In Spain, the alliance between the right and the extreme right has broken down – liberation

The announcement came on Thursday evening, July 11, at dinner time and took Spain by surprise Telediario-2 (10pm news): The far-right Vox party breaks its government contracts in five regions it co-governs with the People’s Party (PP, right). In a brief intervention, the president of Vox, Santiago Abascal, ordered the resignation of his members with regional responsibilities (vice presidents, ministers). Reason: Refusal to distribute foreign minors throughout the territory, a demand of the left-wing government, whose policy the PP has adopted while dragging its feet.

After describing the Prime Minister, Socialist Pedro Sánchez, as “A Corrupt Autocracy Sold to Morocco”Santiago Abascal made Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of the PP, an accomplice. “The Invasion and Threats of Illegal Immigration [mineurs étrangers non accompagnés]». Effect: Withdrawal “Parliamentary support to the governments of Extremadura, Balearic Islands, Aragon, Valencia Region, Castilla-León and Murcia”, and Vox entering the opposition. In the sixth region, Andalusia (the most populous in the country), Vox supports the presidency of the PP without participating in the administration, but by using its influence on its favorite themes: impunity for the agricultural industry that dries up water sources, bullfighting, denying the crimes of the Franco dictatorship…

Dangerous and unsanitary conditions

The reception of migrants, especially minors for whom European laws provide specific protection, is one of the points of friction between Spain’s government and the opposition. Almost all of them come from the archipelago of the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa and the enclave cities of Ceuta and Melilla on Moroccan territory. In A report published this Thursday, FrontexAccording to the European Border Agency, illegal entries into the EU fell by a third in the first six months of the year compared to 2023, but increased by 174%. “The West African Way” – Takes you to the Canaries by boat. Almost 20,000 new arrivals have been recorded in the archipelago since January.

The autonomous region of the Canaries has been overwhelmed by the influx, which exceeds its reception capacity for adults and minors, more than 5,600 of whom are in dangerous and unsanitary conditions condemned by NGOs. The executive, governed by a coalition between the autonomists of the Coalición Canaria and the PP, is seeking the help of the central government to distribute these migrants to other parts of the country, in the name of solidarity between regions. PP is caught between two fires: its island branch calls for distribution, but its partner Vox, poorly represented in the Canaries, rejects this solution (without proposing an alternative). So the gap is logical.

First case of disobedience

However, the effort required by the regions seems less. It concerns 347 young migrants, of whom only 110 will be sent from 2023 to the five regions (out of 17) jointly managed by the PP and Vox. But the instability of Santiago Abascal’s party, its assumed and declared racist rhetoric prevailed, and the consequences of this movement could be serious for the right. By being a minority, the PP risks losing these regions, in the event of a censure resolution put forward by the left, which will elect regional representatives presidents.

It was a planned scenario in the Balearics, which gave the PP the presidency of the region, against Vox the presidency of the regional parliament. On Friday 12 July, two cases of disobedience were reported: two far-right ministers from Extremadura and Castile-Leon announced they were leaving Vox to keep their posts.

The all-powerful party leader Santiago Abascal’s racist attack comes at a time when the world’s eyes are on Lamin Yamal, a minor and soccer player from an immigrant background (his father is of Moroccan, Guinean descent). (He turns 17 on July 13) and a pearl of Spanish selection. He will play in the final of the European Championship against England on Sunday. Denying immigration means not only depriving yourself of population needed by the economy due to low birth rates, but also giving up future lamin yamals.