Vox leader Santiago Abascal skips national parade, heads to Ceuta

Vox’s Santiago Abascal confirmed he will not sit in the official tribune for the yearly military parade, nor attend the royal reception that follows, denouncing the government as a "mafia" that has abandoned parts of Spanish territory. He will travel to Ceuta, stating his presence is with the Spaniards defending the border. The move marks a second consecutive year of his boycott of the ceremony.

Abascal will be accompanied by Jordan Bardella, leader of the French Agrupación Nacional and head of the Patriotas group in the European Parliament, who will later hold an informational breakfast in Madrid. Earlier in August, Abascal visited Ceuta shortly after a recent incursion, and he will make a stop in Estepona, Málaga, for the first pre-campaign rally.