General elections in Spain

Abascal asks for a "large majority" to govern alone: "It is not impossible to win an election"

The leader of Vox claims at a rally in Mallorca his candidacy for the Presidency of the Government, promises to eliminate taxes on tips for waiters and guarantees the payment of pensions while asking his voters to be on "maximum alert" before the 29N.

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By Demócrata

Published

24 OCT, 2026 - 16:07

Last updated

24 OCT, 2026 - 16:25

5 minutes

The president of Vox, Santiago Abascal, claimed this Saturday in Mallorca his aspiration to become the next president of the Government and asked the Spaniards for a "large majority" in the general elections on November 29 to carry out the transformations proposed by his party. During a rally held in front of the Catedral de Mallorca, in Palma, before hundreds of militants and supporters, the leader of Vox rejected that his goal is to occupy the Vice Presidency of an Executive headed by Alberto Núñez Feijóo and defended that his party must aspire to govern with the greatest possible support. "I do not intend to be bold or risky, we know it is not easy. But it is not impossible to win an election. The Spaniards vote on November 29 and all words are yet to be said," he proclaimed before the attendees.

Abascal insisted that Vox is not running in the elections with the intention of playing a secondary role in a possible PP Government and reiterated that his candidacy is aimed at reaching the Presidency. "I am running for the presidency, and we will do what the Spaniards say", he stated, provoking shouts of "president, president"among the supporters gathered in front of the cathedral. In this sense, he demanded that his voters do not settle for limited support and defended the need to obtain sufficiently broad parliamentary representation to promote his program. "We aspire to great power to make a great transformation, so do not vote for us halfway. Give us great support, a large majority, and we will make a great change for Spain," he stated.

Abascal claims remigration, deregulation, and national priority

The leader of Vox has placed remigration, economic deregulation, and national priority among the main axes of his electoral program, proposals that he defended as measures of "common sense" and not as exclusively ideological approaches. According to Abascal, these initiatives respond to the concerns of "an immense majority of Spaniards, regardless of how they vote", which is why he assured that his party aims to expand its support beyond its traditional electorate. In this context, he insisted that one of his main priorities will be "to recover Ceuta", referring to his position on the migratory situation in the autonomous city, and to evict the PSOE from the Government.

The leader of Vox has also acknowledged that the transformations he proposes could not be executed immediately and has warned that their implementation would require time and difficulties. "We are not going to lie to you. We do not promise easy solutions, but rather solid solutions. We will not hesitate at all", he assured, while admitting that he is not satisfied with all the results obtained by his party in the autonomous communities where it has shared government responsibilities with the Partido Popular.

On immigration matters, Abascal has reiterated his intention to expel from Spain foreigners who commit crimes and to promote the return to their countries of origin of those immigrants who, according to his proposal, depend on public aid. He has also called for the return of unaccompanied foreign minors with their families, although he has differentiated these groups from foreign individuals who come to Spain to work and comply with the laws. To the latter, he has expressed his gratitude, although he has argued that they should also return to their countries if they face prolonged economic difficulties.

Vox promises to eliminate taxes on tips for waiters

One of the main economic proposals announced during the rally has been directed at the hospitality sector, especially relevant in the Balearic Islands. Abascal has committed to eliminate the taxation of tips received by waiters if Vox comes to power, considering that this income constitutes a reward for the service provided and should not be subject to taxes. The president of the party has criticized the tax burden on workers in the sector and has used the expression "the tax vampire" to question whether tips should be declared.

"You understand this well in the Balearic Islands. How far is the tax pressure going? Tips for waiters are a reward for their good service", Abascal has pointed out, before denouncing that hospitality workers, whom he has described as professionals who do not always receive high salaries, also have to pay taxes on this additional income. "If we arrive, we intend to put an end to the plundering of tips, an absolute injustice", he has stated. The proposal would involve modifying the tax treatment of these amounts, although Vox has not detailed during the event how it would articulate the exemption.

Abascal guarantees the payment of pensions and bets on cutting political spending

The pensions have also occupied part of the intervention of the president of Vox, who has tried to convey a message of calm to retirees ahead of the upcoming electoral appointment. Abascal has assured that the benefits are guaranteed and has defended that the sustainability of the public system involves reducing taxes and cutting what he considers political and ideological spending. In his opinion, the main risk for the future of pensions would be the continuity of Pedro Sánchez at the head of the Executive.

"The only way to maintain the system is to lower taxes and cut ideological political spending. Pensioners with acquired rights can be calm, because pensions will be paid in whatever way is necessary", he stated. The leader has not specified which budget items he would eliminate nor how he would compensate for the reduction in income resulting from tax cuts, two relevant issues for assessing the viability of his proposal.

Abascal calls to be in "maximum alert" ahead of the elections on November 29

In the final part of his intervention, Abascal has called on his supporters to go to the polls on November 29 in "maximum alert", warning of possible incidents during the campaign and what he has termed "extravagant pacts" and "traps" by the PSOE. The president of Vox has accused Pedro Sánchez's Government of using political confrontation to divert attention from its management and has denounced the episodes of tension recorded during some of his pre-campaign events.

