Spain

Since the beginning of the coalition government between PSOE and Unidas Podemos in 2019, the country has been focused on the problems derived from the pandemic, both health and economic. There is some disappointment on the left about the validity of some laws of the previous government, especially the Citizen Security Law (known as the Gag Law), which affects the citizen protests and continues to pose a problem for social movements. The main police organisations, along with the right and the extreme right, refuse to change this law. The right continues to try to promote the conflict with Catalonia and its sovereign demands, recently attacking teaching in Catalan in public education and other language normalisation policies, both in Catalonia and in other territories with their language (València, Euskadi, Galicia, Balearic Islands or Asturias). In regional parliaments where the right governs with the support of the extreme right, they try to repeal gender equality policies. In Castilla y León, the far-right Vox party has been part of the regional government since April.

Current Situation 

Introduction

Introduction

Since the beginning of the coalition government between PSOE and Unidas Podemos in 2019, the country has been focused on the problems derived from the pandemic, both health and economic. There is some disappointment on the left about the validity of some laws of the previous government, especially the Citizen Security Law (known as the Gag Law), which affects the citizen protests and continues to pose a problem for social movements. The main police organisations, along with the right and the extreme right, refuse to change this law. The right continues to try to promote the conflict with Catalonia and its sovereign demands, recently attacking teaching in Catalan in public education and other language normalisation policies, both in Catalonia and in other territories with their language (València, Euskadi, Galicia, Balearic Islands or Asturias). In regional parliaments where the right governs with the support of the extreme right, they try to repeal gender equality policies. In Castilla y León, the far-right Vox party has been part of the regional government since April. 

Regarding the economy, the recent labour reform promoted by the government has put a stop to the high temporary nature of contracts and reduced unemployment. Still, the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine are beginning to be felt with the increase in fuel prices, which caused work stoppages during weeks in the transport sector, as well as other essential goods. The main concerns and challenges facing the population are economic problems derived from the pandemic, job insecurity, the price of energy (historical increases in the cost of electricity), the increase in the price of housing and evictions, the precariousness of public services.

The Spanish border with Morocco has recently been a point of conflict used by the Moroccan dictator to pressure Spain. The dictator used migrants to pressure Spain against the reception of a leader of the Saharawi Polisario Front for humanitarian reasons. With the rest of the border countries (Portugal and France), there is currently no conflict, and relations are normal.

The southern border of Spain is one of the black spots where numerous human rights violations take place. Within the country, there are also prisons for migrants in an irregular situation (CIE), and anti-racist groups regularly report numerous cases of discrimination in access to work, housing or on the streets, with police controls based on racial profiling. The gender and equality laws approved by this government have represented a new offensive by the right and Catholic fundamentalism. Also, Spanish nationalism against the different cultures of the State continues to be one of the hallmarks of the right wing, but it is also defended by some groups on the left, contrary to diversity.

Status of the far-right in the country

Status of the far-right in the country

The violent actions of the extreme right in Spain are currently limited to attacks against left and local political headquarters of social organisations (bookstores, NGOs, social centres, etc …). The most serious was the attack with explosives against the Podemos headquarters in Cartagena, for which two people linked to neo-Nazi groups were arrested. There have been several attacks on LGTB people, migrants and anti-fascists in several cities.

In addition to the main far-right party (VOX), there are small organizations at the local level that carry out campaigns and various events from time to time. VOX has managed to normalise these speeches but has also removed customers from these organisations, many of which existed before this party’s irruption in the institutions.

The main fascist and far-right actors are the following:

