Far right surges as crises threaten Sanchez: Could Vox lead Spain?

What the report says

Spain is heading into a snap election on November 29 after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called an early vote amid rising pressure over housing, corruption allegations affecting his circle, migration politics and tensions over Catalonia. Al Jazeera reports that the move was a gamble intended to change the political momentum, but recent polling has continued to show Sanchez’s Socialist Party trailing the conservative People’s Party (PP) and the far-right Vox party gaining ground.

The article says Vox, once a fringe force, has become a stronger contender and could help form a governing majority with the PP. A recent survey cited by Al Jazeera projected that the two parties together could win enough seats in parliament to govern, while Sanchez’s party was forecast to lose support compared with the 2023 election. If such a coalition were formed, it would mark the return of the far right to national power in Spain for the first time since the end of Franco’s rule in 1975.

The story places the surge in a broader European context, noting that far-right parties have advanced in several countries in recent years. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera said Vox has tried to distance itself from the Franco era while tapping anger over immigration, national identity and frustration with mainstream parties. The PP, meanwhile, is campaigning on corruption and economic renewal, including a pledge to expand housing construction.

Al Jazeera also linked the election to public outrage over Spain’s housing crisis, including protests after a long-time Madrid resident was evicted. The outcome could determine whether Sanchez remains in office or whether the PP and Vox take power together.