Núcleo Nacional: Spain's far-right extremists who idolise Hitler land in Catalonia

In November 2023, incumbent Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez was negotiating support from pro-independence parties in order to be re-elected.

The agreement included a controversial amnesty law for individuals linked to events around the 2017 Catalan independence push, which would later be approved by Congress and has since faced legal challenges in the courts.

While these negotiations were underway, and Sánchez was close to being invested as prime minister again, a wave of mass protests against the amnesty law erupted in Madrid.

These demonstrations were supported by the conservative People's Party (PP) and attracted participation from far-right groups such as Vox, with rallies held on Ferraz Street, the location of the Socialist Party headquarters.

Amid these protests,  which included clashes with police at several demonstrations, some extremist individuals were visible, and far-right symbols, slogans, and chants were reported.

Out of this context emerged a new extremist organisation known as Núcleo Nacional. Officially, the group was founded in April 2024 and later registered as an association with "civic-political" aims, with its headquarters in Valladolid.

Núcleo Nacional is an ultranationalist, far-right group with openly xenophobic, racist, and anti-democratic rhetoric, including defending ideas linked to Francoist and fascist traditions.

According to several reports, there is a portrait of Hitler in their headquarters in Madrid. The group also runs a "book club" where they read a manual used for indoctrinating Hitler Youth, and one of their founders once described Hitler as "an Austrian bloke with a moustache and a lot of knowledge."

Some of the group’s activity has been connected to street mobilisations and extremist networks, and Spanish authorities have investigated members over potential hate crimes and glorification of fascism.

Since its formation, the group has opened additional local outposts and grown in profile, particularly during the DANA floods in Valencia, where 229 people died and Núcleo Nacional were very active.

Approaching two years of activity, the group recently decided to open a headquarters in Barcelona, joining its existing locations in Madrid, Gijón, and Valencia.

In their headquarters, often called 'El Nido' (The Nest), they hold meetings to promote their ideology and attract new recruits.

The space also includes gym areas for physical training and hosts reading sessions where members discuss far-right material.

Ahead of the Barcelona opening, the group did not reveal the exact location of the new headquarters, stating only that it would open on Saturday, January 10, and posting a message on social media saying they were looking forward to "angrying the reds, progressives, and independence supporters."

In the days leading up to the event, anti-far-right groups organised counter-actions to monitor the opening, and the police also prepared for potential disturbances.

Hours before the scheduled opening, the group posted the exact location on social media: an industrial estate in Sentmenat, approximately 30 kilometres from Barcelona.

Despite being far from the city, anti-far-right groups mobilised to protest. Around 300 demonstrators gathered outside the new headquarters, and there were moments of tension when police charged at protesters.

Despite the clashes, the group opened their headquarters without major incidents.

According to police sources, authorities cannot prohibit preventive gatherings, though they monitored the event closely to ensure that no xenophobic or racist speeches took place.

"Absolute success at the Núcleo Nacional presentation in Barcelona," the group wrote on X, sharing a video of the event.

Dozens of people attended, all dressed in black, as is the group's usual attire, and mostly men.

"We passed again," they added, in reference to the anti-fascist classic slogan "¡No pasarán!" ("They shall not pass").