Carmen Calvo, president of the Consejo de Estado, reaffirmed her concern about Gijón in neo-fascism on 27 October 2026 and warned against playing down its forms of expression in language. During an institutional visit to the Consejo Consultivo del Principado de Asturias she said that what undermines democratic standards must not be “whitewashed”, and that insulting conduct should not be labelled mere polarisation.
Calvo met at the premises of the Consejo Consultivo del Principado de Asturias with its president, Pablo Baquero, and other members of the body. The visit to Gijón/Xixón is part of a series of visits to the autonomous communities’ advisory bodies that has been under way since January 2025, organised by the Consejo de Estado according to when those bodies were established. Calvo also referred to the Consejo de Estado’s 500th anniversary in 2026 and the role of advisory institutions in ensuring reliable rule of law in Spain.
Calvo’s remarks are political characterisations arising from the occasion. What is established is that she sought an exchange with the regional advisory body in Gijón/Xixón and publicly warned there against the linguistic normalisation of radical positions. Whether and how this warning shapes political debate depends on the responses of other actors at national and regional level.
In context, Calvo’s words form part of a wider debate in Spain about how to deal with far-right movements and where the line lies between fierce criticism, deliberate denigration and conduct that threatens democracy. In recent months, controversies over the actions and symbols of far-right groups have repeatedly been discussed in Asturias, with the regional press documenting related political initiatives and public reactions. In Gijón, Calvo stressed that the effective functioning of advisory bodies such as the Consejo Consultivo del Principado de Asturias is a fundamental condition for the stability of the legal system.
The visit to Gijón is part of an institutional programme. The Consejo de Estado emphasises that the series of consultations serves to build links with the autonomous communities’ advisory bodies and also uses the anniversary year to highlight the importance of legal scrutiny. The visit therefore remains primarily a working visit – with a clear political message against playing down neo-fascism.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).