Extremism is a dangerous enemy of any progressive society.
However, when a radical ideology is born out of hatred and intolerance, and its leaders promote an agenda of inequality, xenophobia, censorship, and the removal of human rights as part of their relentless bid for power, the stability of an entire nation can be placed at risk.
History has taught us that these types of movements are as destructive as they are divisive.
They also play on an assumed public ignorance, whilst at the same time attempting to justify their actions by singling out and vilifying easy targets (usually minority groups and immigrants) to unfairly blame for their country’s homegrown social and economic problems.
You only need to look at Brexit to see a clear example of how elitists and bigots were able to exploit a large section of the populace and con them into doing their bidding through the spread of lies, misinformation, and damaging propaganda.
The UK is now suffering the negative consequences, whilst many of those reponsible for pushing the agenda have cashed in, as they always intended, on the country’s plight.
In complete contrast to Tory Britain, one nation which seemingly prides itself on its membership of the European Union (EU), and has been keen to forge good relations with its neighbours, is Spain.
It is a country steeped in history and culture but is still a relatively modern democracy following decades of dictatorial rule.
It is the latter which makes recent events in the country all the more difficult to comprehend.
Surprisingly, for a nation which only escaped the oppressive clutches of a fascist dictator some 48 years ago, Spain found itself on the brink of allowing a movement which shares Franciso Franco‘s divisive ideology to return to the corridors of power.
It seems incomprehensible that a now seemingly moderate country, which previously tore itself apart in a bloody civil war less than 100 years ago, would allow such divisions to take a hold and threaten its own future once again.
That said, the fact that Vox, an extreme right-wing nationalist party, which was only founded in 2013, has been able to garner support amongst a certain section of the populace, would indicate, however, that tensions have continued to simmer below the surface.
These types of political movements are renowned for spreading misinformation and preying on people’s fears.
That such movements have been growing across Europe in recent times is a deeply worrying trend, and is also an indication that the masses are frustrated and unhappy with traditional political parties.
BUCKING THE TREND
Fortunately for Spain, and unlike nations such as Italy, Finland, and Hungary, Vox’s campaign to divide and conquer backfired spectacularly on Sunday (July 23) when it became clear that the fear it has weaponised was the very thing that turned voters against them.
The number of seats the party had in the Spanish parliament fell from 52 in 2019 to 33, despite the widely-held belief that the number would actually increase.
Furthermore, the mainstream conservative Partido Popular (PP) party, which had been expected to cruise past the socialist PSOE of current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, found itself in front by a margin far narrower than expected, leaving its predicted pact with Vox to govern the nation unattainable.
PP’s failure to achieve its goal wasn’t helped by the refusal of its leader, Alberto Nuñez Feijóo, to attend the last televised debate between leaders in the lead up to the election either.
However, it was the threat of PP allowing the extreme right to regain an element of power which would ultimately prove costly for it.
BREAKING WITH TRADITION
For every radical action, there is a radical reaction, and there was widespread evidence of people who had traditionally voted on the right switching to the left in a show of defiance to Santiago Abascal‘s Vox.
These included more moderate conservatives, women concerned by gender inequality, and people who were worried about the effects prejudicial extremist policies would have on loved ones who fell into one of the groups targeted by Vox’s intolerance, including the LGBT community.
At the time of writing, negotiations were underway between the various elected groups, including Basque nationalist and Catalan independence parties, to see if either PP or PSOE can form a coalition government.
Sánchez, who has governed for the last four years with what has been labelled a ‘Frankenstein’ mishmash alliance, is hopeful of continuing in the same vein, with Yolanda Díaz’s Sumar (Spain’s fourth biggest party) as his major left-wing ally. However, his smaller coalition partners are already indicating they will turn up the heat in terms of their demands.
On the other hand, Feijóo, whose only true potential ally in Spanish politics would have been Vox, has a seemingly more difficult path.
LESSONS TO LEARN
It’s only right that as the leader of the party with the most votes, the PP leader should be given the first opportunity to try and form a government.
However, unless he distances himself from the extreme right (“ultraderecha” in Spanish) he will be going against the clear message sent by the people and will most probably face a backlash at the next election, which could be as soon as December if neither side can form a workable pact to govern.
The morning after the election, Feijóo acknowledged that the threat of a potential alliance with Vox hampered his party’s chances, and he has already offered concessions to PSOE in return for his opponents allowing him the opportunity to govern.
However, given the narrow margin between PP (8.09m votes and 33.05% of the total) and PSOE (7.76m votes and 31.7%), it would be a huge surprise if Sánchez, who has already cultivated relationships with and worked alongside minority partners, didn’t try and continue in the top job.
Either way, and there will undoubtedly be weeks of discussions and negotiations ahead, one thing is abundantly clear: the majority of the Spanish populace are against far-right extremism, and politicians prepared to make deals with parties of such an ideology will suffer the consequences too.
With this in mind, Spain’s political landscape needs to change, the country’s divisions healed, and a progressive way forward sought based on moderation and respect.
The nation’s future depends on it.
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