Immigration as an axis of polarization in the political strategy of the radical right in Spain
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65598/rps.5942Keywords:
Inmigration, Migration discourse, Radical right, Political polarizationAbstract
In a European ecosystem in which radical right-wing parties are making significant progress, the birth and consolidation of Vox allows us to see how immigration is presented, also in Spain, as a cultural, economic, and security threat. This scenario has made it possible to address the general objective of the research: the analysis of immigration as the main foundation of the Spanish radical right in its discursive strategy of polarization. The research is based on a qualitative approach analyzing the speeches of Vox's main spokespersons in the Congress during the 13th, 14th, and 15th legislative periods (until May 2025). Through thematic coding and interpretive analysis techniques, and based on the predominant argumentative frameworks, frameworks, the speeches produced in 18 plenary sessions, which are representative of Vox's parliamentary positions, have been selected and analyzed. The results obtained demonstrate the intention to construct a national "we" versus a "them" associated with the figure of the immigrant and concepts such as insecurity, invasion, or loss of identity. The main conclusion reached is that the discourse on immigration not only articulates a narrative of exclusion but also operates in a populist and authoritarian manner as a tool for political polarization and ideological reaffirmation of national identity.
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