  • Far right parliamentarian: Vox.
  • Extra-parliamentary far right:
  • Partidos políticos registrados: Democracia Nacional, España2000, Plataforma Respeto, Alianza Nacional, Falange Española de las JONS, La Falange, Coalición ADÑ, Identitarios, NOSOTROS – Partido de la Regeneración Social.
  • Grupos y organizaciones de extrema derecha: Hogar Social Madrid (Madrid), Hacer Nación (ámbito estatal), Iberia Cruor (Jaén), El Galeón Espacio No Conforme (Elda, Alicante), Valentia Forum (Valencia), Acción Juvenil Valencia (Valencia), Acción Social (Cádiz), Acción Social (Asturias), Málaga 1487 (Málaga), Asociación Cultural Alfonso I (Cantabria), Centro Social y Nacional Salamanca –CSYN– (Salamanca), Asociación Rodrigo de Bastidas (Sevilla), Asociación Cultural In Memoriam Juan Ignacio (ACIMJI) (Madrid y Valencia), Bastión Frontal (Madrid y Sevilla), Legio VII (León), Almería Inconforme (Almería), Getafe Nacional Revolucionario (Getafe, Madrid), Alcalá 1247 (Alcalá de Guadaira, Sevilla), Red Sociocultural DESPERTA (Zaragoza), Comunidad política Vértice (Almería), Devenir Europeo (Barcelona), Fundación Nacional Francisco Franco (national).

 

The main groups of victims of extreme right violence have historically been leftist groups, feminist groups, and racialised or LGTBI people. In recent years, parties in the Government, such as Unidas Podemos (left), have also suffered repeated attacks from the extreme right, both parliamentary (Vox) and extra-parliamentary groups.

There are problems between the parliamentary far-right and non-parliamentary far-right groups, especially in economic matters and in relations with Israel (VOX is openly pro-Israel). Within the extreme right groups that are not in parliament, there are conflicts over the movement’s hegemony and leadership.

Status of antifascists in the country

Status of antifascists in the country

Anti-fascism in the country is, for the most part, organised at the local level in neighbourhood assemblies or platforms. Its level of activity varies depending on the city of the State we are talking about. The level of organisation and activity is higher in the main capitals such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. Its main activity is the organisation of conferences, talks and events, acts and dissemination campaigns, and mobilisations in the streets. There are some territories in Spain with no presence or notable activity of far-right organisations, such as the Basque Country, Galicia or the Canary Islands. Still, they also have their antifascist platforms.

The main concerns of the antifascists are the rise of the extreme right and its visualisation, the amplification of its speech. The dissemination of the speech of the extreme right, previously reduced to more marginal spaces, is now reproduced in Parliament and has much more space and repercussions because of the media. This leads to the arguments and ideologies of the extreme right being considered as topics to be discussed and the groups themselves as valid operators within the political debate. Thus, the axis of the debates and social problems is moved to the field of extreme rights.

There are debates about the response to be given to neo-Nazi groups, the actions that are most effective, as well as the use of violence and self-defence, also on participation in state institutions and political parties. The main risks facing the antifascist movement are state repression (fines, arrests and jail), as well as physical risks of aggression.

Historic Developments

Historic developments

As historical elements of confrontation between antifascists and fascists, we have mainly the Civil War (1936-1939) and the coup that led to the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. The transition from dictatorship to democracy is also a matter of confrontation, as is the case with the figure of the King, whom Franco appointed. This, together with the Amnesty Laws first and the later ones of Historical Memory, have been recurrent subjects of confrontation along with the elimination of streets and squares with names of fascists and references to the dictatorship, as well as monuments, decorations and official recognitions to members of the dictatorship.

The extreme right at the institutional level is carrying out a racist discourse against immigration, sexism and LGTBI rights. At the legal level, it is trying to repeal laws that grant rights to these groups and to increase the repression of left-wing groups. As for the neo-Nazi street groups, they are carrying out actions against collectives, acts, demonstrations and social movements, attacking the headquarters of associations or left-wing groups. There is also an increase in reports of attacks on racialised or LGTBI people and of hate crimes.

The most controversial issues are immigration (as Spain is the southern border of Europe and the place of arrival of migrants), the economic crisis, opposition to the rights of women and LGTBI groups, Spanish nationalism and the unity of Spain, attack on the left both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary.

The Zapatero government (PSOE) brought radicalization and a harassment campaign from the extreme right. A particularly key recent moment was Vox’s entry into Parliament.

