Incredibly interesting question... and I guess the answer depends on who you ask... My personal opinion is that it has been a mixture of factors: generalised global political tendencies turning to the far right, derived from years of some macroeconomic recovery in the West that has not been translated to a substantial increase of the wealth of the lower and middle classes, which has increased anger, fear and resentment: the best petri dish for extreme right politics to grow. Also, an extreme "sugar coating" of some mass media and center right parties in Spain that, by not condemning the speech, practices and proposals of the far right have made this a more "acceptable" option in the minds of many people. Another factor I would consider is the obvious defeat of a left that (in Spain and many other countries) has failed yet again to deliver a compelling argument that attracts the lower and middle classes, and has failed to act with political pragmatism in the build-up to this quite devastating political reality. Last, but not least, I would also consider that the Catalonian independence crisis has contributed by 1. Allowing the far right to polarise the Spanish political debate between those who want to "break and destroy the country" and those who "don't" (notice the "") and 2. The left not being able to take a clear position regarding this matter, thus making point 1. easier for the far right, which has self-appropriated the right of being considered the only "truly proud Spanish people" and has equated being against the Catalan independence process with being right-wing, something the left should've never allowed to happen. Hope this helps!
Incredibly interesting question... and I guess the answer depends on who you ask... My personal opinion is that it has been a mixture of factors: generalised global political tendencies turning to the far right, derived from years of some macroeconomic recovery in the West that has not been translated to a substantial increase of the wealth of the lower and middle classes, which has increased anger, fear and resentment: the best petri dish for extreme right politics to grow. Also, an extreme "sugar coating" of some mass media and center right parties in Spain that, by not condemning the speech, practices and proposals of the far right have made this a more "acceptable" option in the minds of many people. Another factor I would consider is the obvious defeat of a left that (in Spain and many other countries) has failed yet again to deliver a compelling argument that attracts the lower and middle classes, and has failed to act with political pragmatism in the build-up to this quite devastating political reality. Last, but not least, I would also consider that the Catalonian independence crisis has contributed by 1. Allowing the far right to polarise the Spanish political debate between those who want to "break and destroy the country" and those who "don't" (notice the "") and 2. The left not being able to take a clear position regarding this matter, thus making point 1. easier for the far right, which has self-appropriated the right of being considered the only "truly proud Spanish people" and has equated being against the Catalan independence process with being right-wing, something the left should've never allowed to happen. Hope this helps!