VOX's Reyes Romero and her daughter: the digital harassment

Reyes Romero and her daughter: the digital price of being a politician's family

A few months ago, an online conversation focused on an unusual figure in Spanish politics: Reyes Romero, a VOX leader, and her daughter. The discussion degenerated into comments about the appearance of both women, using language that mixed objectification and class contempt. There was no political criticism or data: only a portrait of two women reduced to objects.

Two currents coexist in that kind of exchange. One, the most visible, simply evaluates the physical appearance of the protagonists, as if their looks were the only news. The other, in apparent response, attacks those who comment, pointing to their supposed social status: if you don't work in a tall building or belong to a certain elite, you supposedly have no say. The twist is revealing: the criticism of objectification itself becomes an exercise in classism.

The pattern that doesn't change behind the news

What is significant is not what is said, but what is not said. Nobody questions Romero's political activity or her decisions. The focus shifts to her private life, perpetuating the idea that women in politicians' circles are fair game for mockery. This is not exclusive to VOX or any ideology: it reflects a public space that, on social media and in unmoderated forums, still fails to distinguish between the public and private spheres.

The issue is not trivial. If a politician can be criticized for their actions, the same standard should not apply to their family. The discussion, however, got stuck there: in the inability to determine whether these attacks respond to a political strategy or a simple sens reflex. The only objective fact is that the pattern persists. 265 days after that conversation, the question remains open.