Vox has managed to bring together this Sunday at the Vistalegre Palace in the Carabanchel neighborhood of Madrid, before about 10,000 people, the cream of the crop from various families of the far right in Europe, the U.S., and Latin America, three weeks before the European elections on June 9. Aware of the dissonances and cacophonies presented by the “choir” of its allies, as he himself has called them, Vox leader Santiago Abascal has emphasized that all of them (the French far right, secular and pro-Putin; the ultra-Catholics from Poland, at odds with Russia; the Trump supporters from the U.S. or the libertarian anarchists from Argentina) “share the same threat” and must “work shoulder to shoulder” against a common enemy: socialism.
The highlight of the pre-election rally has been someone who is not running for office: Argentine President Javier Milei, who was received and cheered like a rock star by the attendees. Milei has criticized “socialism” as “cancerous and cursed,” accusing it of murdering “150 million human beings” and identifying it with Stalinism. He has also personally attacked Spanish President Pedro Sánchez and called his wife, Begoña Gómez, “corrupt.” Despite improvising his comments, the Argentine president has been applauded by Abascal and the other attendees. Milei has emphasized the need for a cultural battle and has rejected socialism, advocating for an economic approach that embraces free market principles rather than social programs.
Leaders from various far right parties across Europe also spoke at the event, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French leader Marine Le Pen. Meloni criticized the EU as a bureaucratic giant and emphasized the need to focus on tasks that provide added value, such as border protection. Le Pen condemned the European project and linked immigration to increased insecurity, calling for stricter border controls. She praised Vox for being a patriotic movement in Spain that she can count on to revive Europe.
The event also featured speakers from the Trumpism movement, such as Roger Severino, who defended Trump’s innocence in the Stormy Daniels case, and Latin American right-wing figures like Chilean José Antonio Kast, who criticized the current president and compared him to former leader Salvador Allende. The rally also showed support for the Israeli government, with speakers condemning criticism of Israel and emphasizing the country’s role in defending Western civilization.
Abascal used the event to criticize his electoral rival, the Popular Party, accusing them of being a “cowardly and deceitful right wing” and attacking their leader for allegedly supporting immigration policies that threaten European identity. The rally began with a speech from former prisoner José Antonio Ortega Lara, who was kidnapped by ETA, and who highlighted the need for self-reflection within Vox to correct past mistakes and ensure a stronger future. Overall, the event showcased a united front of far-right voices from across Europe, the U.S., and Latin America, rallying against socialism and immigration while highlighting the need for a conservative, nationalist agenda.
