Under the cry of ‘Comienza la reconquista’ (‘The reconquista begins’), the slogan of the far-right Vox party and the European Patriots, the main event of the ‘Europa Viva 2025’ conference began at Madrid’s Vistalegre Palace. The gathering, led by party chief Santiago Abascal, commenced yesterday.
Thousands packed the stands of the sold-out 12,000-seat arena amid rock anthems and chants of “libertad” (freedom), as well as insults directed at Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The crowd waved Spanish flags and sported party merchandise, including t-shirts featuring the image of Argentine President Javier Milei with the slogan ‘Libertad, carajo!’, which has become an anthem for the global far-right.
Prior to the event’s start, the organization had not confirmed which international leaders from the Patriots group would appear in person or via remote link. Those announced included Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Portuguese Chega party president André Ventura, and Argentina’s Javier Milei, who was scheduled for a video address ahead of the concluding speech by Santiago Abascal.
Enthusiasm among the far-right base is palpable, following recent polls that show the party surging to 17% support, a significant jump from the 12.3% it secured in the 2023 elections. This growth represents over one million votes lost by the conservative Partido Popular.
The objective of the Patriots and Vox, stated Jorge Buxadé, head of Vox’s delegation in the European Parliament, “is to counter the popular and socialist policies in Brussels that are imposed on sovereign nations.” He added that the event aims to “demonstrate that the patriotic and sovereignist movement constitutes the political force with the greatest vitality in Europe and the world.”