Is VOX not tough enough on immigration?
Spain's anti-immigration party is facing criticism from its own electorate, with voters demanding an even harder line. The debate over the…
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Why some voters see VOX as soft on immigration
The paradox keeps repeating itself on the fringes of Spain's right: the party that built its message on immigration control is, for part of its potential base, too lukewarm. A recent social media exchange illustrates this starkly: one participant rejects the VOX label but demands tougher measures against immigration, especially against those taking low-skilled jobs such as food delivery.
The complaints go beyond the workplace: they also target welfare benefits and the perception that immigrants "drive up the cost of living." Against this, other voices counter that such criticism masks insecurity or prejudice, pointing out that a delivery rider earning more than the average citizen is a symptom of a distorted economy, not an invasion.
The debate also reveals an explicit desire for a "truly hard right," a space that VOX has failed to fully occupy in the eyes of some. Conspiracy thinking and distrust of institutions also surface: references to "30,000 new members" and to the CNI (Spain's intelligence agency) as an actor censoring messages suggest fertile ground for extremism.
The conclusion hanging over the conversation is uncomfortable for VOX: its rhetoric may have normalized certain positions, but it has not absorbed those who want to go further. If the party does not move, someone else might take its place.
The paradox keeps repeating itself on the fringes of Spain's right: the party that built its message on immigration control is, for part of its potential base, too lukewarm. A recent social media exchange illustrates this starkly: one participant rejects the VOX label but demands tougher measures against immigration, especially against those taking low-skilled jobs such as food delivery.
The complaints go beyond the workplace: they also target welfare benefits and the perception that immigrants "drive up the cost of living." Against this, other voices counter that such criticism masks insecurity or prejudice, pointing out that a delivery rider earning more than the average citizen is a symptom of a distorted economy, not an invasion.
The debate also reveals an explicit desire for a "truly hard right," a space that VOX has failed to fully occupy in the eyes of some. Conspiracy thinking and distrust of institutions also surface: references to "30,000 new members" and to the CNI (Spain's intelligence agency) as an actor censoring messages suggest fertile ground for extremism.
The conclusion hanging over the conversation is uncomfortable for VOX: its rhetoric may have normalized certain positions, but it has not absorbed those who want to go further. If the party does not move, someone else might take its place.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (11 replies).
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