Silvia Orriols, mayor of Ripoll and member of the Catalan regional legislature, has emerged as a prominent figure in Catalonia by vocally opposing immigration from North Africa, a stance that has propelled her party, Catalan Alliance, to rapid growth in regional politics. Her rise comes amid broader tensions following a recent influx of more than 70,000 migrants who crossed the border from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, an event that caught many Spanish politicians off guard but resonated with Orriols.

Orriols sharply criticized the Spanish government's handling of the Ceuta border, highlighting a perceived double standard compared to the national police’s harsh response to Catalonia’s 2017 independence referendum, when police used force against Catalan voters. She argues that Spain’s lax border enforcement threatens Catalonia’s cultural and linguistic identity, warning that immigration has reduced the proportion of Catalan speakers from 95 percent before Franco’s dictatorship to around 30 percent today, endangering the survival of the Catalan nation.

While her strict anti-immigration platform includes calls for a moratorium on immigration, deportation of immigrants involved in legal infractions, and the removal of halal menus from public schools, Orriols’s views on social issues remain comparatively moderate. She supports women’s and LGBTQ+ rights and does not affiliate her party with international far-right movements. Instead, she embodies a nationalist sentiment rooted in Catalonia’s distinct history and language, which she traces back to Charlemagne and emphasizes as different from Spain’s Castilian heritage.

Orriols’s political base lies predominantly in rural Catalonia, particularly the Pyrenees region, contrasting with the traditionally progressive and cosmopolitan urban centers like Barcelona. Her supporters are mainly farmers and villagers who view immigration—especially from Muslim-majority countries—as an existential threat to the region’s ethnic and cultural identity. This perspective marks a departure from Catalonia’s historical nationalism, historically aligned with leftist, anti-authoritarian traditions and a history of resistance against fascism during Franco’s rule.

The Catalan Alliance, which won just 3.8 percent of the vote in the 2024 regional elections, has since surged in popularity, reaching 15.1 percent in polls by mid-year and projecting as many as 25 seats in the regional assembly. Political analysts note that this trajectory could rapidly alter Catalonia’s political landscape by displacing established parties like Junts. Orriols’s rise reflects a broader European pattern where concerns about immigration have empowered nationalist parties, challenging the conventional political order.

However, Orriols’s rhetoric and policies have sparked controversy and allegations of xenophobia and intolerance. In 2024, a foundation filed a hate-crime complaint against her, citing inflammatory statements and municipal restrictions on immigrant registration. The Catalan Parliament reprimanded her for comments linking Islamic dress to misogyny and fundamentalism. While such accusations have become frequent, Orriols rejects them, framing her stance as a matter of survival rather than racism. She maintains that immigration policies remain a prerogative of the Spanish government, with her party’s broader nationalist goals hinging on securing independence for Catalonia.

Orriols’s evolution traces back in part to the 2017 terror attacks in Barcelona and Ripoll, which deepened her anti-immigration convictions. The attacks, carried out by ISIS-inspired individuals linked to Ripoll’s Moroccan community, intensified local fears about integration and security. Her political journey has moved from youthful support for left-wing Catalan independence groups to leading a movement that fuses nationalism with a populist opposition to globalism and immigration.

As Catalonia grapples with demographic changes and cultural tensions, Orriols represents a shift in the region’s nationalist politics, blending long-standing demands for autonomy with new anxieties about identity and migration. Her ascent underscores the ongoing debate in Europe over globalization, immigration, and the future of regional and national identities.