Iván Espinosa de los Monteros leaves the political front line. One of the most recognized faces of the Spanish extreme right will not collect his new act as a Vox deputy in Congress, alleging “personal and family reasons”, despite the fact that behind his resignation are the internal confrontations that he has been having with the leadership led by Santiago Abascal, according to sources from the formation.
The isolation that Espinosa de los Monteros suffered from the current leadership of Vox was an open secret. The representative of the most liberal wing of the party — faced with the ultra sector headed by Jorge Buxadé — had lost the battle for the preparation of the lists for the last general elections. This, added to the collapse of Vox in the past elections and the current drift of the party, have led Espinosa to end up making the decision to return to the private company, according to sources around him.
The parliamentary spokesman for the last legislature appeared in the Lower House at midmorning escorted by some colleagues from the group such as Ignacio de las Hoces, Carlos Flores, Víctor González or Inés Cañizares. These last two, from their nucleus, did not get a seat on 23-J despite being on the lists. After reading the appearance, he has left the press room without answering questions from journalists.
In his speech, Espinosa de los Monteros referred to the advanced age of his parents as one of the main reasons that led him to step aside. He has assured that it has been “an honor” to be part of the Congress of Deputies. He has avoided referring to the internal disputes with the leadership, and has said goodbye – with contained emotion – assuring that he will remain in the far-right formation “as a grassroots affiliate”. “At the party’s disposal for whatever they need”, he has advanced.
His departure, anticipated by El Mundo, opens a new internal crisis in the extreme right just 48 hours after offering its current 33 deputies to the Popular Party without conditions for a possible investiture of Alberto Núñez Feijóo. This is the second abrupt departure of a Vox parliamentary spokesperson after the departure of Macarena Olona.
The vice president of Political Action, Jorge Buxadé, did not want to make “any comment” on the departure of Espinosa de los Monteros when he was asked in a radio interview. “He is a great parliamentarian, a colleague and a friend”, said before the microphone who has been maintaining a buried civil war for months with whom he is now leaving the formation.
Javier Ortega Smith-Molina, who was general secretary of Vox until last year, has regretted his resignation “and much more the reasons that cause it” through Twitter. De Espinosa de los Monteros has said that his fight “without rest” since the founding of the ultra party has been “loyal, with generosity and sacrifice.” “Although some have not been able to admit it to you, the vast majority have an unpayable debt of patriotism with you,” Ortega Smith has left as a message.
For his part, Abascal has lamented the “see you soon” of Espinosa de los Monteros, referring to him as “a great spokesman”. “The party maintains a luxury affiliate who surely still has a lot to contribute,” he has expressed on his Twitter account. “With everything we’ve been through together… I am convinced that the best is yet to come, and that you will participate very actively in it,” he added.
