There are three elements that explain why Spain’s extreme right has taken so long to enter the political mainstream, and why, unlike many of its European counterparts, Vox has not, as yet, been able to enter national government in Spain.
Historically, attempts to create relevant far-right parties in Spain have been unsuccessful, though in the last decade the far-right party Vox has risen to become the third or fourth force in the Spanish party system.
However, the momentum of Europe’s far right, coupled with the conflict over Catalan independence reaching a crescendo in 2017, created the perfect conditions for a Spanish far-right party to emerge beyond the confines of the PP.
While this may seem disproportionate, it forms part of Vox’s wider strategy to split the right and establish their own voter base to the right of the PP.
It was also a great ceremony for Vox’s leader, Santiago Abascal, to rescue himself from the margins and from dependence on the PP – it grants him his own political life, his own space, and his own partners who already govern other countries.
