Politics in the Border: Immigration and political parties in Spain during 1996

Abstract

The article is an analysis of the political response to immigration in Spain, taking the year 1996 as a reference. Firstly, the key points of the campaign speeches made by the principal Spanish political parties (PSOE – Spanish Socialist Party; PP - Popular Party) during the legislative elections in March of 1996 are analysed. Secondly, the principal approaches of the political representatives in response to different situations in which problematic immigration issues required the taking of certain decisions are studied. The expulsion of immigrants form Melilla, problems in social service assistance or errors in immigration policy serve to illustrate a substantial part of the immigration problem in Spain. Both the position of the high political spheres and the debate in local spaces help us to understand the principal challenges and the enormous weaknesses of the political response to the question of foreigners. In conclusion, the article offers some explanations as to why political parties have such difficulties in dealing with the problem.