Abascal - 10 things to know with detail
- 1. Santiago Abascal is a Spanish politician and the leader of the far-right political party Vox. He was born on April 14, 1976, in Bilbao, Spain.
- 2. Abascal studied sociology and political science at the University of Deusto in Bilbao. He later worked as a parliamentary assistant in the Spanish Congress of Deputies.
- 3. Abascal is known for his conservative and nationalist views, advocating for strong borders, national sovereignty, and traditional values.
- 4. He joined the People's Party (PP) in 1996 and served as a member of the Basque Parliament from 2004 to 2009.
- 5. In 2014, Abascal co-founded Vox, a right-wing populist party that gained prominence for its anti-immigration and anti-Islam stance.
- 6. Abascal was elected as the party's president in 2019 and led Vox to become the third-largest party in the Spanish Parliament in the November 2019 general elections.
- 7. He is a vocal critic of Catalan separatism and has called for the suspension of Catalonia's autonomy following the region's 2017 independence referendum.
- 8. Abascal has been compared to other European right-wing leaders such as Marine Le Pen in France and Matteo Salvini in Italy for his nationalist and anti-establishment rhetoric.
- 9. He has been accused of promoting controversial policies, such as deporting illegal immigrants, banning mosques, and reversing gender equality laws.
- 10. Abascal's rise to prominence has sparked debate and polarized opinions in Spain, with supporters praising him as a defender of national identity and detractors condemning him as a threat to democratic values.