Vox, Sánchez and the control of political time
1. Without mincing words: The PSOE suffers a considerable loss of voters in Extremadura, reflecting a deep disappointment among its electorate; the PP wins but doesn't sweep the board, highlighting its well-known limitations; and Vox is the strategic victor, with its cavalry ready to pull the right wing into its own mental space: the post-democratic authoritarianism that is eroding the institutions of liberal democracies throughout Europe.
Why have these elections made headlines everywhere? Simply because they are the first in a cycle that will have to culminate in a general election no later than 2027. With the PP calling for early elections almost from the beginning of the legislature, Pedro Sánchez, who has made his image as a resister against the reactionary onslaught his almost exclusive asset, is trapped in a party from which he is emerging, and where sexual harassment is almost daily news. The PP and its press are hastily exploiting socialist scandals to cover up their long history of abuses of power, which they have cultivated wherever they have held sway.
What have we found in Extremadura? Nothing unexpected. The punishment of the PSOE was predictable since the accusations and finger-pointing reached Moncloa Palace, causing the departure of figures from the president's inner circle. Many socialist voters stayed home, while others went to the PP. And Sánchez must understand that his image as a long-term leader is faltering. It shows in his expression every day, despite his undeniable determination.
2. The PP is Incapable of building and communicating an alternative political project, and committed to Feijóo's strategy of constantly criminalizing President Sánchez, without a single idea or sign that gives his policies their own character, he has spent the entire legislature scratching at straws and exploiting any media denunciation, regardless of its substance, without contributing any value. Just noise.
The result of all this is the current scenario that Extremadura has documented. Vox is setting the pace for change. While Feijóo bellows, Abascal unfurls the promise of patriotic redemption. And so he gains ground, exploiting people's fears, pointing the finger at the usual villains: peripheral nationalisms, immigrants, gender policies, and the left as enemies of the homeland, the bearer of eternal values. And Pedro Sánchez, clinging to the presidency, remains the last holdout, willing to endure until the end, hoping that the struggle between Vox and the PP will allow him to salvage what he can. What is Vox seeking? To expose the PP by forcing it to adopt the strategies and ideological demands of the far right, thus presenting itself as the redeemer of a nation in crisis. In other words, to give post-democratic authoritarianism the legitimacy to mobilize citizens against it.
So right now, as Vox gains ground on the right day by day, there is a certain strategic convergence between Pedro Sánchez's commitment to resistance—prepared to hold out until the end of the legislature to demonstrate the PP's impotence in the face of Vox—and the agitation of the European far right. Extremadura confirms that Sánchez's resistance seems increasingly illusory, but at the same time, it confirms the threat the president points to: Vox in power, overseeing the PP.
3. Is it plausible? Could this situation really drag on until 2027? The ambiguities surrounding Sánchez are growing. What did he know and what didn't he know? What can he be charged with, by action or omission? The legal accusations against people in his inner circle continue unabated, and the gaps in the narrative are vast, now exacerbated by the sexual harassment allegations. And yet, a result like the one in Extremadura gives reason to believe that Sánchez will try to hold on until the end, hoping that Vox will continue to gain ground and overshadow Feijóo and his associates, and that this will provoke some kind of public reaction.
In any case, political maneuvering aside, what is alarming right now is the growing influence of the far right in Spain. And it doesn't seem likely that there will be a moment of clarity in which the PP and PSOE (and some peripheral parties) will be able to reach an agreement to isolate Vox and prevent the far right from seizing power. Much needs to change within the People's Party (PP), where an alliance with neo-fascists seems to be taken for granted. This provides reasons for resistance against Pedro Sánchez, who could propose a black-and-white election (democracy or fascism), even though he appears increasingly subdued compared to what's necessary for such a momentous undertaking. Is there an alternative?
