PROFILE: Far-right strategies to co-opt progressive politics: Vox’s top-down civil society organizations in Spain

This profile examines the strategic use of top-down civil society organizations by the Spanish far-right party, Vox, in a strategy to dispute political issues traditionally associated to progressive politics. Focusing on organizations such as Solidaridad, Mi Barrio Seguro, Nostra Terra, and Asociación Mujeres por la Igualdad (AMPI), this profile highlights how Vox attempts to redefine traditionally left-wing issues, such as labor rights, urban politics, environmentalism, and women's rights, from a far-right perspective. These groups, while portraying the image to be grassroots movements, are in fact led and controlled by Vox party members, serving as instruments for the party to extend its reach beyond conventional electoral politics. The dual strategy of Vox involves trying to reshape public discourses on key societal issues and using non-electoral activities to support its electoral ambitions. This approach not only seeks to challenge the existing progressive narratives but also attempts to garner support from traditional left-wing voter bases.