Politics · Spain · 4 hrs ago
Spain’s Supreme Court keeps voting ban for some citizens under grandchild law
Spain’s Supreme Court has rejected the government’s appeal over a rule affecting people who became Spanish citizens under the so-called law of grandchildren.
The rule bars some of these new citizens from voting unless they can show that they meet requirements linked to their ancestors’ exile from Spain under Franco.
The court said an exception applies to people who can prove they meet certain requirements.
The dispute concerns about 400,000 new citizens, although the article does not say how many are covered by the exception.
The government says it may appeal to Spain’s Constitutional Court, but the article says a favorable decision is unlikely before November 29.
The ruling has become a political dispute, with the government criticizing the restriction and the conservative People’s Party and Vox supporting efforts to prevent voting by those who do not qualify.
The court’s decision leaves further legal and political arguments ahead.
Spain’s Supreme Court rejected the government’s appeal and kept a voting restriction affecting some people who became Spanish citizens under the so-called grandchildren law.
The court said an exception applies to people who can prove certain requirements linked to their ancestors’ exile.
The ruling affects about 400,000 new Spanish citizens who, according to the article, have not sufficiently proved they are grandchildren of people exiled under Franco.
The government may still appeal to Spain’s Constitutional Court, but the article said a favourable solution was unlikely before the November 29 election.
The ruling has deepened a political dispute between the government and conservative parties, including the PP and Vox.
- Who
- Spain’s Supreme Court, Section Four, rejected the government’s appeal.
- What
- The court kept a restriction on voting for some people who gained Spanish citizenship under the grandchildren law, while allowing an exception for people who meet certain requirements.
- When
- The ruling was reported on October 12, 2026. The article says a favourable resolution was unlikely before November 29.
- Where
- Spain.
- Why
- The court cited a continuing risk that the electoral roll could be formed irregularly; the article says many affected citizens had not sufficiently proved their ancestors’ exile.
Spanish government and Pedro Sánchez
PP and Vox
Voting rights
Spanish government and Pedro Sánchez
Sánchez said the right to vote should be guaranteed.
PP and Vox
The PP and Vox supported preventing affected citizens from voting unless they met the relevant requirements.
Court ruling
Spanish government and Pedro Sánchez
The government had appealed the restriction and could still appeal to the Constitutional Court.
PP and Vox
The PP said the ruling prevented an apparent irregularity, citing the affected citizens’ lack of proof of descent from exiles.
Electoral roll
Spanish government and Pedro Sánchez
The government sought to unblock the law, according to the article.
PP and Vox
The Supreme Court cited a continuing risk of an irregularly formed electoral roll.
The Supreme Court imposed urgent interim measures that blocked voting by the affected citizens.
Pedro Sánchez urged the Supreme Court at a rally in Ponferrada to unblock the grandchildren law.
The ruling was reported during Spain’s National Day reception, after the Supreme Court rejected the government’s appeal.
Spain’s election was due to take place, with the article saying a favourable resolution was unlikely before then.
- Court
- Section Four of Spain’s Supreme Court
- Affected citizens
- About 400,000 new Spanish citizens
- Exception
- People who prove certain requirements linked to their ancestors’ exile
- Government appeal
- Rejected by the Supreme Court
- Election date
- November 29
What people are saying
In a democracy, the right to vote is not prohibited, it is guaranteed.
It seems that the right to vote is not so relevant to some people.
the risk persists that an electoral roll will be constituted irregularly
Sources
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