National Front (Spain)
Encyclopedia
In Spain
, the National Front (Frente Nacional) was a far right
political party
. The National Front was founded and directed by Blas Piñar
as a successor to the Fuerza Nueva
. It was created in 1986 with the economic support of other groups of the European far right such as the French
Front National
and the Italian Social Movement
with the objective of increasing their sphere of influence in the European Parliament. In 1987 the National Front did not obtain the 70,000 votes (0.63%) required for representation. A drawn-out debacle ensued that intensified because of the 59,964 votes it obtained at the following elections. Many of the party members, moved by their contempt for the gerontocracy at the head of the party, joined with the Juntas Españolas
, the Unión Patriótica, and the Círculo Español de Amigos de Europa (CEDADE
), a neo-Nazi
group. In order to slow the decline of its membership, the National Front created the Youth of the National Front (Juventudes del Frente Nacional), a section headed by Luis José Cillero. With Cillero, who many called the "young ancient," the loss of membership to Juntas Españolas slowed.
In 1992, the European allies of Piñar, with Jean-Marie Le Pen
at the lead, threatened to cut their support if he continued to fail. Piñar thought of passing his authority to his right-hand man, Miguel Bernard, but he was able to continue to serve as leader after contacting the Juntas Españolas and proposing a new, joint venture.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, the National Front (Frente Nacional) was a far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. The National Front was founded and directed by Blas Piñar
Blas Piñar
Blas Piñar is a Spanish politician. He has had connections with Catholic organizations; directed the Institute of Spanish Culture and served as deputy in the Cortes and a councillor of the Movimiento Nacional.In the 1960s, Blas Piñar was in charge of the Institute of Spanish Culture that was...
as a successor to the Fuerza Nueva
Fuerza Nueva
New Force was the name of a succession of far-right political parties in Spain founded by Blas Piñar, the son of one of the defenders of the Alcázar of Toledo and director of the Institute of Hispanic Culture during the Francoist period...
. It was created in 1986 with the economic support of other groups of the European far right such as the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Front National
Front National (France)
The National Front is a political party in France. The party was founded in 1972, seeking to unify a variety of French far-right currents of the time. Jean-Marie Le Pen was the party's first leader and the undisputed centre of the party from its start until his resignation in 2011...
and the Italian Social Movement
Italian Social Movement
The Italian Social Movement , and later the Italian Social Movement–National Right , was a neo-fascist and post-fascist political party in Italy. Formed in 1946 by supporters of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, the party became the fourth largest party in Italy by the early 1960s...
with the objective of increasing their sphere of influence in the European Parliament. In 1987 the National Front did not obtain the 70,000 votes (0.63%) required for representation. A drawn-out debacle ensued that intensified because of the 59,964 votes it obtained at the following elections. Many of the party members, moved by their contempt for the gerontocracy at the head of the party, joined with the Juntas Españolas
Juntas Españolas
The Juntas Españolas was an extreme right political party in Spain created in 1983 after a call was issued through the defunct newspaper El Alcázar by the newspaper's director, Antonio Izquierdo. The group also followed the failure and self-dissolution of the Fuerza Nueva of Blas Piñar.The group...
, the Unión Patriótica, and the Círculo Español de Amigos de Europa (CEDADE
CEDADE
CEDADE was a Spanish neo-Nazi group that concerned itself with co-ordinating international activity and publishing....
), a neo-Nazi
Neo-Nazism
Neo-Nazism consists of post-World War II social or political movements seeking to revive Nazism or some variant thereof.The term neo-Nazism can also refer to the ideology of these movements....
group. In order to slow the decline of its membership, the National Front created the Youth of the National Front (Juventudes del Frente Nacional), a section headed by Luis José Cillero. With Cillero, who many called the "young ancient," the loss of membership to Juntas Españolas slowed.
In 1992, the European allies of Piñar, with Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen is a French far right-wing and nationalist politician who is founder and former president of the Front National party. Le Pen has run for the French presidency five times, most notably in 2002, when in a surprise upset he came second, polling more votes in the first round than...
at the lead, threatened to cut their support if he continued to fail. Piñar thought of passing his authority to his right-hand man, Miguel Bernard, but he was able to continue to serve as leader after contacting the Juntas Españolas and proposing a new, joint venture.