The leader of the far-right Vox, Santiago Abascal, will again be absent this year from the central act to commemorate October 12, the traditional military parade held in Madrid, and will choose to spend Hispanic Day in Ceuta, as he himself announced through his account on the social network X.
El 12 de octubre no estaré en ninguna tribuna con un Gobierno mafioso que ha traicionado a España y que ha dejado parte de nuestro territorio nacional invadido. Estaré en Ceuta, con los españoles que defienden la frontera que Sánchez ha abandonado.
— Santiago Abascal 🇪🇸 (@Santi_ABASCAL) October 9, 2026
El 12 de octubre, con el…
"On October 12, I will not be in any grandstand with a mafioso Government that has betrayed Spain and that has left part of our national territory invaded," Santiago Abascal has written, adding: "I will be in Ceuta, with the Spaniards who defend the border that (President, Pedro) Sánchez has abandoned." The Vox leader concluded his message with a third statement: "On October 12, with the Spanish people."
Abascal will spend October 12 in Ceuta with Jordan Bardella
The political leader will be accompanied by the president of the Patriots group of the European Parliament and leader of the French party National Rally, Jordan Bardella, as reported by El Confidencial and confirmed by Vox sources to Europa Press. In addition, the Vox leader will introduce the French politician at an informative breakfast that will take place on Tuesday in Madrid.
The trip to Ceuta comes after Abascal visited the autonomous city on August 2, following the massive entry of immigrants from Morocco that triggered a migratory crisis. Since then, the Vox leader has insisted on denouncing what his party calls an "invasion" and has held Pedro Sánchez's Government responsible for the situation at the border. In recent days, Abascal has also focused part of his political agenda on Ceuta, while housing occupies a prominent place in the electoral pre-campaign.
Again, absent from the official events of October 12
This is the second consecutive year in which Santiago Abascal does not occupy his seat in the authorities' grandstand, located next to that of Kings Felipe VI and Letizia, during the military parade. Nor will he attend the subsequent reception offered by the monarchs at the Royal Palace.
In 2025, the president of Vox justified his absence by claiming that he did not want to coincide with the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, in institutional acts so as not to "legitimize" or "whitewash" him. On that occasion, he followed the military parade at street level, near Plaza de Colón. Before traveling to Ceuta, Abascal will visit this Sunday Estepona (Málaga), where he will star in the party's first rally within the pre-campaign for the elections on November 29.
