NPR

Unlike Elsewhere In Europe, The Far Right In Spain Stays On The Fringe

Amid the rise of far-right political parties in Europe, Spain has no similar movement. That may be due to its history under a dictatorship and Spaniards' own experience as impoverished migrants.
Old posters on the wall of a school in San Cristóbal call on students to participate in a strike last November. The slogan warns, "Get out of the way, Francoists!" Spain's experience of decades of dictatorship helps protect against an embrace of the right wing now. Calling someone a <em>franquista</em> — a follower of the late, right-wing dictator Francisco Franco — remains an insult.

In recent years, Spain has had a devastating economic crash, an influx of migrants and corruption scandals that left people fed up with politicians. All these factors might make Spain fertile ground for the sort of right-wing, anti-immigrant political parties gaining ground in other parts of Europe. But unlike much of the continent, Spain has no such far-right movement.

Why?

The answer lies in places like San Cristóbal de los Ángeles, about a half-hour train ride south of Madrid's grand boulevards. It's a warren of drab concrete apartment blocks, with

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