International relationships

International relationships

The different extra-parliamentary extreme right groups or collectives connect with similar groups in European countries. For example, groups such as Hogar Social were related to Italian neo-Nazi groups such as CasaPound and Blocco Studantesco, as is now Frontal Bastion. It is common for these groups to bring Nazi members from other countries to give talks or events. The ultra-Catholic organisation Hazte Oír, for its part, was at least originally linked to the Mexican sect El Yunque, according to a report commissioned by the Episcopal Conference in 2019.

Political Landscape

Political landscape

Since 2018, VOX has been key for the PP governments in several autonomous communities and municipalities. They have been accepted as a government partner, granting them some of their demands against equality policies. Also, its presence has been normalised in the media. There is no sanitary cordon against the extreme right in Spain. Since April 2022, Vox has been part of the regional government of Castilla y León.

VOX is constantly in the news for its habitual attacks on equality and human rights laws through inflammatory speeches and a communication strategy based on misinformation and provocation.

Regarding the percentages obtained by the extreme right and extreme right in the parliamentary and EU elections:

VOX: 15.09% in the national elections (2019) and 6.20% in the European elections (2019)

Some activists of neo-Nazi and fascist groups have ended up being part of Vox, both as militants or supporters and in its structures as advisers, as is the case of Jordi de la Fuente, a former member of the MSR (neo-fascist party) who is currently an advisor to Ignacio Garriga, Vox deputy in Catalonia.

They seek to condition the governments on the right that they support (without becoming part of them so as not to wear themselves out) and to be constantly the focus of attention in the media.

The main political agenda of the extreme right in the country is that the right apply part of its program wherever its support is essential for these governments and always conditions the public debate around its proposals.

Media Landscape

Media landscape

The extreme right in this country has, first of all, a series of newspapers and digital media for the dissemination of its ideas and messages. The leading media in the country are conservative in ideology. In addition, these groups and parties have invested in the purchase and creation of new digitals as a political strategy, as well as in the founding of television channels, YouTube channels, and other streaming media and social networks that are popular with young people.

The critical narratives are those of always the extreme right, a racist argument where immigration and Muslim people are blamed, and within this, unaccompanied minors are responsible first for the lack of work and then for crime and sexual assaults in the country. Also, a continuous attack on the rights of women and the advances of feminism, as well as those of LGTBI groups. In addition, since the arrival to power of the progressive coalition government, they have begun continuous harassment of its members with daily news, fake news, as a method of discrediting, both personal and political.

The media do not usually give publicity to the people or groups dedicated to analyzing or denouncing these extreme right-wing groups. There is normally no information about them, and when there is, it is sensational, whitewashing these groups and further normalizing their speech and presence.

Financial Landscape

Financial landscape

Non-parliamentary far-right groups have different financing methods, from the most basic ones, such as concerts, membership fees, and material sales, to shops, foundations, music groups, etc. They also carry out crowdfunding campaigns, lottery sales, or requests for donations.

The parliamentary extreme right, such as the Vox party, was financed through donations, lobbies, and foundations. Later, the financing for its creation was made public through an Iranian group considered terrorist by the US and the European Union. At present, by being part of the Institutions, it receives subsidies from public funds. This party also draws on different Foundations, lobbies, think tanks, and law firms.

Reports

Quarterly Reports

Quarterly reports give in-depth insights into the most pressing recent social and political developments in each country as they pertain to the local far-right networks and their international allies.

