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The last elections to the European Parliament in Spain had a singular protagonist, “Se Acabó la Fiesta”, a group of voters headed by Alvise Pérez, who has mainly used social networks to spread his message and obtain more than 800,000 votes and three MEPs. Many of its voters had been followers of VOX, which cannot surprise us, since their far-right ideology is very similar. But Alvise, now in the middle of a controversy for collecting €100,000 without an invoice from a cryptocurrency businessman reported for fraud, suggests that VOX has sold itself to the “system” and is no longer the groundbreaking party it was at the time, so that he is going to become the new champion of citizens against political corruption. His denial of “traditional politics” is very curious since his known job has been that of political advisor, first to UPyD and later to Ciudadanos. On the other hand, it has a good handle on Pop culture, such as the symbology inscribed in the “V for Vendetta” mask, which it has used in its electoral logo, which represents resistance against tyranny. In this fight against what he understands as a liberal society, he connects with Milei in his anti-system argument, but perverts the original meaning of the symbols and words, as Francoism also did very successfully. On the other hand, it shares speeches and hoaxes with the global far-right movement, what Steven Forti has called the far-right 2.0.
According to data published in the media, in the elections to the European Parliament it obtained the highest percentage of votes in Andalusia, Murcia, Valencia and Cantabria, standing out in some provinces such as Ceuta, Málaga, Las Palmas or Guadalajara. Regarding other variables, as has been analyzed in some publications, its biggest followers are found in cities with between 50,000 and 100,000 inhabitants, and are mainly young men, under 35 years old and who define themselves ideologically as right-wing.
Alvise maintains strong ties with Hazte Oir and participates in its campaigns against abortion and women’s rights
Alvise presents himself to his followers as a rebel and anti-system, in line with the national extreme right, which defends the existence of a social hegemony of the left, exemplified in Spain by the president of the government, Pedro Sánchez, but in which he also plays a role. feminism is decisive. We can assume that many of their voters agree with the militant anti-feminism of the “manosphere”, which considers feminism to be the dominant ideology today, an ideology that, according to them, entails a loss of rights for men compared to the women. The most “moderate” consider that current feminism no longer seeks equality, but for women to be above men, to turn the tables, which shows that they themselves are aware that historically women have been in a situation of inferiority compared to men. But also that it is a situation that has never worried them excessively. Along these lines, Alvise maintains strong ties with Hazte Oir, an ultra-Catholic association, participating in its campaigns against abortion and women’s reproductive rights and, in general, against women’s rights, passing off as subversive the traditional hegemonic ideas about gender roles in society.
Throughout the far-right arc, feminism is part of the central core of their attacks and anti-feminism is becoming an important asset in the mobilization of the vote.
Throughout the far-right arc, feminism is part of the central core of their attacks and anti-feminism is becoming an important asset in the mobilization of the vote. This antifeminism arises from the frustration of many men who present themselves as victims of the system, because of which they cannot affirm their masculinity as their fathers did, being the archetypal heads of the family of the 50s and 60s, the breadwinners of a family. traditional and patriarchal where gender roles were well defined. I consider this argument important since it is central to the ideas that are transmitted through social networks in what has been called “manosphere”, as well as in “incel” communities.
Sex is also important for the ultra-right 2.0, where the “incel/MGTOW” communities stand out, which define themselves as involuntarily celibate because women have been corrupted by feminism. Now, beyond sexual frustration, what recent research shows is that they also aspire to reproduce the masculinity model of a traditional husband and father. They don’t just want sex, they want to affirm their masculine identity over women and children, and they believe that they are not getting it because of feminists.
Social networks have a great influence on youth, it is something that cannot be ignored, and in some cases the “manosphere” is covering an emotional void in young people who feel victims of a social order, which they consider benefits women. .
The problem is that many men, young people and adolescents, do not know, or do not want to know, that patriarchy, machismo and the historical inequality of women is hegemonic, that is the “system.” On the contrary, they perceive women’s access to rights and equality as a loss of privileges. Which, in a way, is true, because when we start from a context of inequality, those who benefit from privileges must give up some in order to achieve that equality. In our case, privileges focus on access to traditional power, both economic, political and social. Now, what should be insisted on is that men have also lost and lose many benefits by maintaining the patriarchal system, especially with regard to the imposition of toxic masculinities, structured around violence, towards others and towards oneself. The overpresence of men in dangerous jobs, suicide rates, physical and mental health problems attributed to gender mandates, such as alcohol and drug abuse or limitations when expressing feelings, are also a consequence of systemic machismo. present in our societies.
Many men perceive women’s access to rights and equality as a loss of privileges
Feminism has made a great effort over decades to achieve equality between men and women, but on the other hand this effort has been less. Still, the far right that is now on the rise has seen these advances as attacks on their conception of family and society, and they are fighting against them. This counteroffensive is already having consequences on public policies, as is being seen in the autonomous communities where VOX has reached the institutions with the help of the PP.
If the results of the last European elections are telling us that the extreme right is becoming stronger, it is essential to know what is motivating its voters and from what it seems, anti-feminism is one of its drivers. In this context, it is necessary to fight against the stories of the “manosphere” and its spokespersons in the media and to teach equality among youth.
Mayka Muñoz | Article published by May 1st Foundation
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