In the Spanish national Parliament don’t feel, today, any Member who belong to a party of the extreme right wing and for years the country led to gala does not have it.
Many thought that Spain was immune to the populist phenomenon that crosses Europe due to the memory of the regime of general Francisco Franco.
But the results in regional elections in Andalusia, one of the worst-hit regions of Spain by unemployment and huge recipient of foreign immigrants, could change the course of things, according to some analysts.
The Vox party has just burst into the regional Parliament with overwhelming force that has surprised both inside and outside Spanish borders, going from 0 to 12 members, following elections last Sunday.
Four years ago, the party did not exist or at the national level.
In many respects, Vox has similar proposals of the right-wing parties in Europe as an alternative to Germany (AfD), the Italian Northern League led by Matteo Salvini or the National Front’s Marine Le Pen, who congratulated the Spanish formation in a tweet.
The leaders of this party, however, reject the label of ‘extreme right’ and instead say that they are a formation of “extreme necessity”.
Lifting a wall in the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla, deport illegal or legal immigrants who have committed crimes, or suspend the free circulation of citizens throughout Europe are some of the measures proposed by Vox.
More than 400,000 andaluces, of the 6.5 million called to the polls on Sunday, opted for this political option, which raises a question: could this phenomenon be replicated at the national level?
The low turnout and the desire for political feedback are two factors that have also played its role in these elections. In Andalusia ruled for 36 years the same party: Socialists of President Pedro Sánchez (PSOE).
How has this happened?
Experts consulted by BBC World agree that in Andalusia was a very conducive environment for a game as Vox message clear in the electorate.
The second largest of Spain by extension autonomous community has one of the highest unemployment in the country and to its shores arrive every week, especially in the summer months, the rafts and boats of migrants who try to cross the Mediterranean way of Europe.
Image captionSantiago Abascal, leader of Vox, founded the party in 2014.Para Berta Barbet, Politikon independent analysis group, the presence of this party in the regional Parliament is “worrying” for two reasons.
First, he says, because the party with a speech which wants to do away with many of the prevailing consensus in Spain, such as the Constitution and the territorial model, through the presence of Spain in international institutions.
“But, above all, because we have the experience in other countries that sometimes the entrance to a party of these characteristics generates a confrontation that is in this case, especially aimed at collective extremely vulnerable as they are immigrants,” the LGBT community and even women”, says Barbet.
Polarization and Catalonia in regards to immigration, political scientist believes that it remains to be seen if the results of Vox “bring changes in all indicators of tolerance towards immigration to Spain has been leading”.
“We can expect certain twist, but nor much less a quite radical thing”, esteem.
Image captionEn Andalusia ruled for 36 years the same party, the Socialists of the PSOE. Paul Simon, Professor of science policy of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, believes that the rise of this party is not a matter of xenophobia.
“What we are talking about here is of the territorial component, which is he that has had more weight with voters.” I.e., the polarization of the political positions that emerged in the heat of the rise of the independence movement in Catalonia.
In recent years, the catalan nationalist government pushed a campaign to break away from Spain, and in October 2017, their regional Parliament issued a unilateral declaration of independence.
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Vox was very hard on the matter and filed lawsuits against the leaders of the secessionist attempt.
“This vote with a single factor cannot be explained. Obviously the territorial issue has been very relevant,”says Simon.
“If there had been constitutional tension of a year ago in Catalonia, either would have been the Socialist Party (PSOE) in the Government at that time, Vox would have it much more difficult today”.
Door to the national Parliament?
“The Andalusians have shaken today’s 36 years of socialist regimes indicating the rest of Spanish that can also be done and more easily in the rest of the nation,” said Santiago Abascal, leader of Vox, released the results of the regional elections of the Sunday.
“We are the ones who are going to lead to change, improvement, the reconquest. We have come to say first that we exist and now is to learn the rest of Spain, because we are a regenerative party and not what is being said out there that we are”, said Meanwhile the candidate of Vox in the Andalusian elections, Francisco Serrano.
His words demonstrate the confidence of the party make the leap to national level and there are some experts who believe that, facing general elections in the country, it is likely that Vox will get an institutional representation much greater.
“We will see what sociologists known as effect Mateo, i.e. to which most you have, more is given. When you get good results in policy, quickly there is an improvement in polls and I think that is what we will see in the case of Vox”, says Simon.
“It is an opportunity to achieve institutional representation as I believe will occur in 2019 in all Spain,” sentence.
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