The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, announced early elections for November 29, which the far-right Vox party describes as "Spain's last chance to return to its identity." Currently, this party, with about 18% of the votes, is the third party in the polls, seeking opportunities for change in the country after eight years of Sánchez's socialist presidency.
Analysis of Poll Results
Santiago Abascal, the leader of the Vox party, described the election announcement as "great news." Polls indicate that this party is likely to have the largest increase in votes among the main parties. While the People's Party, a center-right party, is likely to secure first place with around 33% of the votes, it will probably have to collaborate with Vox to form a stable coalition.
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Abascal can present his party's key demands as the price for cooperation in this coalition. Vox's goals include the expulsion of illegal immigrants, prioritizing Spaniards in receiving social services, and reducing EU health and safety regulations in the agricultural sector.
Strategy and Future Plans
In the 2023 elections, Vox secured 33 seats out of 350 in Congress, but now it seems that this number could double. Under the leadership of the People's Party coalition, this party must be able to form part of a comfortable majority. José Antonio Foester, the party's spokesperson, stated: "This time, Vox is much stronger" and added that this election is very important not only for the Vox party but also for Spaniards.
Foester did not specifically mention the ministries his party is eyeing but emphasized that shaping policies should be a priority. He referred to recent negotiations with the People's Party in the four regions where both parties currently govern in coalition, stating that institutional power is the last thing to be negotiated.
According to analysts, Vox is seeking ministries that focus on its core policies, such as agriculture, domestic policy, immigration, and industry. The ministries of culture and education may also attract the party's attention, especially considering its inclination to combat what it calls "wokeism."
The Vox party is entering the election campaign with three main ideas: the concept of "national priority" which ensures that Spaniards have access to public services and benefits before foreign nationals, restrictions on immigration, and deregulation.
Although Vox's emergence was due to its hardline stance against Catalan nationalism nearly a decade ago, its focus now is more on immigration-related issues. Analysts say that this party is increasingly inclined towards the "backlash" policy proposed by many far-right parties.
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