Spain - February 2022
Spain - February 2022

February 6 Demonstration of Democracia Nacional neonazi party under the slogan “White Vests against the health dictatorship” and against child vaccination https://twitter.com/DNacional/status/1490320676187688964 https://twitter.com/DNacional/status/1490311017867452416
Nazi tribute in Madrid to the Blue Division, the Spanish fighters who fought with the III Reich https://www.elplural.com/sociedad/neonazis-vuelven-tomar-cementerio-almudena-sin-su-musa-fascismo-antijudios284311102
Transphobic attack in València https://www.levante-emv.com/sucesos/2022/02/12/ataque-transfobia-valencia-travesti-asco-62603980.html?fbclid=IwAR1FAQmwJy14LIN3svPZQfuiYB6ul5s48Oeev6aLhF-OV6weykRdqo6ilU
The Prosecutor’s Office requests 12 years in prison for the neo-Nazi Pedro Valera and the definitive closure of the Europa bookstore, the largest center for the dissemination of Nazi propaganda for decades. Varela, who was already convicted in 2010, is accused of glorification, justification and denial of the Holocaust and crimes of incitement to hatred against Jews https://elpais.com/espana/catalunya/2022-02-15/la-fiscalia-pide-12-anos-al-neonazi-pedro-valera-y-el-cierre-definitivo-de-la-libreria-europa.html?fbclid=IwAR05P4rEJA2bOKfiYt_n66rQEk4YCsbcjwmn20CZburJa2G-9Jtq0UCclCQ
Mobilizations of the neo-fascist organization Hacer Nación for “a public, national and quality healthcare”. Campaign in Madrid against Latin gangs. And food collection for Spanish families. https://twitter.com/HacerNacion/status/1495491030786977795
The neo-Nazi organization Bastión Frontal distributes pamphlets pointing to the Councilor for Equality of Almendralejo village in Extremadura https://www.canalextremadura.es/noticias/provincia-de-badajoz/condenan-el-reparto-de-panfletos-con-ataques-a-la-concejalia-de https://twitter.com/NibelungoMdz/status/1497609131439575041
February 26 talk at the headquarters of the neo-fascist organization Hace Nation, with the presence of two leaders of the Circolo Futurista @CircoloFuturist in Rome. https://twitter.com/Caserna2deMayo/status/1495856379227250689
Neo-nazi party Democracia Nacional action in front of the Ukrainian embassy against the war with Russia https://twitter.com/D_Nacional/status/1498252749523374083
Campaign against the war https://twitter.com/DNacional/status/1497506686843637762 and in solidarity with the Nazis arrested in Italy https://twitter.com/DNacional/status/1491510419533484041
Summary of February acts of neofascist Hacer Nación https://twitter.com/HacerNacion/status/1498016252740218881
Neonazi organization Bastión Frontal opens delegation in Murcia https://twitter.com/islamenmurcia/status/1498202569935577092 Santiago Abascal, leader of VOX far-right party uploads to Twitter some statements about the War in Ukraine where he calls to “condemn the brutal attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and demand that Vladimir Putin back down.” https://twitter.com/Santi_ABASCAL/status/1496855449689378820
A high school teacher is attacked by several students who were protesting with Spanish flags against an LGTBI action. Several teenagers surrounded, insulted and attacked a teacher who defended some students who were carrying LGTBI flags and who were being rebuked by other students who tried to respond to the action with Spanish flags and homophobic insults. The students have been sanctioned and the victim warns about the consequences of hate speech. The far-right party España2000 has offered its legal services to the aggressors https://www.eldiario.es/comunitat-valenciana/sociedad/profesor-sufrio-agresion-homofoba-centro-betera-exige-parar-discurso-odio-reproducen-alumnos_1_8778245.html
Castilla y León Elections: The far-right party VOX rises from one to thirteen deputies, with 17% of the votes (211,000) in the elections held on February 13, 2022 in this autonomous community. The victory, however, has gone to the main right-wing party, the PP, which needs the far-right to govern. It is the first time that VOX, beyond supporting the government of the right, demands positions of responsibility, in this case, the vice presidency. Although the configuration of the government has not yet been carried out, the extreme right is pressing to make its support conditional on a series of conditions.

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Spain - January 2022
Spain - January 2022

