The Supreme Court threatens to fine Moncloa if it does not hand over the 160,000 names affected by the 'clean-up law'

BarcelonaThe Supreme Court intensifies the conflict with the Spanish government over the vote of those naturalized under the Grandchildren Law. The high court has given a five-day deadline to the Ministers of Justice, Félix Bolaños, and Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, to hand over the list of the 163,020 people affected by the suspension of the vote for the November 29th Spanish elections, which the Constitutional Court (TC) upheld this Wednesday. And it threatens them with a possible fine or even criminal action if they fail to comply.

In two court orders, the Supreme Court asks the two ministers to submit the list of those affected to the same administrative litigation chamber, the Central Electoral Board (JEC), and the Electoral Census Office. "If, after the five-day period has elapsed, which in any case will end on October 28, 2026, they do not submit the nominal list of reference, this chamber may agree to the imposition of a coercive fine [...] or deduce, if appropriate, the necessary testimony of individuals to demand the criminal responsibility that may correspond," it warns. The fine would be 1,000 euros for Bolaños and Albares, but the court already warns that this could be "reiterated" until they comply with the judicial request.

Bolaños did not take long to react to the Supreme Court's move and, in statements to the media, assured that he will deliver the list of those affected by the vote suspension within the set deadline. In this sense, he claimed that his ministry has worked since the court's first decisions "doing everything humanly possible to comply with the requirements." And he added that he is aware that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given clear instructions to all consulates and that they will now be reiterated. A consular corps must review thousands of files to distinguish those people who have obtained nationality by proving they are descendants of exiles from those who have not, a job that sources from within described to ARA as "impossible".