A broad coalition of right-wing parties PP and Vox has pushed through bans on the use of face-covering garments such as the burqa or niqab in many Spanish cities and regions. These restrictions have been introduced in places including Murcia, Toledo, Palma de Mallorca, and Zaragoza, citing security concerns and the protection of women's dignity. Simultaneously, the center-right People's Party has announced a nationwide legislative initiative aimed at standardizing these regulations across all of Spain.

Ban on face covering

A number of Spanish cities have introduced bans on wearing the burqa and niqab in public buildings and transport.

Tensions on the right

The Vox party is considering a change in strategy and abandoning participation in governments with the People's Party in favor of supporting specific legislation.

Crisis in Extremadura

Coalition negotiations in the region were suspended just before the planned investiture of President María Guardiola.

Barcelona rejects ban

The authorities of the Catalan capital rejected a proposal to introduce restrictions on religious face veils.

A wave of local resolutions targeting Muslim face-covering garments dominated public debate in Spain in late February 2026. An alliance between the conservative People's Party (PP) and the right-wing populist Vox led to the adoption of bans in key urban centers. In Murcia, the new rules apply to public administration buildings, while in Palma de Mallorca, restrictions were also extended to public transport. These decisions were made despite clear opposition from the left-wing authorities of Barcelona, which officially rejected a similar proposal, deeming it stigmatizing to religious minorities. Parallel to the ideological offensive, the Spanish right is grappling with internal tensions regarding the form of governmental cooperation. Leaders of the Vox party are publicly considering abandoning direct entry into coalitions with PP at the regional level, opting instead for a model of supporting minority governments in exchange for the implementation of specific policy demands. An example of the deadlock is Extremadura, where negotiations have stalled just days before the planned investiture of María Guardiola. This situation was sharply criticized by former Prime Minister José María Aznar, warning against succumbing to right-wing populism, which he believes threatens state stability. Since the 1980s, Spain has undergone a transformation towards a strongly secularized state, yet issues of identity and immigrant integration regularly return to the political agenda during periods of rising support for conservative parties. In the shadow of disputes over religious symbols, local governments are also making decisions of a purely economic and administrative nature. The authorities of Extremadura approved a contract worth 96 million euros for the modernization of the region's corporate network, awarded to the telecommunications giant Telefónica. Meanwhile, in Andalusia, a rare cross-party agreement occurred—PP, PSOE, and Vox jointly demanded urgent central government funding for beach renovation. Despite these incidental examples of cooperation, polarization remains strong, evident, among other things, in disputes over party discipline within the socialist PSOE party, torn by personal conflicts at the regional level. „España no puede caer en el populismo de derechas” (Spain cannot fall into right-wing populism) — José María Aznar

Perspektywy mediów: Liberal media, such as eldiario.es, emphasize the instrumental treatment of religious issues by the right to divert attention from social problems. Conservative dailies, such as ABC, stress the need to protect Western values and social cohesion through a ban on face covering.

Mentioned People

  • Alberto Núñez Feijóo — Leader of the Spanish People's Party (PP).
  • Santiago Abascal — President of the right-wing Vox party.
  • María Guardiola — President of the Extremadura region for the PP.