro and Rapa .

We spoke with Araújo and Coira about the accessible reality behind the massielazo .

QUESTION: Was the Eurovision victory a well-thought-out operation by Franco's soft power ?

"There weren't many areas where Spain could compete on equal terms with the rest of Europe."

Pepe Coira : What's documented is that the regime was focused on improving its external image—context: tourism boom—on projecting a modern image of the country in Europe. In the specific case of television, Operation Festivals was launched, generating quality productions, with authors like Antonio Mercero and Chicho Ibáñez Serrador , designed to succeed at international festivals. Of course, there was also a lot of interest in Eurovision, as there weren't many areas where Spain could compete on equal terms with the rest of Europe.

From there, Franco's direct order to win Eurovision is a license for the series, but what is there is a determined political commitment to go all out in this type of event. Spanish Television made a huge effort to win Eurovision.

Fran Araújo : Eurovision was the main event. We're talking about a competition watched by 200 million people in Europe. It was the ideal venue to legitimize itself and give a sense of openness, of a country undergoing change, as demonstrated by the fact that Serrat was included, a decision that would have been unthinkable just a short time ago.

Pepe Coira : If in previous years Raphael was chosen—one of the country's biggest stars, a sign that they took the matter very seriously, but at the same time a more predictable aesthetic option—with Serrat , the strategy was changed. Or to break the mold of what Francoism was supposed to be by sending a Catalan singer.

Q. Given the higher political stakes involved, what role did RTVE executives and employees play? After all, the television networks of each country traditionally control Eurovision.

Fran Araújo : At RTVE, the contradictions and balances of power of the regime were reproduced, all political families had their internal quota, from the Falangists to the OPUS technocrats, with the added bonus that there were also many young people, from artists to technicians, with a more open mind, and who wanted to do their job well.

Pepe Coira : The historical documentation doesn't reveal the internal debates at RTVE over the song selection process, but we do know the structure, which we tried to reproduce in the series. Serrat entered the competition with a song in Spanish that wasn't "La, la, la ," composed by the Dynamic Duo, but intended for Serrat.

"The first rift over Serrat's election wasn't created by the regime, but by cultural Catalanism."

Fran Araújo : Serrat had exploded. He'd just hit number one in sales in Spain—with a song in Catalan, eh!—and he was singing in Spanish. The idea was to give a modern image of Spain by sending Serrat, associated with the Nova Cançó catalana (Catalan New Song) , a surprising decision by Franco's regime, similar to other recent decisions made by RTVE, such as sending Chicho's Historias de la frivolidad (Histories of Frivolity) to international festivals, an ironic account of censorship in Spain that, because of this, might make foreigners think the regime wasn't as fierce as people said.

We don't know if Serrat's election caused an internal uproar within the Franco regime, although Manuel Fraga , the minister in charge of RTVE, showed no qualms in his diaries. Let's just say that the regime seemed comfortable pretending to be more modern than it actually was, or was willing to be.

Curiously, the first rift over Serrat's election was not opened by the regime, but by cultural Catalanism, where some did not welcome Serrat's, so to speak, playing into the hands of the party.

P. Serrat was left in an awkward political position, wasn't he?

Pepe Coira : Serrat wanted to be a popular singer, to sing in both languages, which was what he had been raised in his home without any incompatibilities, without renouncing either Catalan or Spanish. But, after the controversy within the Catalan community over his selection for Eurovision, he said he would only participate if he could sing "La, la, la" in Catalan, a decision he explained in a carefully considered letter.

The letter

[Serrat's letter is worth reproducing for context. Here it goes.]

Last January, I was selected by TVE to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest to be held in London next April.

This was a source of pride for me, and at the same time a responsibility, because I knew that the eyes and hopes of millions of Spaniards would be on me.

The song La, la, la, by Manuel de la Calva and Ramon Arcusa was subsequently selected, which, despite all the opinions, mostly unfounded, I consider very appropriate for the type of festival for which it is intended.

From then on, a real promotion of the song and myself began, naturally, all over Europe, which took me away from the country and from city to city and from set to set. This physical distance, combined with my inexperience and overwork, prevented me from judging things clearly ; I also missed the daily contact with people, with the man on the street who watches us from afar and follows us closely.

I've always been tormented by a worry, a concern that I'll surely break with a single blow with this letter. I am, and remain, above all, a Catalan singer, and I've expressed myself in this language for four years.

