The PSOE is open to discussing a burka ban with Junts.

Barcelona / MadridThe ban on the full-face veil is a recurring debate in Catalonia and Spain, but it has never been addressed in depth. Now the PSOE is willing to talk with Junts, which has submitted a bill.just as they did in Parliament– to ban the burka in public spaces. This was the reaction of the members of the regional assembly following their vote against the bill presented by Vox on the same matter. which has only had the support of the PP and which Congress rejected with 177 votes against, 170 in favor, and one abstention.

For now, the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) agrees to "open a debate" that must be "calm and serene" with Miriam Nogueras's party and will "study" their proposal. However, the Socialists warn that the ban on the full-face veil cannot, in practice, lead to the exclusion of these women from public spaces. That said, the PSOE believes that Junts's presentation of an alternative is a "demonstration" that it "does not subscribe to the far-right's narrative." Along similar lines, the Generalitat (Catalan government) agrees that this is a debate that must begin, but asks that it be conducted "rigorously" and not in the wake of the far right. At a press conference, the government spokesperson, Sílvia Paneque, stated that the burka generates "unease" within Catalan society and that it must be studied from the perspective of "security" and its nature as an element "of identity that can lead to confrontation between people." In Madrid, in order not to align itself with a party that "has led the repression in Catalonia," Junts has decided to present a "rigorous law" that "meets European standards." The message from the Junts party is clear: "Neither burka nor Vox." The spokesperson, Miriam Nogueras, was tasked with defending the position during the plenary debate: "Neither the full-face veil nor the far right, nor fear or complexes," she proclaimed at the very beginning of her speech. It was the first time this legislative session that the Junts party had spoken in a debate instigated by Vox, which demonstrates the importance that Carles Puigdemont's party attaches to this issue. Throughout her speech, the Junts spokesperson in Congress made direct and constant allusions to Vox and Santiago Abascal, and included veiled references, without mentioning it, to Aliança Catalana: "No initiative from the far right passes a single European filter, and that is politically shameful, beyond the ridiculous spectacle you make of yourselves here."

On behalf of Esquerra, MP Pilar Vallugera responded to Junts' slogan:Neither burka nor Vox can be a "A clever leitmotif, but if it ends up being 'no burka,' it's also Vox." Regarding the far-right's proposal, Vallugera wanted to make it clear that the Republicans don't like the burka, but presented it as an "oxymoron" that the far right should position itself as the protector of women's "dignity"—"inhuman and cruel."

What exactly does the Junts law say?

The three-page bill proposed by Junts is "not improvised," but rather "carefully considered and prepared" in advance, according to party sources. The Junts members decided to put it forward after recognizing the "communicative impact" of Vox's proposal. It contains a single article prohibiting the "use in public spaces" of "items or elements that totally or substantially cover the face" and "significantly impede or hinder the identification of the person," with explicit mention of the niqab and the burka. The explanatory memorandum argues that these garments "project a message incompatible with the ideal of equality" and justifies its position on "reasons of protecting fundamental rights, effective equality between men and women, public safety, and democratic coexistence."

Unlike Vox's proposal, sources within Junts argue that sanctions are "unnecessary" because "there are already mechanisms" to address the issue: if a person refuses to remove their burka when asked by the police, they would be committing disobedience. "It has a deterrent effect; we don't want to criminalize women," say members of the party. Furthermore, Junts has added an additional provision urging the Spanish government to approve a bill delegating to Catalonia the powers of identification, issuing national identity cards, and border control regarding the return of foreign nationals—which was included in the law agreed between Junts and the PSOE on the delegation of powers in immigration that the lower house It fell down a few months ago—and, among other things, the guarantee of maintaining order and public safety in ports and airports. This is a point that will predictably clash with opposition from the right and far right when it is submitted to the lower house for consideration.

In 2013, the Supreme Court blocked the Lleida City Council's regulations, which sought to prohibit the use of the burka in municipal spaces. The reason was that a city council does not have the power to limit the exercise of the right to religious freedom, which would affect those who wear the full-face veil. The Supreme Court emphasized at the time that a law would be necessary, like the one now being proposed in Congress. If it is ultimately approved, it will likely go before the Constitutional Court, because there are left-wing parties that believe that restrictive legislation against this fundamental right would contradict the Constitution. Just today, Alcalá de Henares—a city council governed by the PP (People's Party)—approved a motion from Vox to prohibit access to municipal buildings with clothing that completely or substantially obscures the face.

The political debate

Vox's proposed law aimed to introduce sanctions for women wearing burkas and prison sentences for those who force them to wear them, and sought to make repeat offenses of this behavior punishable by the expulsion of foreigners. In the midst of negotiations with Santiago Abascal's party in Aragon and Extremadura, the People's Party (PP) endorsed the proposal and agreed with its assessment. The PP's spokesperson in Congress, Ester Muñoz, recalled that the PP had included a burka ban in its political roadmap last July and justified its affirmative vote to end a garment she described as a "fabric prison" that "violates women's freedom and integrity" and represents "institutionalization." Incidentally, taking advantage of this opportunity, the PP has registered a bill in the Catalan Parliament to ban the full-face veil in Catalonia. However, the Minister of the Presidency of Ceuta, Alberto Gaitán, also of the PP, opposes banning the burka in public spaces.

The one who criticized Junts was Ione Belarra, the general secretary of Podemos: "They are ashamed to support Vox's law even though they would like to. Unfortunately, the proposals are very similar. It's part of the competition they have with Aliança Catalana," she lamented at a press conference. Along similar lines, the spokesperson for Comuns in Congress, Aina Vidal, said that she believes Junts "operates with the same logic" as Santiago Abascal's party: "Are you bothered by the garment they're wearing or the woman inside?" she asked. "We won't fall into either Vox's or Junts' traps," she added.