Vox party to govern for first time in Spain

OVIEDO, Spain

Spain’s Vox will form a coalition government in the region of Castile and Leon, Vox officials said on Thursday.

This will be far-right party Vox’s first foray into a regional government in Spain.

The move comes after the conservative Popular Party failed to win a majority in regional elections that it triggered in hopes of governing alone.

However, Vox will instead replace its past coalition partner — the more moderate Cuidadanos.

In the past, Vox has always lent its support to Popular Party governments, but its strong results in Castile and Leon gave its leadership leverage to demand governing power.

The Popular Party also confirmed Thursday that it has reached a deal with Vox, which allows for “a stable and solid government.”

Several Spanish media outlets reported that Vox will hold the vice-presidency and three ministerial posts in the regional government.

While supporters of Vox were celebrating the party’s milestone, the Popular Party’s decision to govern alongside the radical party was met with harsh criticism.

“For Vox, a xenophobic party opposed to the current constitutional model and that is close to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s allies in Europe, to enter into a regional government in Spain is a shame,” tweeted El Pais journalist Fernando Perez.

Vox has indeed supported other far-right leaders like France’s Marine Le Pen, Italy’s Matteo Salvini and former US President Donald Trump.

Perez also pointed out that this is the Popular Party’s first major decision since it ousted its leader Pablo Casado, who was condemned for openly investigating corruption by the party’s leader in Madrid.

Vox has become notorious for its anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiment, as well as its socially conservative positions on women and the LGBTQ community.

Last week, Vox’s national leader Santiago Abascal argued in parliament that Ukrainian refugees should be accepted into Spain but called Muslim migrants crossing into the country from Africa “invaders.”