Abascal sidelines Ortega Smith and Buxadé to name Garriga sole VP

Abascal sidelines Buxadé and Ortega Smith to promote Garriga

Santiago Abascal has announced his candidacy for re-election as president of Vox with a list in which Ignacio Garriga becomes his right-hand man, serving as the party's sole vice president, a role he will combine with that of secretary general. The move removes two names from the leadership that had previously been seen as internal counterweights: Javier Ortega Smith and Jorge Buxadé are demoted to board members (vocales). The announcement, first reported by cadenaser.com, has sparked intense debate regarding the party's future.

Changes in Vox leadership

This is no mere cosmetic change. Garriga will hold both the sole vice presidency and the secretary general position, a concentration of power that effectively positions him as the natural successor should Abascal step down. Ortega Smith, the former paratrooper who gained popularity through his aggressive interventions, and Buxadé, the party's most ideological figure, are pushed to the background as board members. Some interpret this as a shift toward a more presentable and less disruptive Vox to appeal to center-right voters, while others argue the hardline base views the move as a softening of the party's stance.

The electoral calculation no one confirms

The most optimistic view within the party suggests the renewal aims to raise the electoral ceiling trinc recent losses. The pessimistic scenario suggests the opposite: that Vox has reached its limit and is beginning to resemble Ciudadanos during its decline. One analyst summarizes it bluntly: "With this management team, VOX has hit its ceiling and is going down." Another suggests "they are discarding the founding members and are now turning Proge," warning that in the next elections "they will be lucky if the algorithm gives them 10 seats." The comparison with the now-fading orange party is frequent and intentional.

Discontent among the hardline base

Not all discontent comes from the outside. A segment of the electorate that identifies with the party criticizes the drift toward what they consider a "domesticated" Vox. The most common reproach is that the party has become "immigrant-friendly like everyone else" and has made deals with the PP (the main conservative party) on issues it once promised to fight. The phrase summarizing this disillusionment is: "VOX started losing its edge a long time ago; people vote for them only because, despite everything, they are still the lesser of two evils."

The international flank and foreign policy shift

Another front of criticism targets the party's international positioning. "Abascal's fanatic support for the genocide in Gaza has unsettled many of his voters," claims one analysis, suggesting the party missed an opportunity to maintain a neutral stance. The underlying thesis is that siding "with the incivil justifies his detractors." This argument is gaining traction among those who see international politics as an electoral liability that was previously ignored.

Conspiracy theories and internal warfare

As expected, the announcement has fueled various conspiracy theories. Some see Ortega Smith's departure as an orchestrated internal operation: "Ortega's theatrical antics at Ferraz (PP headquarters) were aimed at Abascal," they argue, because he was "the only one who could challenge his leadership." This faction concludes that the leadership has decided to dismantle the circus before the circus consumes the ringmaster. Others go further, speaking of controlled dissent: "5 years of patriotic reaction channeled into a dead end."

What remains of the original project

The question hanging over the entire matter is whether Vox remains recognizable to those who voted for it in 2019. The profiles being sidelined or diminished were those who stood at the forefront during tough times; those rising are the managers. The paradox is that the party that promised to break the political mold is instead rearranging its seats with the ritual of any established apparatus. And the unsettling fact: while the leadership reshuffles, the conversation is no longer about how much Vox will grow, but how long it will take to disappear.