The General Council of Spanish Citizens Abroad (CGCEE) expressed this Wednesday its “deep concern and firm rejection” of the Supreme Court’s decision to suspend the voting rights of Spaniards who have obtained nationality through the grandchildren law. The measure “directly affects the exercise of political participation of people whose Spanish nationality has been recognized in accordance with current legislation,” denounces this advisory and consultative body of the Administration that represents more than three million Spaniards residing abroad.
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“It is especially concerning that part of the Spanish citizens residing abroad may be deprived of the exercise of suffrage, a fundamental right recognized by the Constitution,” states the CGCEE in a statement denouncing the establishment of differences in the exercise of political rights of Spanish citizens depending on the way nationality was acquired.
“Spanish nationality must entail the full exercise of the rights recognized by the legal system,” it adds following the Order issued on Tuesday by the Supreme Court, which affects the registration or electoral effects in the Electoral Census of Absent Residents (CERA) of those who have acquired nationality under the Democratic Memory Law, approved in 2022.
The Supreme Court’s decision, which responds to a precautionary measure requested by Vox and the party Iustitia Europa, has left in limbo the voting rights of more than 2.4 million people who, according to the most recent data provided by the Government, had made appointments at consular offices until May 31 to submit their nationality access application under the mentioned law. The high court has temporarily suspended the immediate registration in the electoral census of those who have obtained nationality through this route, except in cases where consulates certify that they are children or grandchildren of exiles.
“Having Spanish citizenship but not voting in an election would cause absolutely irreparable harm,” denounces Violeta Alonso Peláez, resident in Frankfurt (Germany) and president of the CGCEE. “An election that is not held with your vote will not be repeated later.”
In a telephone conversation, Alonso also emphasizes the “discrimination regarding place of residence” and “inequality” caused by the measure: people who have obtained Spanish nationality through the grandchildren law and reside in Spain — whether they applied while living here or applied abroad and then moved — are not affected by the measure because they are registered in the municipal register; while those residing outside Spain and registered in the electoral census are deprived of the right to vote.
A measure of this magnitude “should be something absolutely exceptional and always through a final ruling, never with a precautionary measure,” concludes the president of the CGCEE, who has been in office since 2022, when she was elected by the councils of Spanish residents, whose members are in turn democratically elected by Spaniards in each consular district. “There are no half nationalities. Either you are Spanish, with all rights, or you are not. There cannot be second-class citizenship with fundamental rights suspended.”
“The Council hopes that this situation will be resolved with the utmost urgency and reiterates its commitment to the effective defense of the rights of Spanish citizens residing abroad, conveying its concern to the competent institutions until full equality in the exercise of political rights is guaranteed,” the statement from this advisory body attached to the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations finally demands, whose mission is to ensure that Spaniards living abroad have the same rights as those living in Spain.
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