The leader of Spain's extreme-right Vox party, Santiago Abascal, reacted with vitriol to the decision this Tuesday by Spain's Supreme Court to authorize the exhumation of the remains of dictator Francisco Franco from the controversial mausoleum of Valle de los Caídos.
Far-right leader Abascal described the decision as the "first act of the campaign" for Pedro Sánchez's Socialists, and didn't hesitate to sling the mud: "Desecrating graves, digging up hatreds, questioning the legitimacy of the monarchy" were the words he used to characterize the removal of the Spanish dictator's remains.
"Only VOX will be frontally opposed" to the exhumation of the Spanish dictator, claimed Abascal - endeavouring to set Vox apart from its right-wing rivals, the PP and Ciudadanos.
Sánchez's acting Spanish government hopes to move Franco's remains to the El Pardo cemetery before the country's general election, which it has called for November 10th after being unable to reach agreement on a coalition with either left or right. The issue of Franco's exhumation has generated strong reaction from Spain's far right.
Empieza la campaña socialista: Profanar tumbas, desenterrar odios, cuestionar la legitimidad de la monarquía. Solo VOX se opondrá frontalmente, porque solo VOX tiene el valor para defender la libertad y el sentido común frente al totalitarismo y los trucos de propaganda electoral
— Santiago Abascal (@Santi_ABASCAL) September 24, 2019
Translation:
"The socialist campaign begins: Desecrating graves, digging up hatreds, questioning the legitimacy of the monarchy. Only VOX will be frontally opposed, because only VOX has the courage to defend freedom and common sense against totalitarianism and the electoral propaganda tricks." - Santiago Abascal