The dispute over the so-called Ley de Nietos has escalated: Vox said on 21 September 2026 that it was possible to separate the granting of Spanish citizenship from an automatic right to vote from abroad The immediate trigger is the ongoing review of the electoral registrations of people who obtained citizenship under the Ley de Nietos.
The current situation is as follows: the Tribunal Supremo provisionally suspended on 8 September 2026 the electoral effect of registrations in the Censo Electoral de Residentes Ausentes in cases where those concerned obtained Spanish citizenship through the Ley de Nietos and cannot prove that their ancestors were exiled. The move was justified on the grounds of protecting transparency and trust in electoral processes amid a sharp rise in new registrations. The Junta Electoral Central backed the court’s position on 14 September 2026 and called on the Instituto Nacional de Estadística to report on the registrations in question, the application of the statutory requirements and a subsequent ministerial instruction.
Political reactions have been divided. Vox views the suspension as confirmation of its warnings about an alleged inflation of the overseas register. The Social Democratic PSOE criticises the measure as needlessly unsettling and warns against creating first- and second-class Spaniards. The government said it did not agree with the Tribunal Supremo’s decision. The legal position is provisional: the courts are considering pending appeals, and the suspension remains in force until a final decision is reached. No legislative amendment permanently restricting the voting rights abroad of newly naturalised citizens has been introduced.
The Ley de Nietos forms part of the latest measures addressing historical memory. It makes it easier for descendants of Spaniards who emigrated for political reasons during the 20th century to obtain citizenship. The point of contention is whether, and from what point, this gives them an immediate right to vote abroad. The Censo Electoral de Residentes Ausentes is the overseas electoral register for Spaniards living abroad.
The following points are currently confirmed: the Tribunal Supremo’s emergency ruling of 8 September 2026 suspending the electoral effect of certain CERA registrations; the Junta Electoral Central’s instruction to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística on 14 September 2026 to review them; and Vox’s statement of 21 September 2026 that politically, a separation of citizenship from the right to vote abroad could be considered. The outcome of the court proceedings and any future legislative initiatives remain uncertain.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).