Far-Right Party Vox Threatens to Vote Against Extending the State of Alarm and Brands Spain’s Government as “Authoritarian”

The spokesperson for Vox in the Congress of Deputies, Ivan Espinosa de los Monteros, has branded Pedro Sánchez’s Government as ‘authoritarian’ and he has accused Sanchez of being “determined to threaten the economy and lives” of Spanish people.

The leader of Vox, Santiago Abascal, has also announced that his is still unsure of which direction their vote will lean towards regarding the extension of the state of alarm.

“We are not going to anticipate anything beforehand. Imagine that the government listens to us again and instead of three weeks of delay it acts only in three days. If you offer a different view then listen, we will be vigilant and vote accordingly. On Thursday we will see it,” he explained.

However, Espinosa de los Monteros has assured that given “the current circumstances” it would be normal for his party to not support the Executive. In fact, on Thursday the spokesman announces it was “highly unlikely” that Vox would support a new extension granted the “disappointing performance of the Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez.

In this regard, the leader has critiqued the Executive of “generously” using the “powers” the state of alarm has given him. In his opinion, the “disappearance of the institutions” which act as a series of “checks and balances” for the executive powers which aim to “guarantee complete democracy” means there is “now” an “authoritarian system”.

Thus, Espinosa de los Monteros regrets that Sanchez changed “the conditions of the state of alarm” and argues that he has “delivered himself to the separatists” and offers citizens “Scarce and little credible information” about the coronavirus crisis. He rounded off by saying that, “a government that is still determined to threaten the lives and economic status of the Spanish will not have our support”.