PP threatens Albares by fax to take him to court if Exteriores does not meet TS requirements for the vote suspended by the grandchildren's law

The Spanish opposition party Popular Party (PP) has threatened legal action against Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Manuel Albares and officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if they fail to comply with requirements set by Spain's Supreme Court regarding the suspension of votes for 163,020 individuals nationalized under the so-called "grandchildren law." The PP sent a fax to Carolina de Manueles, director general of Spaniards Abroad and Consular Affairs, demanding immediate compliance with the court’s orders to distinguish between those who were naturalized directly through the grandchildren law and those whose applications were approved later due to a Justice Ministry instruction expanding its scope. The PP warned that failure to meet these demands could lead to legal proceedings against both de Manueles and Albares. The PP responded to revelations by El Mundo newspaper, which reported that delays by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under which this directorate falls, in collecting data to determine which naturalizations qualify for voting rights threaten to invalidate election results on November 29. The Ministry itself acknowledged to El Mundo that it is “materially impossible” to gather all the required consular information in time to differentiate between those naturalized via the grandchildren law and those who obtained passports through a subsequent Justice Ministry directive. According to the PP, the “passivity, resistance, excuse, or obstruction” by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could lead to personal liability, including criminal responsibility, which the party says it will pursue through appropriate legal channels. This includes not only de Manueles but also her hierarchical superiors, including Albares himself. The PP stated that the Directorate General of Spaniards Abroad and Consular Affairs appears to be engaged in passive and obstructive behavior aimed at effectively disregarding the Supreme Court’s decision, potentially leading to criminal liability for the head of the department, her superiors, and even subordinates who might have supported such actions. In its fax, the PP demanded that de Manueles submit the necessary information to the Electoral Census Office, obtained from civil registry officers in embassies and consulates, to carry out the detailed breakdown required by the High Court concerning all persons registered in the Electoral Census of Absent Residents (CERA). It further requested that she order consular offices to issue certifications confirming the status of descendants of exiles as of August 1, 2026, without applying the presumption outlined in an October 25, 2022, instruction by Sofia Puente. These certifications should be communicated to the Electoral Census Office before the start of the electoral documentation process. Time is pressing. Article 75.3 of the Electoral Law requires provincial delegations of the Electoral Census Office to send electoral documents to all CERA registrants starting on the eighteenth day after the election call, meaning from October 24, 2026. Therefore, the PP insists that the actions requested in its fax must be completed and communicated in writing to the party by October 23, 2026. If the Electoral Census Office does not have the necessary data by that date, which can only be provided by the Directorate General of Spaniards Abroad, the PP warned that legal action would follow. Alma Ezcurra, vice-secretary of Sectoral Coordination and head of electoral program for the PP, announced three measures related to the grandchildren law. She immediately called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to comply with the Supreme Court’s resolution, requiring the removal of the 163,020 individuals from the electoral roll. She also requested permission from the Constitutional Court to participate in defending an intact census as a guarantee of electoral integrity following a lawsuit filed by the Ombudsman. Additionally, she asked for explanations regarding reports suggesting the issuance of passports in Mexico to individuals without Spanish parents or grandparents. The PP has accused the government of deliberately obstructing the process, claiming that the ministry possesses all the data needed to identify those who are not descendants of exiles but is hindering the judiciary's work to buy time. Ezcurra warned that if the government continues to obstruct, the PP will demand all applicable responsibilities, including criminal ones, from those responsible. Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Manuel Albares previously admitted that it is very difficult for consulates to verify the status of exiles among voters in time for the November 29 elections. Meanwhile, the PP has sought to intervene in the Constitutional Court to oppose the amicus curiae petition submitted by Ombudsman Angel Gabilondo. The PP has set Thursday as a deadline for receiving updated data, given that the distribution of overseas votes begins on Saturday, October 24.