The meeting in Palma was held without incidents, although under a large security device of the National Police, after clashes occurred on Friday between protesters and agents during Abascal's visit to Maó, in Menorca. The Vox leader has again denounced what he considers a campaign of intimidation against his party, without providing evidence of the alleged electoral traps he has attributed to the Executive.

With this act in front of the Cathedral of Mallorca, Abascal has continued his tour of the Balearic Islands, which also includes a visit to Ibiza, and has insisted on his goal of reaching Moncloa without being subordinate to an Executive of the Popular Party. The leader of Vox has closed the rally by asking his supporters to cast their ballot "with hope" on the next November 29, a day for which he demands electoral support that allows him to promote his program.

More key points, information and questions with FREN

AI-GENERATED CONTENT

At what stage is the parliamentary processing of the tax modification to exempt tips from the IRPF?

As of October 24, 2026, no specific parliamentary initiative has been found in process to exempt tips from the IRPF. The identified news is an electoral promise by Santiago Abascal announced in Mallorca, not a tax modification advancing through the Congress or the Senate. Therefore, it should not be placed in the amendment, committee, or final approval phase.

What has been announced

According to Demócrata's information, Abascal announced on October 24, during a rally in Palma, his intention to eliminate the taxation of tips received by waiters if Vox comes to government. The news specifies that during the event he did not detail how he would implement that exemption. (Demócrata, 10/24/2026)

The distinction is important: an electoral announcement does not equate to a submitted legislative initiative. The consulted sources do not show a specific text about tips that allows identifying a submission date, a committee responsible for processing it, or a debate schedule. Nor has an approved law establishing that exemption been found.

What is the parliamentary situation

Additionally, the current parliamentary context conditions any ordinary legislative process. The official Senate information indicates that the Congress and Senate have been dissolved since October 6, 2026 and that the new Chambers will be constituted on December 23, 2026. It also states that there are no laws pending final approval in the Congress.

Therefore, the measure should not be described as a reform blocked in committee nor as a proposal pending vote: that parliamentary procedure has not been identified. If the proposal is promoted through a law in the next legislature, it must be specified in a text and begin its corresponding process. There is no accredited date for its submission or potential entry into force.

Which initiatives should not be confused with this measure

The located documentation includes other IRPF reforms, but none accredits a specific exemption for tips. It is especially important to distinguish these two:

The proposal to adjust the IRPF exempt limit to the interprofessional minimum wage, sent by the Senate to the Congress, was published in the latter on May 9, 2025. It dealt with declaration obligation limits and withholding adaptation to the SMI, not about tips. It expired on October 6, 2026. Its text published in Congress can be consulted.
The proposal to modify the IRPF Law presented by the Popular Group in the Senate on February 24, 2025, and published on March 13 referred to the exemption of severance payments agreed in conciliation or mediation. It was withdrawn on April 9, 2026. Its initial text and the publication of its withdrawal correspond, therefore, to another matter.

What it implies in practice

The located announcement does not itself change the tax treatment of tips. To establish the exemption, a legal modification specifying its scope and effects would be necessary. So far, no text determining beneficiaries, economic limits, application conditions, or effective date is recorded.

In summary: the accredited situation is that of an electoral proposal still without identified specific parliamentary processing, not an approved exemption or one about to come into force.

What are the constitutional powers of the Prime Minister regarding migration policy?

The powers of the Prime Minister regarding migration policy do not appear in the Constitution as a specific catalog on "immigration," but derive from his general functions of directing the Government and internal and external policy. The Constitution concentrates migration regulation in the State (art. 149.1.2.ª CE) and, within the State, assigns the Government and its Prime Minister the political leadership of that area.

Firstly, Article 97 of the Constitution establishes that the Government directs internal and external policy, the civil and military Administration, and the defense of the State. As head of Government, the Prime Minister assumes the political direction of governmental action, which includes setting broad guidelines on immigration, asylum, border control, integration of foreigners, relations with origin and transit countries, and Spain's position in European and international migration forums.

Secondly, the Constitution configures the Prime Minister as the central piece of the Executive. Among his general powers, with direct impact on migration policy, stand out:

Appointing and dismissing ministers: the Prime Minister proposes to the King the appointment and dismissal of Government members (art. 100 CE). This allows him to configure the ministerial structure competent in migration (for example, a ministry responsible for Interior, Inclusion, Foreign Affairs, etc.) and choose holders aligned with his migration policy line.
Directing and coordinating the action of the collegiate Government: although formal decisions are adopted by the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister sets priorities, coordinates the different departments with competencies on immigration (Interior, Inclusion, Labor, Foreign Affairs, etc.), and resolves orientation conflicts among them.
Presiding over the Council of Ministers: all key normative decisions on migration (foreigners or asylum law bills, development royal decrees, urgent royal decree-laws, agreements on migrant worker contingents, emergency plans for mass arrivals, etc.) are approved in the Council of Ministers, which the Prime Minister convenes and directs.

