Vox, Covid-19, and populist discourses in Spain

The radical right party Vox has been a harsh critic of the Spanish government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. José Javier Olivas Osuna and José Rama present findings from an analysis of the speeches made by the party’s leader, Santiago Abascal, during the first wave of the crisis. They write that Abascal’s interventions became increasingly populist as the pandemic progressed. There is also evidence of a ‘spillover’ effect, with the level of populism displayed by other parties also increasing.