Contrary to the hypothesis of a conservative backlash, the trajectory of Spanish attitudes towards homosexuality and abortion demonstrates a clear movement towards progressive values. The levels of“high acceptance” of these issues has been consistently rising, particularly since the early 2000s, as depicted in Figure 49. This upward trend stands in stark contrast to the waning“low acceptance”, indicative of a society increasingly distancing itself from conservative stances. Moreover, when compared to more pressing concerns like economic crises, unemployment, political issues in general, and specific dissatisfaction with the government or politicians, which have consistently ranked higher in perceived importance 305 (e.g., economic problems at 27.4%, political problems at 22.3%, unemployment also at 22.3%), immigration has not been a predominant issue for the majority of the Spanish population, even though surveys have reported its increasing importance(see Table 5). This context suggests that the singular increase in concern over immigration in 2024, portrayed in Table 5, might not necessarily reflect a deep-seated conservative turn or a cultural backlash but could be influenced by short­term factors or specific events. Table 5. Percentage of respondents identifying immigration as a relevant problem in Spain(2013-2024). Year 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 1st problem(%) 0.3 0.5 0.1 0.4 0,4 0.7 1.6 1.3 0.5 0.3 0.7 2.8 2nd problem(%) 0.7 0.8 1 1.3 1.2 1 3.7 3.5 0.8 0.6 1.5 4.9 3rd problem(%) 0.9 0.7 0.6 1.7 1.7 1.2 3.5 3.7 1.1 1.1 2.0 4.2 Total 1.9 2 1.7 3.4 3.3 2.9 8.8 8.5 2.4 2 4.2 11.9 Source: Own elaboration based on CIS barometers questionnaires(2013-2024). In summarising the argument, it is evident that the demand side of politics reveals no substantial evidence of a cultural backlash in Spain at the mass level. Despite VOX’s electoral success, it does not appear to stem from a societal retreat to conservative values. Instead, the support for VOX could be attributed to specific political dynamics, such as the party’s stance on regional independence movements, or particular socioeconomic concerns that have resonated with a segment of the electorate. The transformation of the mainstream right and its impact on(social) democracy 129