Albiol's Viral Reflection on the 'Far Right' is a Warning to His Party

Last Sunday, Mayor of Badalona and prominent leader of the People's Party (PP) Xavier García Albiol shared a reflection on the social network X that has sparked a wide debate in the Spanish political landscape. In his message, Albiol addressed the growing advance of "the far right in Europe" and suggested that traditional parties must rethink their strategies to curb this phenomenon. That is, it was a message that his party and its respective leaders could well take to heart.

In his post, Albiol expressed that "concern about the rise of the far right is increasing in Europe." According to his perspective, fighting this growth is not achieved through "cordons sanitaires, insults or grand proclamations" but by facing "reality and above all providing answers to the real problems and concerns" of European society. He also warned that, as long as "classic" parties do not provide effective responses, an increasingly significant portion of the population will seek alternatives outside the traditional political spectrum.

This message is a warning not only to rival formations but also to the PP itself. Xavier García Albiol, known for his blunt style, has shown on more than one occasion to be a kind of "free verse". With his own voice, it is not the first time he has distanced himself from the official narrative of the traditional right, both in Spain and in Europe.

Xavier García Albiol's Message is Part of the Debate in the European Center-Right

In fact, the debate on which direction the traditional right should take across the continent is causing more than one headache for political leaders of this political spectrum. In Germany, for example, the CDU leads the polls for the February 23 elections. However, the second force will likely be the new right from Alternative for Germany (AfD). Therefore, the center-right will have to decide whether to break the cordon sanitaire and take on some of the AfD's increasingly popular demands among the population or bolster the establishment by looking toward social democrats, liberals or even the greens.

Historically, in the European Parliament, the classic right has opted for the latter option, that is, the grand coalition with social democrats. In Spain, to give another example, it seems that Alberto Núñez Feijóo wants to avoid as much as possible making a pact with Vox. Despite this, Abascal's party is rising more and more in the polls.

The debate on what stance the traditional right should have regarding the new right is more alive than ever. Meanwhile, the leadership of the PP continues to resist working with Vox. Yet more and more voices in the party are unashamedly demanding that Abascal's party be treated as just another political actor. Albiol has been the latest, but not the first. Alejandro Fernández, leader of the Catalan PP, is also among those who argue that cordons sanitaires are useless. Either that or, in any case, they have a negative long-term effect, according to him.