In brief
Feijóo said Equality powers would move to other ministries if he forms a government after the 29 November general election, with departments cut from 22 to at most 15.
Feijóo said a 16-year-old girl should have her parents' knowledge before an abortion and that the debate is worth reopening, without specifying whether consent would be required.
Elma Saiz accused the PP of questioning women's rights, and Sira Rego called the speech 'pollaviejismo' on X.
Feijóo said he would govern with Vox if voters require it, and POLITICO reported Vox would likely demand a deputy prime minister post and at least one ministry.
Equality Ministry and a smaller cabinet
On Friday, 23 October 2026, Alberto Núñez Feijóo told Cadena SER that Equality would no longer be a standalone ministry under a PP government formed after the 29 November general election. Its powers would be shared among other departments, and the minister in charge would handle matters beyond equality. Feijóo framed the change as part of a plan to shrink the cabinet from the 22 departments under Pedro Sánchez to 15 at most. He justified the move by criticising Ana Redondo, the current Socialist Equality minister, whom he accused of working only until about three in the afternoon before taking the train to Valladolid. He said he was not abolishing the ministry outright but regrouping its responsibilities.
“I will put it inside other ministries. I am not going to keep 22 ministries.”
- Sánchez government
- 22 departments
- PP plan, maximum
- 15 departments
Data from the article text
Abortion and euthanasia
Feijóo said he had already defended the right to voluntary termination of pregnancy in a letter published on social media last year, which El Periódico described as unusual for a right-wing leader in Spain. He argued that a 16-year-old girl should have her parents' knowledge before an abortion, but he did not say whether parental authorisation should be required. The current rules, approved in the previous legislature by the PSOE and Podemos government, do not require parental consent for 16-year-olds. Reports differed on how far he would go, with POLITICO saying he vowed to revise the abortion law while La Vanguardia reported he would not reform it because the Constitutional Court had upheld it. On euthanasia, El Periódico reported he avoided the word repeal but said he would reform the law, which Spain adopted in 2021 for adults with serious incurable illnesses or severe chronic conditions. Feijóo also said women should receive the best doctors and care in both public and private hospitals.
“My personal opinion is that a 16-year-old girl should have her parents' knowledge, and I think it is a debate worth holding again.”
Coalition arithmetic and Vox
Feijóo said he would govern in coalition with Vox if voters required it, acknowledging that polls point to needing Vox's support for a parliamentary majority. POLITICO reported that Vox would likely demand a deputy prime minister post and at least one ministry, and that speculation had focused on the agriculture portfolio, though Feijóo said no formal talks on ministries had taken place. EL PAÍS reported that he declined to commit to governing only if his list came first, saying his first objective is that Sánchez leaves government. He pointed to four earlier pacts with Vox in Aragón, Extremadura, Castilla y León and Andalucía as examples of workable arrangements.
Government and allied criticism
Government spokesperson Elma Saiz, who is also Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, accused the PP of questioning women's rights. She said Feijóo calls himself a feminist while making a deal with Vox, which she described as a party that denies gender violence. Sira Rego posted on X that the speech was 'pollaviejismo' and told Feijóo that knowing women does not make him a feminist. Mónica García criticised his plans on abortion and euthanasia on social media. Emilio Delgado, Frente Amplio's number one on the Madrid list, replied that women in Spain had already brought down a minister who proposed cutting their rights.
Wages, pensions and taxes
Feijóo said on Friday that the PP wants average wages to rise, not only the minimum wage (SMI). He pledged that any SMI increase would be exempt from income tax (IRPF) by law and automatically, criticising a clash between the Treasury and Labour ministries on the issue. He claimed housing had risen 33% more than average wages in Spain and the shopping basket 44% more, and said the government keeps close to 30% of labour income gains through taxes and contributions. He also committed to updating pensions annually in line with the CPI and to reconvening social dialogue with unions and employers to agree the minimum wage.
- Housing
- 33 %
- Shopping basket
- 44 %
Data from the article text