#Spain and #Fascism in Europe

22.10.17

I CARE - - News - Internet Centre Anti Racism Europe: Far-right weak in Spain
"The longer the polarisation (in Spain) and the harder it is to resolve the conflict, the more the potential for these groups to get organised and gain political influence, or take to the streets," says political analyst Pablo Simon. "There have never been such big protests with Spanish flags, and that's what these groups are taking advantage of to grow bolder and expand. "They're becoming more visible." Historian Xavier Casals, who specialises in the far-right, counters that there is currently no political party with a brand strong enough to capitalise on the Catalan crisis. But he adds it is difficult to gauge what will happen as "the situation in Catalonia is evolving rapidly, with unpredictable and changing scenarios." Unlike other European countries such as France or Germany, Spain's far-right is very much on the margin and "has been hugely fragmented since the start of the 1980s," says Jordi Borras, a photojournalist who has long studied the issue. The country's national parliament has not had any far-right lawmaker since 1982. After Spain transitioned to democracy in the 1970s, the far-right found itself unable to broaden its appeal beyond nostalgia for Francisco Franco's 1939-1975 dictatorship, says Borras. Not only that, but many people who identify with the far-right vote for Spain's conservative Popular Party, which is currently in power, he adds.