Spanish Supreme Court suspends voting rights for some naturalized citizens

The Third Chamber of the Spanish Supreme Court has issued a precautionary suspension regarding the registration of certain individuals in the Census of Absent Residents (CERA). This decision affects those who obtained Spanish nationality through the ‘grandparents law’ under the Eighth Additional Provision of the Democratic Memory Law (Law 20/2022).

The legal dispute centers on whether a 2022 administrative instruction from the Directorate General of Justice, Services, and Faith (DGSJYFP) exceeded the legal authority granted by the original law. The court is investigating if the instruction improperly expanded the criteria for nationality beyond the descendants of those exiled for political or ideological reasons between 1936 and 1955.

This ruling has significant implications for future elections. While approximately 1.22 million people have applied for nationality under this law, and hundreds of thousands have already been incorporated into the CERA census, the court's final decision will determine the eligibility of these new citizens to participate in the electoral process. The litigation aims to resolve the conflict between administrative interpretation and the principle of legal hierarchy.