The Spanish Congress of Deputies has rejected a controversial proposal by the Vox party that sought a total ban on wearing burqas and niqabs in public spaces. The initiative, supported by the People's Party, failed primarily due to opposition from the Junts per Catalunya party. Despite the formal defeat for the right, the debate exposed deep social and political divisions concerning the limits of religious freedom, public safety, and the methods of fighting for women's rights in a modern democratic state.

Rejection of Vox's Bill

The lower house of the Spanish parliament rejected, by a vote of 177 to 160, a bill to ban wearing burqas and niqabs in public spaces.

Municipalities Introduce Restrictions

Despite the parliamentary decision, the city of Alcalá de Henares adopted a local ban on entering public buildings with full-face coverings.

Junts' Strategic Maneuver

The Catalan party Junts per Catalunya blocked the Vox bill, but simultaneously submitted its own bill of a similar nature, aiming for political independence.

The Spanish parliament became the arena for a fierce ideological dispute after the right-wing party Vox submitted a bill proposing a ban on face coverings in public places. This initiative was directly aimed at burqas and niqabs. During a heated debate in the Congress of Deputies, supporters of the ban argued that such garments are a symbol of women's oppression and undermine principles of equality. The People's Party (PP) backed the motion, emphasizing the need to protect women's dignity, but left-wing and regional parties accused the right of instrumentalizing women's rights to spread Islamophobia. Ultimately, the bill was rejected by a vote of 177 against to 160 in favor. Since 2011, when France became the first European country to ban face coverings in public places, similar regulations have been adopted by, among others, Belgium, Austria, and Denmark. In 2014, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that such bans do not violate religious freedom if they serve the concept of "living together." The key role in rejecting the bill was played by the Catalan party Junts, which, while ideologically in favor of restricting full-face veils, did not want to support an initiative authored by Vox. Instead, the party's Miriam Nogueras registered her own bill, indicating an attempt to seize the initiative on this issue ahead of upcoming regional elections. Parallel to the events in Madrid, local municipalities began to act on their own. An example is Alcalá de Henares, where councilors from the PP and Vox voted to ban entry to municipal buildings in niqabs and burqas. This situation creates a complicated legal landscape, as the Supreme Court already indicated in 2013 that restrictions on religious freedom require the status of a national law. 177 — deputies voted against the Vox party's bill Critics of the ban, including Muslim organizations, emphasize that the issue is marginal in Spain, as the number of women wearing full-face veils is estimated at only several dozen to a few hundred people. The spokesperson for PSOE, Patxi López, noted that repressive law could lead to even greater social isolation for these women. Meanwhile, journalists and commentators point to a "toughness race" between right-wing parties trying to attract voters concerned about identity issues. This debate, although technically concluded with the rejection of the motion, remains open in the public sphere and is likely to return to the agenda during the analysis of the bill submitted by Junts.Congress Vote on Vox: Against: 177, For: 160, Abstained: 13

Mentioned People

  • Miriam Nogueras — Spokesperson for the Junts party in Congress, opposed the Vox bill, promoting her own legislative initiative.
  • Patxi López — Socialist spokesperson in Congress, criticized the proposed ban as a form of stigmatization.
  • Susanna Griso — Television journalist who sharply criticized politicians defending the wearing of the burqa in the name of tolerance.