40 years after Spain’s return to democracy, a far-right party rises

[Gerald]

The nightclub was dark. A crowd of cocktail-holding partygoers — mostly 20- and 30-year-olds — waved Spanish flags and shouted, “Viva España!”


They sang along to an electronic version of the Spanish national anthem and chanted “Jail Puigdemont!” in reference to the former president of Catalonia who fled the country a year and a half ago. One man made a fascist salute.


“Good evening patriots,” yelled Ignacio Garriga, a candidate for Spain’s upcoming parliamentary elections, from the stage. “This Sunday will be a historic day. This Sunday we are excited to start the reconquista of Spain.”

https://www.latimes.com/world/europe...426-story.html


When the right-wing extremist party Vox is now seated in the parliament in Madrid, Spain joins the growing number of countries in Europe where right-wing populists and extremists sit in power corridors and enjoy a Brandy de Jerez.