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Spain Supreme Court weighs voting rights for ‘grandparents law’ naturalized citizens
Spain's upcoming general elections on November 29 are facing legal uncertainty regarding the voting rights of citizens naturalized under the Democratic Memory Law, commonly known as the ‘grandparents law’. A Supreme Court precautionary suspension currently affects certain registrations in the Census of Absent Residents (CERA), specifically targeting those who obtained nationality through this law but have not yet proven they are descendants of political exiles.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has criticized the People's Party (PP) and Vox for what he calls an ‘attempted outrage’ to prevent approximately 400,000 people from voting. The State Attorney's Office and the Prosecutor's Office have both petitioned the Supreme Court to lift the suspension, arguing that it is technically impossible to distinguish between eligible and ineligible voters within the remaining electoral timeframe. The State Attorney's Office noted that consulates lack the capacity to process individual files for the estimated 170,000 affected cases before the election.
Conversely, the political party Iustitia Europa has requested that the Supreme Court suspend the general elections entirely until the census can be properly verified to ensure transparency. The National Statistics Institute (INE) has maintained the current census, which includes these naturalized citizens, pending a final judicial decision. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on the matter by October 12.
Entities
Abogacía del Estado · Democratic Memory Law · Fiscalía · Iustitia Europa · Junta Electoral Central · Pedro Sánchez · People's Party (PP) · Prosecutor's Office · State Attorney's Office · Supreme Court of Spain · Tribunal Supremo · Vox
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Spanish nationality inherently includes the right to vote. www.diariodesevilla.es · www.noticiasdenavarra.com
- [● 6 SOURCES] Granting nationality to children and grandchildren of exiles aligns with the spirit of the Transition. www.diariodesevilla.es · www.noticiasdenavarra.com · www.diariodecadiz.es · www.granadahoy.com · www.huelvainformacion.es
- [● 2 SOURCES] The State Attorney's Office has filed an appeal against the suspension of CERA registrations. www.noticiasdenavarra.com · elburgado.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Supreme Court has issued a cautionary suspension of registrations in the Census of Residents Absent Abroad (CERA). www.noticiasdenavarra.com · elburgado.com · elordenmundial.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] The electoral census from August 1 should govern the upcoming elections. www.diariodesevilla.es · www.noticiasdenavarra.com · www.lavozdegalicia.es · www.diariodecadiz.es
- [● 4 SOURCES] The State Attorney's Office has acknowledged the material impossibility of identifying which of the new voters obtained nationality via the 'grandchildren law'. www.laopinioncoruna.es · elburgado.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] There are more than 163,000 new electors in the census as of August 1. www.laopinioncoruna.es · www.navarrainformacion.es
- [● 5 SOURCES] Iustitia Europa has requested the precautionary suspension of the general elections scheduled for November 29. www.laopinioncoruna.es · www.navarrainformacion.es
- [● 7 SOURCES] The law in question grants Spanish nationality to descendants of those exiled during the Franco regime. www.laopinioncoruna.es · dominicanaaldia.com · elburgado.com · www.brasilemfolhas.com.br
- [● 15 SOURCES] The Supreme Court suspended the electoral effects of certain registrations in the CERA census for those naturalized under the Democratic Memory Law. cronicaeconomica.com · www.20minutos.es · www.diariodealmeria.es · www.diariodejerez.es · www.eldiadecordoba.es · +6 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] The State Attorney's Office argues it is materially impossible to review all affected files before the elections due to the early election date. www.eldiario.es · elburgado.com · www.navarrainformacion.es · cronicaeconomica.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Iustitia Europa has requested the Supreme Court to suspend the general elections until the electoral census for those naturalized under the 'grandparents law' is clarified. www.navarrainformacion.es · www.brasilemfolhas.com.br