Catalonia’s new far right: How anti-Muslim sentiment is reshaping politics

Barcelona, Spain – Almost a decade after a failed independence bid in Catalonia, anti-migration and anti-Muslim sentiment has replaced secession as the driving force among voters in this wealthy region. A new far-right party, Alianca Catalana, or Catalan Alliance (AC), which wants a crackdown on migration and has targeted Islam as a threat to society, has surged in the polls in a region with the largest Muslim population in Spain. The party is on course to become the second biggest political force in Catalonia after the Socialists at the next Catalan regional election in 2028, polls predict. It has capitalised on the anti-migrant sentiment sweeping Europe, which has seen victories for the far-right in Germany, Italy, and France.