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Vox, the far-right partner in Orihuela’s local government, has launched a new cultural offensive by presenting a motion for Thursday’s plenary session that seeks to reinforce patriarchal values under the guise of supporting fatherhood.
Timed around Father’s Day, the party urges recognition of what it calls the “irreplaceable value of all fathers” in the face of “attacks” from “an extremist ideology that aims to deconstruct fatherhood.”
Led by Manuel Mestre, Vox claims that since the 1960s, certain ideologies have eroded family bonds and “demonized” fatherhood, causing harm to children and society at large. The motion argues that both fathers and mothers are essential for the “harmonious development” of children and that strong families are the bedrock of robust societies.
In practical terms, the motion calls on Orihuela’s Council to recognize the role of fathers, support their involvement in raising children, and protect the rights of fathers in legal and administrative decisions involving minors.
Critics argue this could pave the way for men accused or even convicted of gender-based violence to retain visitation rights, despite concerns about vicarious violence against children.
Vox has strategically chosen the March plenary session for this motion—March being both the month of International Women’s Day (8M) and Father’s Day (March 19, St. Joseph’s Day).
While Vox claims to be honouring tradition and “Christian roots,” the move comes just weeks after it refused to support two motions for International Women’s Day and skipped the 8M march, leaving its coalition partner, the PP, to attend alone.
This marked a shift from last year, when Vox councillors did participate.
In that session, Vox once again denied the existence of gender-based violence, insisting on equating all forms of violence and dismissing the need for specific attention to violence against women.
Now, however, the party is actively advocating for the defence of fatherhood, highlighting its selective engagement with social issues.
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