Vox has registered a bill in the Balearic Parliament seeking to ban the use of burkas and niqabs in public spaces. As this constitutes an organic law, final approval would require passing through Spain's Congress of Deputies, where the party already submitted an identical text last week. In the Balearics, a similar non-binding proposal was recently voted on but failed to secure PP support after Vox rejected their amendments.
The new text appears to address the two main objections raised by the PP party in their amendments: the 'populares' wanted to limit the prohibition specifically to full-face veils (not the hijab) and direct the petition to the State rather than the Balearic Government. PP spokesperson in Parliament, Sebastià Sagreras, hasn't confirmed whether his group will support the bill's consideration (pending review of its wording) but has stated that these Islamic garments, the burka and niqab, "attack women's freedom" and therefore his party rejects them. "The burka makes women invisible and goes against dignity and equality," Sagreras declared.
The legislation proposed by Vox would prohibit the use of these two garments in public spaces and modify the Penal Code to punish those who impose them on women "through violence, intimidation or any form of coercion" with up to three years imprisonment. In cases involving particularly vulnerable victims, including minors, the maximum penalty increases to four years. The draft also modifies two other organic laws: the Citizen Security Act and the Rights and Freedoms of Foreigners in Spain Act.
Support for women's rights
Vox spokesperson Manuela Cañadas has maintained that this law "protects women, defends our security and makes it clear that in the Balearics we will not accept practices that deny women's rights and endanger democratic coexistence." She further argued: "We are part of a civilisation built on equality, and what the burka and niqab represent is the complete opposite. They reduce women to silence and invisibility and symbolise a culture of subordination. We're not talking about religion but ideology. In Spain, freedom and rights are for everyone." Cañadas added that other European countries have also restricted the use of full-face veils.