Thirdly, the Prime Minister participates in the normative initiative on migration:

The Government has legislative initiative before the General Courts (art. 87.1 CE). In practice, it is the Prime Minister who politically decides whether to promote reforms of foreigners, asylum, or border control legislation and in what direction, commissioning their drafting to the competent ministries.
The Government can approve royal decree-laws "in cases of extraordinary and urgent need" (art. 86 CE). When used to respond to migration crises (e.g., urgent reception organization, border resource reinforcement), leadership corresponds to the Prime Minister, who drives that response and assumes political responsibility.

Fourthly, the international dimension of migration connects with the Prime Minister's powers in foreign policy and the European Union:

The Constitution assigns the Government the negotiation and signing of international treaties (arts. 93 and 94 CE, in connection with other provisions), and the Prime Minister sets broad lines: readmission agreements, cooperation with origin and transit countries, participation in global migration pacts, etc.
The Prime Minister represents Spain in the European Council, where general EU political guidelines are defined, including migration and asylum policy at the European level. There he sets Spain's position on responsibility sharing, external border control, legal and safe pathways, etc.

Fifthly, certain migration situations may connect with the Prime Minister's powers regarding security and exceptional states:

The Government can request Congress to declare states of alarm, exception, or siege (art. 116 CE). In extreme scenarios where migration flows relate to public order or security crises, the Prime Minister politically leads that decision and reports to the Chamber.
The direction of internal security policy, also assigned to the Government through art. 97 CE, allows the Prime Minister to set priorities on border control, fight against human trafficking mafias, or coordination between security forces and immigration services.

Finally, two limits should be emphasized:

The Prime Minister does not legislate directly: migration laws correspond to the General Courts. His role is to direct governmental initiative, parliamentary negotiation, and execution through regulations and public policies.
Although the State has exclusive competence in "nationality, immigration, emigration, foreigners, and asylum law" (art. 149.1.2.ª CE), autonomous communities manage reception policies, social services, health, or education. The Prime Minister must coordinate that territorial dimension through conferences and intergovernmental agreements.

In summary, the Constitution does not grant the Prime Minister a "material" power over immigration distinct from other policies, but by placing him at the head of Government, it confers the capacity to define the State's migration strategy, organize the administrative apparatus that executes it, and assume political responsibility before the Courts for its design and results.

Can you detail how migration competence is divided between the State and autonomous communities according to the Constitution and jurisprudence? What role do the General Courts have in the development and control of migration policy compared to the Prime Minister? How are the constitutional competences of the Prime Minister and the European Union articulated regarding migration and asylum?

What results did Vox obtain in the last general elections held in Spain?

Vox obtained 33 deputies, 3,033,744 votes, and 12.39% of the votes in the last general elections held in Spain, those of July 23, 2023. It remained the third national force, although it lost votes and representation compared to the November 10, 2019 elections. The figures are recorded in the Demócrata results special.

Vox's results in 2023

The three main data allow distinguishing the electoral support from the representation obtained in Congress:

Votes: 3,033,744. This is the number of supports Vox's candidacy received across Spain.
National percentage: 12.39%. It expresses its weight in the national electoral result. Approximately, it received a bit more than twelve out of every hundred votes.
Deputies: 33. This was the representation it achieved in Congress after those elections.

Vox maintained the third national position, but that continuity in rank did not mean it maintained its previous result. The comparison with November 2019 shows a drop in both support and seats. Therefore, it is advisable to look jointly at the three figures and not only at the position it occupied among candidacies.

Comparison with November 2019

In the general elections of November 10, 2019, Vox had obtained 3,656,979 votes, 15.07%, and 52 deputies. Compared to that result, the July 2023 balance was as follows:

623,235 fewer votes. It went from 3,656,979 to 3,033,744 supports. The drop is approximately 17% of the votes it had received in November 2019.
2.68 percentage points less. Its national percentage dropped from 15.07% to 12.39%. This is a difference in percentage points, different from the relative loss of votes.
19 fewer deputies. Its representation fell from 52 to 33 seats, which represents an approximate reduction of 36.5% compared to its previous number of deputies.

These differences summarize two distinct aspects of the result: Vox lost approximately one out of every six votes it had obtained in the previous call and more than a third of its deputies. The proportional drop in seats was, therefore, greater than the proportional drop in votes.

How to interpret the result

The main conclusion is that Vox maintained the third position, but with less representation. It would not be accurate to describe the result as a conservation of its parliamentary strength: it retained its relative place, while its number of deputies went from more than fifty to 33.

It is also important not to confuse the vote percentage with the loss percentage. The 12.39% corresponds to its national result in 2023; the 2.68 points indicate how much that percentage dropped since 2019; and the 17% expresses, approximately, what proportion of its previous votes it lost. These are different measures of the same electoral setback.

In short, if you seek a brief figure to cite, the clearest formulation is this: "Vox obtained 33 seats and 12.39% of the votes in the July 23, 2023 general elections, with 3,033,744 supports". If you add the immediate historical comparison, it lost 19 deputies and 623,235 votes compared to November 2019.

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What has Santiago Abascal asked voters for at the rally held in Palma?

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What is one of the specific economic proposals announced by Abascal for waiters?

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What has Abascal stated about the implementation of the transformations proposed by Vox?

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