The far-right Vox uses Spain's triumph to fuel its offensive against Sánchez and cover up its internal fractures

A photograph of the Spanish national team lifting the World Cup occupied the entire screen of Vox's press room this Monday. In front of it, José Antonio Fúster turned the celebration of the second star into a new offensive against Pedro Sánchez, his parliamentary partners, and even former leaders who have left the party.

The national spokesman began by congratulating the players for having competed as "a team" and not as a collection of figures seeking prominence. The comparison soon entered politics. Against Luis de la Fuente's united group, Fúster placed a government that, he claimed, "doesn't know what it's playing at" and is dedicated to corruption, cover-ups, and personal survival.

The press conference thus followed the same path used by the PP during the morning. The sports victory was transformed into a political model against Sánchez, although Vox took the narrative much further by bringing back ETA, linking the incidents that occurred during the final with EH Bildu, and extending responsibility to La Moncloa.

Condemnable attacks turned into a political offensive

The World Cup night left serious aggressions and disturbances in different parts of Navarra and Euskadi. In Berriozar, a group of hooded individuals attacked several people who were watching the match on a terrace with bars and batons, including military personnel stationed at the nearby Aizoain barracks.

There were also incidents in Bilbao, where a group tried to sabotage the screen installed by the PP in Doña Casilda Park. In Vitoria, aggressions against fans and clashes with the Ertzaintza were reported, while in Eibar a Spanish flag was burned.

The Basque authorities have condemned the events, and the regional police have made four arrests and are investigating seven other people. Possible crimes include aggressions, threats, damages, hate crimes, and assault on agents of authority.

The far-right Vox has announced that it will appear through complaints to demand that those responsible be identified, arrested, and punished. This judicial action falls within the available channels for violent behaviors that must be investigated and clarified.

Fúster took the opportunity, however, to politically blame the Government and EH Bildu before the identity of all those involved is known. "While millions of Spaniards were enjoying themselves, the ETA terrorists showed their most violent side," he stated from the Bambú headquarters.

The party also published a message on its social media accusing Sánchez's partners of assaulting those who cheered for Spain. "The day will come when violent terrorists are in prisons and Spaniards are free on all the streets of Spain," the party stated.

Fúster brings ETA back to life

Asked specifically about the terrorist organization, the spokesperson admitted that the group may be "inactive or dissolved," but assured that "the world of ETA still exists." He included within that space prisoners who have not shown repentance, former members of the group, and representatives of the abertzale left.

For years, Vox has used the equation between EH Bildu and ETA to present any parliamentary agreement with the coalition as a concession to terrorism. The same formula has now returned around attacks whose specific authorship remains under police investigation.

Fúster demanded explanations from those who, he said, have for years been "whitewashing, financing, and turning into political partners" those who fuel hatred against Spain. Although he avoided specifying names at that moment, the entirety of his intervention pointed directly to Sánchez.

The spokesperson also did not establish differences between the material perpetrators of the aggressions, the groups calling for protests in favor of a Basque national team, and the institutional representatives of EH Bildu. All were brought together within the same narrative aimed at linking the violence of Sunday night with the government's parliamentary majority.

The condemnation of these attacks has been shared by political forces and institutions of different stripes. The Basque Government has considered them incompatible with coexistence and has expressed its solidarity with the injured, while the investigation remains open.

The World Cup also enters Ortega Smith's crisis

The call for unity had a second use within Vox. Fúster used the example of the National Team to respond to the departure of Javier Ortega Smith, who has left the parliamentary group and joined the Mixed Group after months of confrontation with Santiago Abascal.

"A united team, with a good coach and knowing what they are playing for, achieves the best results," said the spokesperson. He then extended the message "to all Vox officials," in a quite transparent warning to those who question the national leadership.

Ortega Smith was the party's secretary general, candidate for the Madrid City Council, and one of the most well-known faces of its early stage. His rupture leaves Vox with 32 deputies and opens a new rift after other relevant departures, including those of Iván Espinosa de los Monteros, Macarena Olona, and Víctor Sánchez del Real.

Fúster avoided responding to the political accusations of the former leader, who has denounced an abandonment of foundational principles and has predicted more departures. He merely demanded that he hand over his deputy's seat because that was the position he himself defended when he controlled the party's organization.

"I don't usually and don't want to talk about players who are not on my team," he concluded. The World Cup celebration thus allowed the Vox leadership to demand discipline while sidestepping the substance of the criticisms raised by one of its founders.

The battle for the Cup reaches Barcelona

The ultra-right formation has also brought the World Cup to the Barcelona City Council. Its municipal spokesperson, Gonzalo de Oro, will demand an institutional tribute to the champions and will ask the council to negotiate with the Federation for the public exhibition of the trophy.

The ultra-right formation accuses the municipal government of having subjected Barcelona residents to an "absurd boycott" during the championship, despite the fact that a giant screen was finally installed to watch the final. The group now intends to turn the Cup's visit into another dispute over the public presence of Spanish symbols in Catalonia.

De Oro recalled that nine members of the National Team come from Catalonia and argues that the title also belongs to the fans of Barcelona. His proposal includes an official reception for the players and the temporary exhibition of the trophy so that residents can "see it, touch it, and feel it."

The initiative adds to the national leadership's use of the flag, celebrations, and altercations to reinforce its identity discourse. While the players tour Madrid sharing the title with a diverse fan base, Vox tries to turn the Cup into a test of adherence to its own idea of Spain.

From football to Sánchez's brother and the 'grandchildren's law'

The National Team occupied a good part of the scenery, but the appearance ended up covering Bambú's usual political arguments. Fúster announced that Vox will appeal the acquittal of David Sánchez for influence peddling within the procedure related to his hiring at the Badajoz Provincial Council.

The president's brother has been convicted of administrative prevarication and acquitted of the other crimes. Vox's legal services will take that second part of the sentence to the High Court of Justice of Extremadura because they consider that there is sufficient evidence to also include influence peddling.

Fúster called those who have questioned the resolution "gorillas from Sánchez's entourage" and assured that his party uses the resources provided by law without attacking the magistrates. The Government maintains that David Sánchez is innocent and his defense will appeal the conviction.

Vox has also asked the autonomous communities where it participates in the Government to study new ways against the so-called 'grandchildren's law'. The party argues that access to nationality for descendants of Spaniards can alter the electoral census, an accusation with which it has been sowing suspicions about the foreign vote for months.

The press conference also confirmed that Álvaro Zancajo will be appointed senator for Andalusia, thanks to the additional seat that the PP has ceded to Vox within their government agreement. The party's national communication manager is under investigation by the Andalusian Anti-Fraud Office for his possible incompatibility as a director of RTVA.

Fúster closed his speech by claiming the unity that had allowed them to win the World Cup. The same week that Vox loses another deputy, places one of its main leaders in the Senate and once again uses ETA to attack the Government, its spokesperson preferred to maintain the football metaphor. Ortega Smith, he said, now plays for another team.