Vox and Aliança, a very particular relationship
For almost a year, two far-right parties have shared the same chamber in Catalonia. Vox, with 11 deputies, and the Catalan Alliance (Aliança Catalana) with two, both with expectations of growth, have established a cordial relationship in the Parliament on a human level. On the ground floor of the chamber, where the PP, Vox, and AC have their offices, the cordon sanitaire is not in place, and this relaxes relations, but addressing political strategies is another matter entirely.
The ideological gap between the two groups' views on Spain and Catalonia is so profound that it currently hinders coordinated action where they admit broad common ground: their stance on illegal immigration and warnings about the "Islamization of Catalonia." Furthermore, both parties have campaigned for deportation under the slogan "a return ticket." But Sílvia Orriols's party does not support Vox's initiatives on this matter because they register in Spanish.
Overall, there are profound similarities in their analysis of immigration and its impact. There are unbridgeable differences on "national and identity" issues, and there are nuances that separate them on social issues. The Spanish far right opposes abortion and defends freedom of education, while the Catalan far right does not reject abortion or euthanasia. They also show disagreements on same-sex unions and LGBTI rights. Another axis that separates them is historical memory, which Aliança largely shares, unlike Vox.
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Given the current focus of both groups' strategies—addressing immigration—Vox spokesperson Joan Garriga explains that his group votes on the initiatives of other parties based on their content, and in many cases they have supported Sílvia Orriols. However, they see their supposed ideological allies on this issue abstaining or voting against them despite agreeing with them because they are presented in Spanish. And they are not going to change that. Both parties will continue to emphasize this message on immigration and reject the idea that competition could significantly weaken them in the elections.
In this regard, they share a certain agenda of international references. Both parties have expressed support for US President Donald Trump and for far-right parties in Europe such as Fratelli d'Italia, Alternative for Germany, and the Freedom Party of Austria.
Joan Garriga points out that the emergence of Aliança "normalizes and supports Vox" in migration policy.Having another party that defends these positions "normalizes us and proves us right, and in any case, AC would steal votes from Junts, weakening the pro-independence alliances," Garriga points out. Sources within the Aliança leadership add other perspectives to the analysis by claiming to be "the force that will stop Vox," since voters now have a non-Spanish party to trust, especially in Catalan-speaking areas.
Following this thesis, Orriols's party argues that "from a do-gooder and more left-wing perspective, Vox cannot be stopped." From this perspective, they detect that part of Garriga's party's electorate voted for AC in the 2024 elections. They attribute this to the fact that, in 2021, Vox was "the only voice" speaking out on security and immigration. Now they're talking "about what concerns people," and another electoral option opens up in this regard. This gap is evident in the most Catalan-speaking regions. Therefore, they say it's no coincidence that Vox "has started using the Catalan language more" in recent plenary sessions.
It is precisely the language issue that has made Vox the only group in the Catalan Parliament that has never received a favorable vote from Aliança. However, the Catalan far right maintains that "unlike others, we do not apply cordons sanitaires."
Orriols' party maintains its refusal to vote on Vox's initiatives because they are presented in Spanish.Analyzing the electoral scenario, the Spanish party points out that it has a stable voter base, with the PP being its second choice of support. They thus want to convey that there would be no shift toward AC.
In any case, despite the cordial relationship and agreement on some issues, the current parliamentary arithmetic in the Parliament does not encourage the opening of political collaboration. The left holds the majority, and, Garriga emphasizes, there is no need to enter into a negotiation phase if initiatives cannot be approved.
Furthermore, Vox points out that Orriols's party "isn't just pro-independence, it even denies the existence of Spain." And it considers Galicians and Basques living in Catalonia to be immigrants, it points out. Both parties observe each other cordially but without collaboration.
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