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Sebastiaan Faber
Sebastiaan Faber is a professor of Hispanic studies at Oberlin College. His most recent book isMemory Battles of the Spanish Civil War: History, Fiction, Photography.
A surge in support for the far-right Vox party induced the feuding left parties to unite—but the stalemate over Catalan separatism could torpedo their coalition.
Massive peaceful protests, along with days of violent clashes, demonstrate that the fight over this region’s independence movement affects the entire country and is far from over.
The left’s failure last week to form a coalition reflects deep distrust between the Socialists and their rival, Unidas Podemos—and the right is elated.
The truth is, Spain was never really an outlier in Europe, its radical right is not really new, and its situation is hard to compare to right-wing populism in other parts of the continent.
The Socialist Pedro Sánchez will replace conservative Mariano Rajoy, amid a sea of corruption. But the Catalan conflict has sown deep divisions among those who just ousted Rajoy.
