Neofascist Ecosystem in Education: The Far Right’s “Educational Map” in Spain

Ecosistema neofascista en educación: el “mapa educativo” de la extrema derecha en España

Abstract

This study analyses the configuration of the political–pedagogical ecosystem linked to neo-fascism in Spain within a context of increasing political polarization and cultural dispute in the educational sphere. While previous research has examined the electoral and institutional rise of the far right, limited attention has been paid to its relational infrastructure in education. The aim is to identify the main actors that compose this ecosystem and to characterize the postulates they promote. The methodology here applied combines Social Network Analysis (SNA) and digital ethnography. The study focuses on the opposition campaign against the current educational law since 2021, LOMLOE, articulated around the hashtag #StopLeyCelaá on the social media platform X. The analysis draws on approximately 150,000 posts, which served as the empirical basis for constructing and refining the relational network, which was later analysed using software Gephi and UCINET. The findings show that the educational map of the far right in Spain constitutes a complex relational network including political parties, foundations, associations, religious groups, media outlets, and mobilization platforms. This ecosystem, which counts on both individuals and platforms that connect and organise the whole educational conservative community, facilitates the diffusion and legitimation of frames oriented toward market-based approaches to education governance, parental primacy, opposition to equality-related content, and national-patriotic curricular configurations grounded in meritocratic and hierarchical principles.