Interest

Porco Rosso Line Became Catchphrase Urging Spaniards to Vote

When Porco Rosso protagonist Marco Rossellini meets with his old friend Rory, the two head to a movie theater and start an impromptu conversation about the ongoing war. Rory warns Marco that the Italians plan to recruit the pig-headed pilot against his will. He tries to convince Marco to come back to the airforce, and he responds candidly, "Better a pig than a fascist."

Marco was an ace pilot during World War I, but joining the Italian airforce now would mean flying for Mussolini's National Fascist Party. The phrase has found new vigor in Spain as artists urged constituents to vote in the July 23 general elections. The country's elections included candidates from Partido Popular (PP), a central-right party, and the new far-right Vox party.

The Spanish version of the line "mejor ser un cerdo que un fascista" trended on social media alongside artwork of Marco. Comic artist Álvaro Ortiz kicked off the political art trend. The image shows Porco Rosso simply saying, "Vota" (Vote).

Soon, other artists followed suit.

Over 99% of the votes were accounted for by Monday morning, with no clear party victory in parliament. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's center-left Socialist Party appears to have won 122 parliamentary seats, the PP won 136 seats, and Vox is expected to win 33 seats. The left-wing Sumar party likely has 31 seats.

Vox lost seats in this election. A right-wing coalition between Vox and PP would spell a far-right party entering Spain's government for the first time since the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

Source: CNN (Jack Guy and Al Goodman), Politico (Jakob Hanke Vela), Cinemania