Militarisme, polarisation et extrême droite : le cas de Vox en Espagne

Abstract

Based on the case of Vox, the main far right party in Spain, this article problematizes the relationship between the notions of militarism and political polarization with the aim of adapting the latter to the Spanish context. Both concepts, militarism and polarization, are ambiguous and rarely used together, even sharing similar principles and premises such as radical political dichotomization, the irreconcilable nature of disagreements or the centrality of conflict. This particular approach to polarization arises from the evidence of the strong influence of military institutions and their logics in the construction of the political field and power in Spain. For this reason, this research argues that it is possible, in the precise context of the rise of the far right in Spain and based on a study of symbols, imaginative worlds, speeches and political programs of Vox, to analyze how militarism constitutes an asset and a part of political polarization.

Keywords

• militarism
• political polarization
• far right
• Vox
• contemporary Spain