Why Tucker was Marching in Spain

Written by Anthony Constantini

What’s happening: Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s lost to the right-wing Popular Party in Spain’s recent elections. But Sánchez allied with radical Catalonian secessionists to grab another term in office. Hundreds of thousands have been marching across Spain in protest.

• Catch up: Catalonian leadership tried to secede from Spain in 2017. Spain imposed a heavy police crackdown, and regional leader Carles Puigdemont was forced into self-imposed exile in Belgium to escape arrest.

Why it matters: Sánchez secured secessionist support with promise to grant amnesty for 2017’s secession attempt, though doing so may not be constitutional. Sánchez portrayed the deal as a way to protect democracy from the Spanish right.

The big picture: Sánchez’s attempt to stop right-wing nationalists is part of a global trend of establishment politicians doing everything they can to ward off the right. Germans adopted a now-deeply unpopular three-party coalition rather than work with the right wing. Poland’s new government is essentially united only by their distaste for the nationalist right. And French President Emmanuel Macron won his runoff with support from leftists.

The international right comes together: But there is a new global counter-trend of right-wing forces working together, as opposed to typically staying focused on domestic issues. The protests in Spain are a prime example, as they featured American commentator Tucker Carlson speaking to the crowds.