No step back when facing the rise of the extreme right

Spain is no longer an exception. Progressive need to prevent Vox from injecting ideas into the public debate that are unlawful and discriminatory

13/11/2019

The results of the 4thelection in just four years in Spain show that Spanish voters asked PSOE to continue to work for the stability of the country and for social justice for all. But aside the result and the ambition, one cannot overlook that in these elections there has been a rise of the extreme right’.

The Spanish citizens gave us their confidence again. PSOE – Partido Socialista Obrero Español – achieved a victory with the 28% of the votes. It scored first in 10 of the 17 Autonomous communities, as also in in 32 out of the 52 Spanish provinces. PSOE is ahead of the Partido Popular with 1,7 millions of votes and 32 seats. And it is preceding Podemos with 3,7 millions of votes and 88 seats.

It is clear that Spain needs a stable and progressive executive power, which will be able to pave the way forward and responsibly act in the face of social, institutional and international challenges. It will also have to insure democratic values, from the level of communities, from national to European and global politicsThere is also a clear demand for a government that will be engaged in political, economic and social dimensions of the European project. This is why our priorities will be aligned around the following axes: decent employment and fair pensions, feminism and the fight against any kind of inequality, climate emergency, just transition of the economy, technological advances and digital transformation, strengthening of the State of autonomous regions and of territorial cohesion, as well as consolidating Spain’s position within the EU and playing an important role in shaping the European project. 

Behind VOX success, a program

But aside the result and the ambition, one cannot overlook that in these elections there has been a rise of the extreme right’. The far right party VOX became the third party in the national parliament, having won 52 seats and 15% of the votes. Behind this success was a program that demands to suspend Catalan autonomy “until defeat”, that would imply presenting to the Constitutional Court the “laws that destroy freedom” and that argues that the violence against women is a “political invention”. Their program even states that in case of violence against women and feminicide, there should be a differentiation according to whether the man was drunk or not, which should be considered a mitigating factor. 

Spain, which had no representation of the extreme right in the national parliament until April this year, is no longer an exception. The specific reason for which it happened in Spain is related with the hardship of the last years. In the aftermath of the recent Great Recession, precarious jobs and social devaluation have become a commonplace for the middle and lower social classes. VOX’ narrative seemed to give an answer to the anxieties and frustrations created by these economic developments, while at the same time opposing migration, feminist movements, any kind of diversity and denying climate change.

“There can be no step back in the face of the extreme right.”

While we live in a historical moment where Spain has paid off its historical, moral and legal debt to the victims of Franco’s dictatorship with the exhumation of his remains, we should remember why those acts of commemoration matter so much. In fact, we need to show that we haven’t forgotten the lessons of history, and double our efforts to never allow the new nationalists movements to rise.

There can be no step back in the face of the extreme right. There can be no compromise in defending human rights, human dignity, freedom, in cherishing diversity, inclusiveness and striving for equality between women and men. We will not be able to stop the emergence of right-wing extremism by just applying a “cordon sanitaire”. We need to fight – striking back against their initiatives to block progressive policies. We need to undermine and reverse their ability to set the political agenda. We need to prevent them from injecting ideas into the public debate that are unlawful, discriminatory, based on fake news and harm – not only because of their falseness, but also because of the danger that they present to democracy that we are committed to safeguard and promote now and in the future.

Find all related publications
Publications
21/09/2023

A European Health Union

A blueprint for generations
18/09/2023

Making trade work for prosperity, people and planet

FEPS Primers series - Arancha González and Yanis Bourgeois
14/09/2023

SDGs for all: Strategic scenarios

Earth4All system dynamics modelling of SDG progress
07/09/2023

European perceptions of public programmes for zero unemployment

Online survey and qualitative interviews: The results
Find all related news
News
20/09/2023

FEPS is recruiting 1 project officer

Notice of vacancy
14/09/2023

FEPS President at the SDG Summit and United Nations General Assembly in New York

FEPS President Maria João Rodrigues is in New York this week on the occasion of […]
14/09/2023

Call for tender – Researcher on inflation

Basic Information Project    The profits-prices spiral: measures to avoid inflation  Partners   TASC (Ireland), Pietro Nenni Foundation (Italy)  […]
12/09/2023

Call for tender – Research and analysis for the project “Progressive paths to rebuild Ukraine”

Basic Information Project Research “In search of a ‘lost generation’. Harnessing youth potential for post-war […]
Find all related in the media
In the media

‘SDG funding gap swells to $137trn’ New Policy Study from FEPS, together with Earth4All, to deliver a five-point plan for the SDGs.

by Edie 19/09/2023
The “SDGs for All” report emphasises that policymakers have the potential to significantly advance SDG implementation by the original 2030 deadline and beyond by enacting five “extraordinary turnarounds” that break away from current trends.

“Trade doesn’t work in isolation from good domestic policies” Interview to Arancha González

by Borderlex 19/09/2023
Interview to Arancha González, former Spanish foreign minister, who released together with FEPS the new book entitled 'The Trade Handbook: Making Trade Work for Prosperity, People and Planet'

AI to ‘determine course of global trade, jobs’ in near future

by The Financial Express 14/09/2023
The Financial Express's article focuses on the publication of FEPS Primer on Trade written by Arancha González Laya and Yanis Bourgeois

Un nuevo informe de prospectiva identifica las medidas políticas urgentes necesarias para volver a encarrilar los ODS

by Cope 14/09/2023
'New foresight report identifies urgent policy measures needed to get the SDGs back on track' Cope's article on the policy study 'SDGs for all: Strategic scenarios', published in collaboration with Earth4All