Insults Mar Campaign Kickoff as Spain’s Vox Party Faces Scrutiny
Zamora, Spain – The campaign launch for Vox in the Castilla y León region was marred by outbursts from supporters targeting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, raising concerns about the tone of the upcoming elections. During a rally on Wednesday in Zamora, attendees repeatedly shouted insults directed at Sánchez while Vox candidate Carlos Pollán was speaking. Witnesses reported that Pollán appeared to smile and sway along with the chant, “Pedro Sánchez, son of a bitch.”
The incident occurred before the official start of the campaign on Friday, February 27th. Pollán later downplayed the disruption, stating he hadn’t wanted to interrupt speakers during his four years as president of the Cortes of Castilla y León and wouldn’t start now.
This isn’t the first instance of heated rhetoric surrounding Vox rallies. Party leader Santiago Abascal faced a similar outburst during a campaign event in Zaragoza, responding with his own pointed remark about Sánchez.
Pollán used the Zamora rally to launch a sharp critique of the current regional president, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco of the PP (Popular Party), claiming Mañueco has achieved more in the lowest rankings than the highest. He characterized Zamora as a neglected area under decades of PP leadership.
Vox is positioning itself as an alternative to both the PP and the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party), arguing they are fundamentally the same on issues like gender ideology, climate policy, and historical memory. Pollán rejected a proposal from the Socialist candidate, Carlos Martínez, to support the government of the party winning the most votes, asserting that Castilla y León needs “much more Vox.”
Abascal, also speaking at the rally, criticized the PP’s program as offering a measure for every day of the legislature, ironically suggesting they could have rested on Sundays. He accused the PP of implementing policies that hinder the progress of the people of Castilla y León.
The Vox leader also leveled accusations against former Prime Minister José María Aznar, alleging an attempt to sabotage potential dialogue between the PP and Vox. He challenged current PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo to clarify Aznar’s statements.
Abascal further attacked the central government, labeling it a “corrupt mafia” and linking corruption to incidents like a train accident in Adamuz and flooding in Valencia. He also reiterated Vox’s hardline stance on immigration, calling for the expulsion of foreign nationals who commit crimes and criticizing the provision of benefits to immigrants.
The incidents come as Spain grapples with a public consultation on a historic regularization process for undocumented migrants, according to VisaHQ.