The populist Vox party in Spain has threatened to dissolve regional coalitions with the centre-right People’s Party (PP) in response to a migrant transfer agreement, creating potential political upheaval.
In a dramatic move, Spain’s populist party Vox has threatened to bring down ruling coalitions with the centre-right People’s Party (PP) over an agreement to relocate 400 underage migrants from the Canary Islands to mainland Spain. This plan, accepted by the PP, aligns with a directive from the central Socialist government to manage the influx of unaccompanied minors arriving from West Africa.
Vox leader Santiago Abascal expressed his outrage on social media platform X, stating, “Today (the People’s Party) has blown up (regional) government deals, welcoming voluntarily 400 underage migrants. Do not count on us to scam, loot and endanger Spaniards.” This announcement has cast uncertainty over the future governance of the five regions where PP relies on Vox support.
Spain’s decentralized political structure grants regions significant control over essential services such as healthcare and education. The potential withdrawal of Vox from regional coalitions could destabilize these administrations, possibly necessitating by-elections if the PP cannot maintain a governing majority on its own.
Vox, established in 2012, has rapidly ascended to become Spain’s third-largest party at the national level. The party’s platform centers on nationalism, Spanish unity against Catalan separatism, and strong opposition to African migration. Despite making gains in recent European elections by addressing public concerns about the cost of living, the green transition, and migration, Vox saw a decline in its share of the vote in the latest national elections.
The Canary Islands have faced a significant increase in migrant arrivals, with numbers soaring to over 16,500 in the first five months of 2024, five times higher than the previous year. This surge has strained the archipelago’s infrastructure, according to Regional Policy Minister Ángel Víctor Torres. Under Spanish law, unaccompanied minors are entitled to government protection and aid, but the responsibility for their care has largely fallen on regions like the Canaries, Ceuta, and Melilla.
Vox contends that many migrants claiming to be minors are actually adults and argues that resources allocated for their care should instead benefit Spanish citizens. This stance has fueled their opposition to the migrant transfer plan and amplified their broader anti-migration rhetoric.
As the political standoff continues, the future of regional governance in Spain remains uncertain, with potential implications for both the PP and Vox, as well as the broader Spanish political landscape.
