Event to Reflect on Half-Century of Social Development

The Institut d’Estudis Empordanesos will host a one-day conference titled Repensem l’Empordà on Saturday 17 October 2026, from 9:00 AM at the Sala Brossa-Frègoli in the Museu del Joguet de Catalunya in Figueres. The event will examine the evolution of Spain’s welfare state over the past fifty years since the death of dictator Francisco Franco, with a focus on public services in Catalonia. Organisers describe the construction of the welfare state as one of the most tangible achievements of the democratic era. The day will serve as both a reflection on progress and a critical assessment of ongoing challenges in healthcare, education, social policy and employment rights.

Keynote Speeches to Cover Major Public Sectors

The first session, starting at 9:15 AM, will review the 40th anniversary of Spain’s General Health Law (1986–2026), which established universal public healthcare. The talk, titled "Forty Years of the General Health Law: A Balance", will be delivered by Marina Geli Fàbrega, former Catalan Minister of Health between 2003 and 2010 and current coordinator of the Centre for Health and Social Studies at UVic-UCC. She will assess the law’s impact and the systemic pressures it now faces after four decades. Following a break, Jesús Quiroga Martínez from the Catalan Public Employment Service will lead the second session at 11:00 AM. His presentation, "Fifty Years Building the Welfare State in Catalonia: Social Policies, Employment and Pensions", will trace the development of labour rights and social protection amid economic and demographic change. The final session, from 12:30 to 1:15 PM, will be led by Xavier Bonal Sarró, professor of Sociology at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. His talk, "Education in Democracy", will explore advances in educational access and equity, as well as persistent inequalities in the system.

This event reclaims the welfare state as a collective milestone, born of decades of mobilisation, political negotiation and legislative development.

The day will be moderated by historian Pere Gifre, who also serves as coordinator of the Figueres History and Memory monograph series. Institutional welcomes will be given by Anna Maria Puig, president of the Institut d’Estudis Empordanesos, and Gifre.

Attendance Requires Prior Registration

Those wishing to attend must register by Thursday 15 October via email at [email protected]. The event is supported by the Ajuntament de Figueres and the Girona Provincial Council, with collaboration from the Museu del Joguet de Catalunya. Further details about the Institut d’Estudis Empordanesos and its activities can be found through the Catalan government’s cultural agenda.

Primary sources: agenda.cultura.gencat.cat. Reported by sibhilla.uab.cat, ca.wikipedia.org, consorci.org, Instalker, L'Empordà.