Spain - July 2025

On 13 July, a rare wave of anti-migrant violence erupted in Torre Pacheco, a town in the southeastern region of Murcia. The unrest was sparked by the beating of an elderly local man by three young men of North African origin on 9 July. Far-right groups, including some from outside the region, co-opted the incident (which was circulated on social media alongside inflammatory misinformation) to mobilize, and staged violent and racially motivated marches in the town. Over five days, these groups vandalized migrant-owned businesses and intimidated residents in the town’s neighborhoods, home to a large migrant population. Security forces were deployed to contain the violence and prevent direct clashes between agitators and locals. Authorities arrested at least 14 people, including the leader of a far-right group on hate crime charges. The Murcia Prosecutor’s Office also launched an investigation into the regional leader of the far-right Vox party for alleged incitement to hatred. 

Sources: El País (1), El País (2), Cadena Ser, Eldiario.es, British Broadcasting Corporation 

On 17 July, a lower court charged former finance minister Cristobal Montoro, along with 27 others, including high-ranking officials, in a corruption case involving the creation of a criminal network that altered laws to benefit gas companies during Montoro’s latest tenure between 2011 and 2018. Equipo Económico, a tax consulting firm originally founded by Montoro and involved in providing advice to businesses, has been implicated in the scandal, with the investigation looking into whether this firm went beyond legitimate ‘lobbying’ in influencing certain legislative projects to benefit its clients, securing the support of officials in the Ministry and the Tax Agency through kickbacks. Montoro resigned from his party membership in the Popular Party (PP) following the indictment. Current Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that the government will seek to repeal the fiscal privileges granted to the companies involved in the scandal. The investigation is ongoing.

Sources: Radio Televisión Española, El País, Cadena Ser