The denial of the covid pandemic continues to be one of the main battlefronts for the extreme right. The year starts with Pedro Chaparro, leader of Democracia Nacional, in front of Congress manifesting against the health measures #TiraniaSanitaria https://twitter.com/D_Nacional/status/1477660973666381830 after the demonstration of what they call “globalist tyranny and health dictatorship”. https://twitter.com/PChaparro1987/status/1477718148904271877
In the judicial part, the Police dismantle a neo-Nazi group that attacked an LGTBI headquarters and planned to assassinate the President of the Government Pedro Sánchez, former Vice President Pablo Iglesias and attack judges and prosecutors. Several weapons and a manual for the manufacture of explosives were confiscated. The police operation took place in towns in Valencia, Alicante, Barcelona and Madrid. https://www.lavanguardia.com/sucesos/20220128/8018308/policia-desarticula-grupo-neonazi-armas-manual-explosivos-ataco-sede-lgtbi.html
The National Court files the case against the four Spaniards who managed a neo-Nazi website. One of the detainees had child pornography on his computers. https://www.elconfidencialdigital.com/articulo/Judicial/audiencia-nacional/20220120165752336142.html
And the prosecutor claims six years in prison against three far-right extremists of Democracia Nacional for a hate crime against independentists in Balsareny (Barcelona). https://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20220113/fiscal-reclama-seis-anos-prision-13091702
Another extreme right activist has been sentenced to nine months in prison for threatening an LGTBI activist on networks. The police only identified one of the 20 netizens who threatened the young activist when he was a minor. https://www.eldiario.es/comunitat-valenciana/nueve-meses-prision-curso-igualdad-neonazi-amenazo-redes-activista-lgtbi_1_8649564.html
A man who attacked a young man shouting “Heil Hitler” and “fucking fagot” in Alcalá (Madrid) on past November has been arrested. Sources of the investigation, the arrested person is linked to radical soccer groups and extreme right-wing groups such as the Alcalá Brigades. He has 11 arrests for attack, injuries, riotous brawl and robbery. https://www.europapress.es/madrid/noticia-arrested-author-assaulted-young-scream-heil-hitler-maricon-mierda-alcala-20220114130946.html?fbclid=IwAR0RRblercTQHVARhzU5rRcKJMQWlEGXPL7CuTmMppieAdoZakpGnUM0oqs
And, on January 21, police arrest the leader of the Bastión Frontal neo-Nazi organization and two other members for beating up a colleague and breaking his jaw. The attack took place in Valencia after the celebration of an act of the organization and a Nazi concert hours before. The leader of the group eas imprisoned while the other two neo-Nazis are free on charges. https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20220121/8002558/policia-detiene-lider-bastion-frontal-neonazi-enfrento-iglesias-coslada.html
On an international level, the extreme right party Vox has been the star. The far-right party VOX organizes a summit of far-right parties in Madrid under the title Defend Europe. In attendance Orbán (Hungary), Morawiecki (Poland) Marlene Svazek (Austria), Tom Van Grieken (Belgium), Krasimir Karakachanov (Bulgaria), Martin Helme (Estonia), Marine Le Pen (France), Valdemar Tomasevski (Lithuania), Rob Roos (Netherlands) and Aurelian Pavelescu (Romania). https://elpais.com/espana/2022-01-28/santiago-abascal-reune-en-madrid-a-una-ultraderecha-europea-dividida-ante-las-amenazas-de-putin.html
Italian (FUAN-Azione Universitaria), Spanish (@RevolutioEsp) and French (La Cocarde Étudiante) far-right youth organizations announce their alliance “against the cultural hegemony of the far-left” https://twitter.com/CocardeEtud/status/1484580921953112068

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Spain - November 2021
Spain - November 2021

Key developments

 
The radical section of València CF known as Ultra Yomus, dissolved in 2013, reappeared, led by former members of the neo-nazi trend group and a new section called “Secuaces”, made up of neo-nazi militants from España2000 and Bastión Frontal . His attempt to recover the ultra group has caused a confrontation with other former members of the group, some also of neonazi ideology. This new group has already starred in some incidents near the Mestalla field (Valencia CF soccer field), such as an attack on a young man for wearing a ‘Working Class’ shirt or the exhibition of nazi symbols and chants, denounced by the Conselleria Democratic Memory of the Valencian government.

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Spain - October 2021
Spain - October 2021

Key Developments

 
The neo-nazi Democracia Nacional party and its youth continue to campaign against the COVID-19 vaccine. Several nazi parties have joined conspiracy theories about the origin of the pandemic, with different campaigns and demonstrations in the streets, as well as stickers, posters, videos and programs dedicated to this. They use these mobilizations to spread their messages and attract people, as well as to attack the government. https://twitter.com/D_Nacional/status/1453039000416047110/photo/1

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Analysis