The leader of Vox, Santiago Abascal, has acknowledged this Wednesday that he is unaware of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, known as the Istanbul Convention, which was ratified by Spain in April 2014. In an interview on TVE, Abascal has admitted that he is unaware of the content of said agreement and has not been able to clarify whether Spain would withdraw from it if Vox governs after the general elections.
During the interview, the presenter Silvia Intxaurrondo asked Abascal about the Istanbul Agreement, as a result of the “denial of gender violence” defended by his party. Since said agreement is part of the country’s legislation, Intxaurrondo wanted to know if Spain would withdraw from it in the event that the far-right coalition came to govern after this 23-J.
The president of Vox has not only admitted not knowing the Istanbul Agreement but also has not been able to give an answer about the future permanence of Spain in it in the event that his coalition wins this 23-J. Abascal has added that Vox is “the party that most protects the safety of women” and has commented, visibly annoyed, after the insistence of the presenter Intxaurrondo on the agreement that would not allow “it is digested that Vox is in favor of violence against women”.
During the program, Abascal has also been asked about a possible pact between the Popular Party and Vox in Extremadura. The Vox leader has shared that his party from the beginning has “reached out” and has not withdrawn it even after his coalition has been “insulted” and “demonized”. Abascal has reminded the PP that “if you do not have a majority”, as is happening in some autonomies, “you have to agree” and has assessed as “reasonable” that Vox participate in the governments of these regions, since according to Abascal in In the last legislature, the investiture agreements reached in some places with the PP remained “on paper.” “It seems normal to us that Vox is in governments where there needs to be an alternative majority, Vox is neither more nor less than another political force,” he added.
The Vox leader has also commented that he considers that many parties are stuck in bipartisanship and although there are many things with which the Popular Party and Vox “differ”, agreements need to be reached, if necessary, to create a “truly alternative majority”. on the left. Abascal has shared that for this 23-J he is thinking about the presidency and not about “governing together with Feijóo”, however he has also established that his coalition is willing to reach an agreement if the results of the vote allow it. require.
Abascal has added that if the political strength of Vox is important in these general elections, then it is because “the voters want their party to be part of the Government.” The leader of the far-right party has made it clear that “Vox is not going to accept being treated in a discriminatory way in an agreement” and that those political coalitions that are “stuck” in a two-party system really “ignore the voters who have voted by Vox”.
