Gendering political discourses on demographic shifts: The case of Vox in Spain

The ongoing demographic shift within European society, particularly in Spain, has become a focal point of both media and political discourse. This heightened attention correlates with the recent electoral triumphs of various far-right parties, shaping our daily narrative with a pervasive influence of their anti-feminist, nativist, and xenophobic ideologies. Consequently, the demographic transition is being framed as a crisis, often termed a "demographic catastrophe," with significant gender-related repercussions and implications for the rights of immigrant and refugee populations. In Spain, since its emergence in the national parliament in 2019, the far-right party VOX has embraced an apocalyptic perspective on the future of the Spanish population, characterizing the demographic transition as a form of "national suicide." This prompts an exploration into how other political entities at the national level are addressing this issue. The aim is to identify potential commonalities, disparities, and omissions while also examining the potential "contagion" of thematic elements across different ideological spectrums. The proposal involves a qualitative analysis of parliamentary interventions in the Congress of Deputies from 2019 to 2023 by major national political parties (PSOE, PP, Ciudadanos, Unidas Podemos and VOX). The objective is to characterise and compare the discursive frameworks employed in addressing the demographic issue within the Spanish political agenda, specifically focusing on its gender-related consequences.