Vox leader Abascal launches general election pre-campaign in Estepona

Vox leader and prime ministerial candidate Santiago Abascal opened his party’s pre-campaign for the 29 November general election in Estepona on Sunday, according to Diario Sur. The rally took place in the crowded gardens of the Sol Marbella Estepona Atalaya Park hotel.

The newspaper notes that the choice of venue appears to reflect the party’s past results. In the July 2023 general election Vox won 12.38% of the vote nationally and 19.91% in Estepona. Málaga province elects eleven seats to the national parliament.

Warning over the polls

Abascal said the surveys, which forecast strong growth for Vox and a large majority against Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, were the party’s “worst enemy” because they encourage complacency. He said he had learned the lesson of 2023 and urged supporters to vote in person, insisting that “nothing is done”.

He described the vote as historic and said “we are risking everything”. He also predicted a harsh campaign and told his followers to be prepared for the worst.

Housing, immigration and red tape

Abascal spoke about falling purchasing power, the pressure on businesses and the self-employed, housing, public safety, immigration and hospital waiting lists. According to Diario Sur, he offered no detailed proposals, only three broad principles: national priority, “remigration” and deregulation.

He said deregulation would cut bureaucracy and what he called ideological laws that slow down building homes or starting a business. He blamed migrants for housing and crime problems, a view that is his own and part of Vox’s platform.

Abascal said he was in Málaga province because Estepona was on the way to Ceuta, where he will spend Spain’s National Day on 12 October to show support for residents.

Andalusian government figure speaks

Before Abascal, Manuel Gavira, second deputy president of the Andalusian regional government, took the stage. The Junta de Andalucía is the regional administration with powers over areas such as health, education and housing policy. Gavira promised that Vox would solve the housing problem and said “our moment is coming”.

Carlos Hernández Quero, the Málaga MP who has served as the party’s housing spokesman in this term, and Antonio Sevilla, Vox’s president in Málaga, also spoke. Sevilla introduced the event.

Source: www.diariosur.es