Spain's grandchildren law and the question of who holds sovereignty
Spain's grandchildren law expands the electoral roll. Its handling by ministerial order and its possible impact on elections are being questioned.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The handling of Spain's grandchildren law (a citizenship measure) through a ministerial instruction rather than a parliamentary process raises suspicions about its transparency and its potential influence on the electoral body.
## An electoral roll made to measure?
Expanding the electoral body is a serious matter, all the more so when it is done through the back door. The so-called 'grandchildren law', which is in fact an amendment to another piece of legislation, has been processed through a ministerial instruction. This has forced the **Supreme Court** to intervene, at least for now, to suspend its effects. The main concern is that more than **two million people** could be added to the electoral roll overnight. Out of simple respect for the rules of the game, this demands a transparency that the chosen method does not seem to offer.
## Doubts about the process
The opposition has voiced its concern, and not without reason. It is not just about how many of the newly naturalised citizens will vote, or for whom, but about the process itself. Expanding the number of voters through an administrative shortcut, bypassing the scrutiny of **Parliament**, raises reasonable doubts about the suitability and, above all, the real purpose of such a rushed procedure. This is not the first time the legislative cleanliness of this term in office has been questioned; it began with an amnesty negotiated with its own beneficiaries.
## Sovereignty at stake
**Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez** has a track record that invites preventive distrust. From failing to meet budgetary obligations to the partisan bias of the State Legal Service and the Public Prosecutor's Office, along with the abusive use of decrees to make up for his lack of a majority, there is too much evidence of a less than scrupulous approach to institutional formality. The Supreme Court does not judge intentions, but whether orders comply with the law. And in this case, what is at stake is a possible alteration of the very subject of sovereignty. It is legitimate to ask why hundreds of thousands of people, with no prior residence in Spain, should be entitled to vote on our affairs.
## An electoral roll made to measure?
Expanding the electoral body is a serious matter, all the more so when it is done through the back door. The so-called 'grandchildren law', which is in fact an amendment to another piece of legislation, has been processed through a ministerial instruction. This has forced the **Supreme Court** to intervene, at least for now, to suspend its effects. The main concern is that more than **two million people** could be added to the electoral roll overnight. Out of simple respect for the rules of the game, this demands a transparency that the chosen method does not seem to offer.
## Doubts about the process
The opposition has voiced its concern, and not without reason. It is not just about how many of the newly naturalised citizens will vote, or for whom, but about the process itself. Expanding the number of voters through an administrative shortcut, bypassing the scrutiny of **Parliament**, raises reasonable doubts about the suitability and, above all, the real purpose of such a rushed procedure. This is not the first time the legislative cleanliness of this term in office has been questioned; it began with an amnesty negotiated with its own beneficiaries.
## Sovereignty at stake
**Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez** has a track record that invites preventive distrust. From failing to meet budgetary obligations to the partisan bias of the State Legal Service and the Public Prosecutor's Office, along with the abusive use of decrees to make up for his lack of a majority, there is too much evidence of a less than scrupulous approach to institutional formality. The Supreme Court does not judge intentions, but whether orders comply with the law. And in this case, what is at stake is a possible alteration of the very subject of sovereignty. It is legitimate to ask why hundreds of thousands of people, with no prior residence in Spain, should be entitled to vote on our affairs.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (1 replies).
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