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Vox made the move days after having an argument with PP over its decision to support the central government’s plans to bring about 400 unaccompanied minors from the Canary Islands and redistribute them around the mainland read more
 "Spain's far-right Vox Party quits key regional government over migration row, PM Sánchez celebrates move")
Tourists standing in front of the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, on July 5. PHOTO: AFP
Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that it is a “great day” for the country as the far-right Vox Party relinquished its grip on power by abandoning five key regions across the country after having disagreements with the conservative People’s Party over migration policy.
Vox’s leader Santiago Abascal announced that they are withdrawing from the coalition with Conservatives. Vox made the move days after having an argument with PP over its decision to support the central government’s plans to bring about 400 unaccompanied minors from the Canary Islands and redistribute them around the mainland.
In the first six months of the year 2024, over 19,000 migrants and refugees reacted to the archipelago by sea using the deadly Atlantic route. This marked an increase of 167 per cent if compared to the data in the same period in the year 2023. The surge in numbers has sparked demonstrations across the country.
The new cracks between the Spanish right
In his announcement, Absacal said that Vox’s “attachment to our principles rather than our seats” had led the party to end its coalitions in Valencia, Aragón, Murcia, Extremadura and Castilla y León. He stated that PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo had “impeded and then torpedoed” all of its regional deals with Vox.
“No one voted for Vox, and I dare say no one voted for the PP so that the invasion of illegal immigration and unaccompanied foreign minors could continue,” he added. However, not all of Vox’s regional MPs endorsed the move. On Friday, a handful of them resigned, insisting that they would remain in their respective posts, The Guardian reported.
Spanish PM celebrated the move
Meanwhile, the Spanish Prime Minister, who secured another term in office with the help of coalition partners, celebrated the move. “I think this is a great day for Spain,” he said.
“I think Spain is a better country today. And I can’t hide my joy and happiness about that. There’s going to be a lot of political manoeuvring and the analysts are going to ask: ‘Who will this benefit? Who will it hurt?’ I don’t know who it will hurt and who it will benefit in political terms, but the net beneficiaries of the departure of the far right from regional governments are the majority of Spaniards," the Spanish premier furthered.
Feijóo on the other hand said that Vox’s decision would not alter the PP’s focus on governing the five regions “by even a millimetre”.
With inputs from agencies.
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