This book examines VOX, the first major and electorally successful populist radical right-wing party to emerge in Spain since the death of General Franco, and the restoration of parliamentary democracy in the late 1970s.
In December 2018, VOX, a new party on the populist radical right, entered the Andalusian regional parliament, and played the role of kingmaker in the ensuing government formation discussions. Since then, under the leadership of Santiago Abascal, VOX has earned political representation in numerous local, regional and national elections. The party attracted more than 3.6 million votes in the November 2019 general election, making VOX the third largest party in the Spanish Congress. In two years, the party has become a key political challenger and an important player in Spanish politics. This book explains the origins of the party, its ideology and relationship with democracy, its appeal with voters, and its similarities with (and differences from) other populist radical right parties in Europe. It draws upon a rich source of domestic as well as cross-national survey data and a systematic analysis of party manifestos which provide a detailed account of the rise of VOX and what its emergence means for Spanish politics.
This volume will be of interest to scholars of comparative politics, political parties, voters and elections, Spanish politics, the populist radical right and populism in general.
Author(s): José Rama, Lisa Zanotti, Stuart J. Turnbull-Dugarte and Andrés Santana
Series: Routledge Studies in Extremism and Democracy
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2020
Cover
Endorsement
Half Title
Series Information
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Figures
Tables
Acknowledgements
Foreword
1 Introduction: From Pariah to the Institutions
What Happened: Explaining the Rise of VOC
VOX as a Populist Radical Right Party
Outline
Notes
References
2 Genesis and Expansion of VOC: From a People’s Party Split to the Third largest Party in Spain
Spain: No Country for Old Parties?
Patterns of Party System and Electoral Cycles
Party System Dimensions
VOX Origins: A PP Split
VOX Electoral Growth
VOX Internal Organization
How Does VOC Select Its Candidates?
Conclusions
Notes
References
3 A Question of Supply: What Does VOC Want? A Party Manifesto Analysis in Comparative Perspective
The Electoral Manifesto of VOC
National Way of Life: Positive
Law and Order
Immigration
Traditional Morality
Welfare State: Expansion
The Emergence of VOC: a Cleavage-Based Analysis
Polarization in the Left–Right Divide
VOX in Comparative Perspective
Conclusion
Notes
References
4 A Question of Demand: Who Votes for VOC?
Who Votes for VOC?
Gender
Age
Class
Education
Modelling Socio-Demographic Support for VOC
What do VOC’s Voters Want?
Ideology
It’s (not) the Economy, Stupid!
Socio-Cultural Preferences: Europe, Gays, and Green Politics
Voting for VOC: Nativism Vs Nationalism
Modelling Ideological Support for VOC
VOX Voters Compared: Still An Iberian Exception?
Modelling Support for the Populist Radical Right
Conclusions
Notes
References
5 VOC and Support for democracy: Legacies From an Authoritarian Past
Democracy and the Populist Radical Right
VOX and Democracy
Attitudes Towards Democracy and Vote for Populist Radical Right Parties in Comparative Perspective
Modelling Support for VOC As a Function of Non-Democratic Regime Preferences
Distribution of Voters’ Regime Preference in Spain
Measuring the Effect of Regime Preference Upon the Probability to Vote for VOC
Conclusion
Notes
References
6 Conclusions
Who Is VOC?
How Did Spain Get Here?
What Does VOC Want?
Who Votes for VOC?
Is VOC a Threat to Democracy?
Consequences of the Rise of VOC
VOX and Spain Tomorrow: Where do we Go From Here?
Notes
References
Index
