Abascal is deployed on immigration and balances women and Gaza in 'La Revuelta'

He did not enter with a "flame thrower" or a "chainsaw." In fact, Santiago Abascal has arrived at La Revuelta willing to follow the game of humor that characterizes the format presented by David Broncano, despite the criticism that the Vox leader has leveled in recent days at those who face the electoral campaign with a relaxed attitude. In any case, the approach with which the program received him made the conversation quickly turn to a more serious tone, addressing some of the most conflictive issues in Abascal's program: from equality to immigration, housing, climate change and the international relations that have generated so much controversy.

After a brief introduction to the interview, in which the leader of Vox took the opportunity to give the program a Ceuta flag - a crucial issue for the party in this campaign - the conversation entered into deep topics and developed with the audience more silently than is usual in this format. There has been hardly any laughter or boos, and the applause has been restrained - with exceptions. One of the great controversies that the interview with Abascal brought with it came from the audience that would accompany the visit. The Revolt canceled the planned invitations and Broncano has explained that the change of spectators at the Albéniz Theater in Madrid occurred at the request of the Vox candidate's team, and that they were the ones in charge of this management - he said through an agency.

With the cards on the table, the topics have begun to flow. Broncano asked Abascal about his position on equality, and then, shortly after 10:00 p.m., the most controversial issues in Vox's speech came to light. Although the leader has said he does not have "any type of difficulty in recognizing the discrimination and violence suffered by women," he has indicated that his purpose is "to combat the ineffective regulations that seek to confront the sexes that this Government has approved." And he added: "The ability to report cannot be put in the hands of any group in Spain and that the simple complaint leads to the arrest and [transfer] of a person to the cell." Asked about his usual refusal to observe minutes of silence with other parties, he argued that it is because banners with "ideological messages" are displayed. "The main machismo in Spain is the imported machismo of those who do not respect women," he said, in reference to immigrants from certain cultures.

Abascal has also pointed out the arrival of foreigners as a triggering factor for the housing crisis: "The main problem is that six million people have entered Spain and no more housing has been built." Although the Vox leader has insisted on conveying that his party's solution is to liberalize land and build public housing, he has also expressed his rejection of the "surprise increase in rental prices and solely with the aim of getting rich." "The State has to intervene," he maintained, when "there is an abusive practice in the market."

Abascal has also spoken about another of his ideological pillars, the opposition to green policies. Ironically, he has called the 2030 Agenda "the Bible", and has stressed that Vox does believe that the climate "changes", but believes that a "review of approaches" is necessary on how to tackle this reality. "Behind these taxes on CO2 emissions is the lack of competitiveness of our economy, the criminalization of many modes of production," he explained.

One of the most tense moments of the interview came when talking about Vox's international relations. Asked about his relationship with Israel, Abascal pointed out that his conversations with this country have focused on three issues: the attacks of October 7, Israel's position on Catalan independence nationalism and that country's support for the Spanish sovereignty of Ceuta and Melilla. The interviewer questioned whether, in those conversations with Israel, Vox did not talk about the "genocide" in Gaza, and Abascal ended by pointing out that he finds what is happening "terrifying." But he has taken pride in his international relations by ensuring that he is "not at all ashamed of that service", which he believes will help Spain if Vox reaches La Moncloa.