When the city woke up, the tractor was already there. This week Europe faced a wave of agricultural unrest that spread to the Valencian Community and across Spain, where the quiet morning gave way to blocked access to cities, surrounded logistics platforms and ports, and trucks rolling through wide streets toward political institutions in Castellón, Barcelona, and Brussels.
The tractor stood for both power and symbol in this protest. Massive machines, like prehistoric beasts, emerged from spaces formed to tell the urban world that rural communities felt forgotten and wronged. Their presence kept political parties and institutions on alert because of the potential influence on upcoming European elections.
Experts note a rupture in how urban residents understand rural realities. Ignacio Urquizu, a sociology professor at the Madrid Complutense University and longtime Madrid resident, describes a disconnect between rural dwellers and the cities. In this view, Spain appears economically uneven, with places like Alcañiz in Teruel highlighting the gap.
That sense of incomprehension threads through many protests over the past years, including demonstrations tied to hunting, or the mass marches in Valencia that preceded regional elections. The agricultural world is reaffirmed as a cultural expression amid these tensions.
It affects the left side more
This rupture carries political consequences. Political scientist Anna López Ortega explains that the unrest seems to weigh more on the left than the right. Conservatives in both cities and towns often support hunting, bullfighting, and agricultural workers, while rural voters show more empathy from left-leaning groups. In contrast, left movements in the countryside carry less weight in urban centers, complicating efforts to mobilize support. This urban-rural divide makes it harder for the left to articulate a consistent message, and it is a growing challenge for left-leaning parties to respond effectively.
According to López Ortega, Vox is watching for opportunities to regain lost rural votes. She notes that the ministries of Agriculture previously aligned with conservative governments, and campaign materials from 2019 echoed a message of rural focus. The 23J campaign summed up this idea with a clear call to rural voters.
Observers identify a common thread across Europe: a fear that well-founded rural discontent could be instrumentalized by extremists. In a landscape where conservative space is fiercely contested between the PP and Vox, the far-right outfits present themselves as the primary interlocutors for rural interests before European institutions. A notable gathering of Vox field consultants from several autonomous regions in Spain was scheduled to meet in Brussels with a European commissioner to present the main demands of the farming sector.
Experts describe this phenomenon as part of long-standing far-right strategies. Vox is seen as drawing on precedents in other countries, acknowledging countryside as a constituency to engage. Observers point to a notable appearance at large agricultural events and the recruitment of activists from farming organizations and livestock circles, including those connected to bullfighting. Among polling data, farmers were among the groups that supported the party most strongly.
Despite varied demands across regions and political lines, the protests share a crucial feature: the risk that rural grievances are instrumentalized for broader political aims.
WhatsApp revolt
On one hand, Brussels and the burden of bureaucracy, and on the other hand, the 2030 Agenda and its impact on farming. These are frequently cited as scapegoats by far-right groups, and they appear on many banners attached to tractors today.
One notable platform emerged within this unrest via WhatsApp groups. The six-field platform circulated a manifesto that included calls to repeal the European Green Pact, roll back national laws, end subsidies, and curb public support for agricultural bodies. Many joined out of fatigue, choosing not to wait for organized protest calendars.
Antonio Ariño, sociology professor at the University of Valencia, highlights another feature of this broad rural wave: a crisis of representation. He notes producers formally connected to large agricultural groups often feel unrepresented by those negotiating with government ministries. He adds that social unrest is rising with limited political representation, and some see potential gains for Vox in channeling that sentiment.
As occurred a year earlier with the rise of a new transport platform led by Manuel Hernández, Manolín, this protest also includes new faces from outside traditional channels. Valencian activist Lola Guzmán has attended events alongside Vox in the past, reflecting a broader shift toward non-traditional figures in the rural movement.
Institutions’ response
Institutions clearly took note. Leaders signaled policy responses, with some governments announcing measures that aim to reduce burdens on farmers while balancing broader European objectives. The political moment comes 150 days before an election, and the agricultural debate links to larger concerns about the European model and the reach of far-right movements.
Vicente Pallardó, professor at the University of Valencia, warns of potential outcomes. He notes that a significant presence of rural-focused concerns could influence voters in France, Italy, Germany, and Eastern Europe, potentially depressing turnout among moderate segments of social democracy and conservatism alike.