Congress rebukes the Minister of Equality for the controversy over the anti-abuse bracelets

MadridMinister of Equality Ana Redondo has been virtually unknown to the public during these first two years of her term. In the July poll conducted by the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), the most recent survey to ask about ministers, 72.8% of respondents said they did not know her, placing her as one of the least-publicized figures in the Cabinet. However, in recent days, the controversy over the anti-abuse bracelets has put her in the spotlight and turned Redondo into a right-wing foe. Within the framework of the PP's offensive against the Minister of Equality, Congress approved this Wednesday to censure her, at the proposal of Alberto Núñez Feijóo's party. However, Spanish President Pedro Sánchez came to Redondo's defense and expressed his "solidarity" with her over the "accusations" she has received from the right. He also argued that the wristband system works "better than before."

Redondo's handling of the crisis has led to the abstention of ERC (Republican Nationalist Party), Junts (Junts), BNG (Bungalow Nationalist Party), and Coalición Canaria (Canary Islands Coalition). Thus, the votes in favor of the PP, Vox, and UPN (People's Party), Vox (UPN), and the rest of the plurinational majority, which voted against censuring the Minister of Equality's actions. Republicans and members of the Junta (Junta) have agreed in criticizing Redondo's lack of explanations regarding the incidents with these devices, as well as the words she has used to defend herself against criticism. In the control session this Wednesday morning, prior to the debate on the PP motion proposing to reject it, the head of Equality argued that "none of the affected women have been murdered."

In the opinion of ERC MP Pilar Vallugera, Redondo's intervention was "unacceptable." The Republican also denounced that the parliamentary groups did not receive "any truthful information from the Ministry [of Equality]" and criticized the Spanish government for not having "apologized." Junts MP Pilar Calvo agreed that it is "unacceptable" for Redondo to shrug off responsibility by saying that no women have been murdered despite the technical problems with the anti-abuse bracelets. "They continue to be victims of fear, threats, and a lack of transparency," Calvo emphasized.

Another shared criticism of the Spanish government was the appearance of Carmen Martínez, the government's representative against gender violence, in the Lower House this Thursday instead of Redondo herself. Other investiture partners have also criticized the Minister of Equality despite voting against the censure. This is the case with the PNV (Basque Nationalist Party). Their deputy, Joseba Andoni Agirretxea, has demanded "the appropriate explanations" from the Spanish government, although he has distanced himself from the popular initiative for "not playing into their game, which is not very fair or self-serving."

The PP wants her to resign.

The Popular Party (PP) has seized on this controversy to try to further undermine Pedro Sánchez's administration. PP MP Patricia Rodríguez has accused the Ministry of Equality of exercising "institutional violence" against victims of gender-based violence. She was not the only PP member to raise her voice against Redondo, as Feijóo even demanded in a press conference that Sánchez dismiss the Minister of Equality and extended the "responsibility" to the Ministers of Justice and the Interior, Félix Bolaños and Fernando Grande-Marlaska. PP sources do not rule out demanding criminal liability as well.