A Spanish political expert has explained why Vox should be classified as a far-right party.

It follows repeated claims by supporters of the growing electoral force that it is simply ‘right wing’ and not extreme in its views.

Speaking to the Spanish Eye this week, Guillermo Fernandez-Vazquez, a political scientist and expert on the European radical right, gave his verdict on the debate.

He said there is a broad consensus among experts that Vox is part of the radical right, citing its ideology, alliances and growing influence over the Spain’s conservative movement.

Asked what distinguishes Vox from a traditional party like the Partido Popular (PP), Fernandez-Vazquez said the differences have become less obvious in recent years – but largely because Vox has pulled the political right further towards its own positions.

‘For a long time, the answer seemed relatively straightforward,’ he said.

‘You simply listed the policy differences between a traditional conservative party like the PP and a far-right party like Vox.

‘But today the question is much more interesting because those differences are changing precisely as a result of the competition between the two parties.’

He said the real battle is no longer centred on economic policy or public services, where the PP has traditionally enjoyed greater credibility.

It is now about what political scientists call ‘metapolitics’ – the battle over ideas, values and cultural narratives.

The most recent example is Vox’s new ‘national priority’ agenda, which vows to make Spaniards – and not ‘foreigners’ – the priority when it comes to accessing government assistance, benefits or services.

According to Fernandez-Vazquez, Vox has invested heavily in shaping the ideological debate through organisations such as the Fundacion Disenso think tank, allowing it to increasingly define the terms of discussion across Spain’s political right.

‘The competition is no longer simply about winning votes but deciding which ideas become accepted as common sense among conservative voters,’ he said.

He believes this has allowed Vox to shift the ideological centre of gravity within Spain’s right-wing bloc, forcing the PP to respond on terrain increasingly defined by Santiago Abascal’s party.

A similar clash has occurred in the UK in recent years, where a number of Conservative MPs have jumped ship to Nigel Farage’s Reform party.

Why experts classify Vox as part of Europe’s far right

Fernandez-Vazquez said there is now little debate among specialists about where Vox belongs politically.

‘I think today there is no real difficulty in placing Vox within the European radical right family,’ he said.

‘In fact, there is a very broad consensus among specialists.’

He stressed that Europe’s radical right is not a single, uniform movement, but argued Vox clearly belongs alongside parties like France’s National Rally, the Netherlands’ PVV, Reform UK, Italy’s Brothers of Italy, Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) and Portugal’s Chega.

Rather than relying solely on ideology, he pointed to Vox’s own political choices.

‘I would first look at the facts,’ he said.

‘Who does Vox choose to ally itself with? Which parliamentary group does it join in Europe? The answer speaks for itself.’

He noted that Vox sits within the Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament, currently chaired by party leader Santiago Abascal, whose close political relationship with former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was, in his view, further evidence of where the party positions itself internationally.

‘It is not political scientists who place Vox within the European radical right, it is Vox itself that places itself there through its international alliances,’ he said.

Three defining characteristics

Fernandez-Vazquez identified three main reasons why academics classify Vox as part of the radical right.

The first is that it broadly fits the framework developed by Dutch political scientist Cas Mudde, whose definition of the populist radical right is based on three characteristics: nativism, authoritarianism and populism.

He added that Vox’s populism may be less pronounced than other European parties, but said this does not alter the overall classification.

Secondly, he referred to the concept of ‘post-fascism’ developed by Italian historian Enzo Traverso.

He stressed this should not be interpreted as suggesting Vox seeks to restore historical fascism.

Instead, he argued that the party draws on intellectual and political traditions associated with that past, while adapting them to contemporary politics.

Finally, Fernandez-Vazquez said Vox’s interpretation of key moments in Spanish history also reflects longstanding traditions within Spain’s radical right.

These include the party’s positions on the Second Republic, the Civil War, Franco’s dictatorship, the Valley of the Fallen and even Spain’s 19th-century liberal revolutions.

Policies that critics say place Vox on the far right

Beyond academic definitions, a number of Vox’s policy positions have also led political scientists and human rights groups to classify the party as part of Europe’s far-right movement.

On immigration, Vox has called for the mass deportation of illegal migrants, and foreign nationals who commit serious crimes, while advocating much stricter border controls and arguing that Spain should prioritise its ‘national identity’ over multiculturalism.

The party has also repeatedly targeted Islamic dress. Earlier this year, Vox proposed banning the burka and niqab in public spaces, claiming the garments are incompatible with women’s dignity, equality and public safety. The proposal was rejected by Spain’s Congress.

On LGBT+ rights, Vox voted against legislation that would have explicitly jailed practitioners of so-called conversion therapies.

The party argued the law could criminalise parents and professionals, while supporters of the bill accused Vox of refusing to outlaw practices widely condemned by psychological organisations.

Vox also wants to repeal parts of Spain’s transgender legislation, opposes gender self-identification, and frequently campaigns against what it describes as ‘gender ideology’.

The party has long pledged to repeal Spain’s Gender Violence Law, arguing that domestic abuse legislation should be gender-neutral rather than providing specific legal protections for women.

Critics say the move would weaken protections for victims of violence against women.

Elsewhere, Vox advocates abolishing Spain’s system of autonomous regions and returning many powers to the central government in Madrid. It also opposes the Democratic Memory Law, which seeks to recognise victims of the Civil War and Franco dictatorship, arguing that it promotes a one-sided interpretation of history.

Political scientists note that it is the combination of these positions – together with the party’s nationalist rhetoric, restrictive immigration policies and European alliances – that places Vox within the broader family of Europe’s far-right parties.

Vox’s influence is growing

In Spain, Fernandez-Vazquez said the most significant political development is that many of the gaps between Vox and the PP have narrowed.

Historically, he said, the parties differed most clearly on immigration, European integration and social issues such as LGBT rights, abortion and euthanasia.

Today, however, many of those distinctions are becoming less visible.

‘They are now more theoretical than practical,’ he said.

‘More suitable for a political science textbook than for understanding what actually happens in parliament.’

He argued that this reflects Vox’s growing ideological influence rather than the opposite.

‘When one political actor succeeds in shifting the ideological centre of gravity, everyone else ends up adapting to it, whether they want to or not.’

Looking ahead, Fernandez-Vazquez believes Vox hopes this process will continue over the next decade, creating growing tensions inside the PP between a more moderate centre-right wing and conservatives increasingly attracted to Vox’s worldview.

He said similar trends can already be observed, to varying degrees, in countries including France and Italy.

At the same time, he argued that Vox has also developed features unique to Spain, citing its concept of the ‘Iberosphere’ – a political and cultural vision linking Spain with Latin America – as one idea that distinguishes it from other parties within Europe’s broader radical right movement.