The summer after my freshman year, while taking advanced international relations research, I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, for seven weeks. My research focused on how Spanish politics has, or has not, been influenced towards right wing populism in light of the Syrian refugee crisis, at that time just after the height of the conflict. I used both discourse analysis and interviews to analyze my chosen country cases while looking specifically at levels of historic diversity and strength of national identity to understand why Spain did not experience a political shift to right wing populism as did many other European countries. To do this, I focused particularly on Spanish politicians’ public statements.
While I read, took notes on, and analyzed public political speeches, I also searched for ways to gain a closer look at the political sentiment on both sides of the aisle. I submitted interview requests and sent dozens of emails until I had contacted nearly every representative in the Cámara de Diputados (House of Representatives) and the Senado (Senate). Every single one either told me they didn’t have time for a thirty-minute interview or just flat out did not respond to my requests and emails. However, I was determined as my research project focused on political rhetoric and was based on the ability to get a closer look at politicians’ views in light of the shift to right-wing populism at the height of the refugee crisis. Finally, I received exactly one email back: from the Senador of Madrid that belonged to the right-wing Partido Popular (Popular Party), Carlos Aragonés Mendiguchía.
Senador Aragonés was kind enough to not only sit down with me for an interview, but he also took the time to show me around the Senado building. We went through back hallways, saw famous art hanging in various rooms, momentarily entered a chamber that was in-session to watch the proceedings for a moment, and he even took my picture at a chamber podium! Most importantly, my interview with him was incredibly beneficial to my research: he demonstrated that regional identity took precedence over national identity, agreeing with my Spanish history professor who, though from a different region, also stated that his regional identity was more important to him than his national identity. I learned so much about the state of Spain’s politics by being able to interview Senador Aragonés, as we talked about the refugee crisis, other nations’ moves towards far-right populism, and internal politics at a café at the Senado, filled with other government officials.
My interviews served to be central to the analysis of one of my independent variables in my research project, that of national identity. I additionally got to have a once in a lifetime experience speaking to a Spanish Senador, getting a private and behind the scenes tour of the Senado, and being able to incorporate real perspectives into my research that I could not have done without the support of Professor Seybert in the Global Scholars program.
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