When I was appointed to represent TVE in London, I was known only for my songs in Catalan. So why not sing in Catalan in London, when the Catalan version of "La, la, la" was already prepared? The "official language" argument doesn't seem valid enough to me to negate the question.

One day, not too long ago, I returned to the country. I arrived home and spoke to the people on my street, and I realized that these people, simple and straightforward, were asking the same question as me: "Why not?" A man must be true to himself and to the people who are true to him. For these two reasons, I am writing to the Director General of Radio and Television, asking him to understand my arguments and allow me to sing in London in Catalan, or, if this is not possible, to accept my irrevocable resignation.

I would like this open letter to reflect all the goodwill that guided me in making this decision, and I am sure that all Spanish-speaking people will understand my reasons, as I have publicly and repeatedly expressed in the press.

At the same time, I want to thank everyone who, from the day I first stepped onto the stage until today, has encouraged me and given me a hand, and even those who have criticized me because, at the end of the day, everyone has helped me.

Thank you so much.

End of Serrat's letter. The interview continues:

Fran Araújo : The letter is a complex matter. We tried to be faithful to the historical moment, because we greatly respect Serrat, although he himself has told it in different ways over time.

That same year, Serrat released an album in Catalan and another in Spanish. In other words, for him, jumping from one language to the other wasn't a problem. Others threw the controversy at him. He was caught between Spanish and Catalan nationalism.

Another factor is that both Serrat and Massiel were very young, caught up in an industrial and political dynamic much larger than themselves, and of which Serrat was not fully aware until she was well into her career, when she realized that her decision bothered those around her.

Q. Over the decades, and thanks to Íñigo's statements, RTVE's lobbying efforts to win Eurovision reached legendary levels. Was the lobbying so exaggerated? Did we steal the festival, as the English think?

FA: Determining how far the regime's hand reached is not easy. We do know that the political interest in winning existed, because a strong economic effort was made, with 30 million pesetas spent on promoting the song, which was a lot of money.

PC: Little is known about the alleged lobby. There are conflicting versions, because if defeat is an orphan, victory has many fathers. Each has told the story as it suited them, which makes it difficult to know what happened. For example, Juan José Rosón, then director general of RTVE, boasted in an interview that Spain agreed to get X votes from the start, as if he wanted to claim credit for the victory. But the idea that you arrive, buy the votes, and your victory is a done deal sounds very cinematic. What Íñigo said at the time is that RTVE bought programs from other countries' television channels to win their favor, but did that guarantee the vote? Sure?

FA: Didn't the rest of the countries do the same? What's true is that Spain made a huge promotional effort... but no one expects to win the Oscar without a massive promotional campaign. No one remembers it, but when Pilar Miró was director of RTVE, she went all out to ensure José Luis Garci won the Oscar with Volver a empezar . But it's one thing to put money into making things happen and another to buy votes. Believing that Massiel won Eurovision because Spain bought a guy to commit a corrupt act isn't credible; it's more reasonable to think that the strong promotional campaign paved the way for victory.

PC: England, playing at home, convinced themselves that Cliff Richard was the big favorite. From there to considering not winning a steal was only a short step. A book about the half-century of Eurovision was published a while back: Richard's photo on the cover appeared, even though he didn't win the competition. He didn't win, according to some English people, because Franco stole it. Everyone tells their story as best they can.

Q. There's another inevitable drawback at Eurovision: no matter how much money you have in your briefcases, if you don't go with a song and a performer that stand on their own, you're in for a rough ride, right?

PC: Indeed, Massiel did her part; although, once again, her victory was met with a lot of criticism. The conductor attributed the success to the faster tempo she applied to reduce the ten seconds that had to be cut. There was also talk about the dress. Anyway, winning is always a combination of factors, but it's undeniable that Massiel showed courage by jumping on a moving train, making an unknown song her own in just a few days. If you look at the newspaper archives before the festival, you'll burst out laughing. Due to the pre-selection crisis, between Serrat's breakup and Massiel's hasty selection, the Spanish press predicted that it would be a disaster, putting the bandage before the wound, saying, well, let's assume it's going to be horrible.

FA: Now we take for granted that Massiel is a powerful, powerful artist , but back then she was barely into her twenties, an unknown quantity under pressure, who exuded a magnetic energy in her performance. She was a very different artist from Serrat, a laid-back type. Massiel went out to take on the world, and she did.