The power of the 'Latin lover': why is Julio Iglesias such an important figure for the right?

BarcelonaJulio Iglesias, besides being a renowned international artist, is not an ideologically neutral figure. On February 29, 1996, four days before the general elections, the singer appeared alongside José María Aznar in a packed bullring in Zaragoza, where he was greeted with euphoria. There, Iglesias explained that he had decided to take the step of becoming politically involved for the first time because "a country never grows without change," he said, referring to the thirteen years that Spain had been governed by Felipe González. "There will be no better president for Spain than José María Aznar!" he proclaimed after explaining that he had had long conversations with the leader of the People's Party (PP) before taking this step.

Hours later that same day, Iglesias accompanied Aznar to the massive rally held at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia, in front of more than 60,000 people, still the record attendance at a campaign event since the Republic.

Now we jump ahead to June 28, 2023, also shortly before a general election. On that day, the People's Party candidate, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, appeared on the program The anthill from Antena 3 and explained that a few days earlier she had spoken with Julio Iglesias, who told her he was particularly concerned about the water issue. She then explained that they had a relationship and that she had received advice from him regarding the program. Interestingly, a couple of years earlier, on November 9, 2021, the person who had gone to The anthill It had been Isabel Díaz Ayuso, and there she had uttered the following phrase: "Julio Iglesias is my other king."

Therefore, it is clear that Julio Iglesias is a figure strongly linked to the PP (People's Party). The singer's case also recalls that of the tenor. Plácido Domingowho was also the subject of complaints from some twenty female colleagues and received total and absolute support from the right wing and the Madrid establishment. On June 9, 2021, in his public reappearance on Spanish stages after the scandal, the 1,600 attendees at the Teatro Real greeted him with ovations and applause. Who was at the Teatro Real that day? Obviously, Isabel Díaz Ayuso. Later, the PP, Vox, and Cs parties would vote against stripping him of the title of favorite son of Madrid.

Both Iglesias and Domingo, aside from holding conservative views, are symbols of Spanishness and models of masculinity for the most reactionary right wing in the country. This is especially true in the case of Julio Iglesias, who represents the archetype of Latin lover which is so fascinating in the English-speaking world. Defending them isn't about defending specific individuals, but rather a particular vision of Spain and of life. When Díaz Ayuso defends Iglesias, she's framing the issue as just another battle in the culture war between the left and the right, in true Trumpian style. Feijóo's greater caution is simply because the Galician politician is still old-school and struggles to grasp the culture war paradigm. But he's at a disadvantage against Ayuso, because all politics is now a culture war.