The debate over the burqa ban returns to the political sphere 16 years later

A proposal in Congress reopens the controversy started in Lleida in 2010 regarding the full veil.

Generic image of a judge's gavel in a courtroom representing a legal debate.
IA

Generic image of a judge's gavel in a courtroom representing a legal debate.

The Spanish Congress has once again debated banning the burqa in public spaces, an issue that placed Lleida as a pioneer in Spain in 2010 during the term of Àngel Ros.

The recent initiative by Vox did not succeed due to a lack of support from other parties. This discussion revives a legal conflict that shaped local politics in Lleida over a decade ago, when the city council became the first in the country to ban the garment in public buildings.

"The ban on the burqa would have a perverse effect that would mean the affected women would hardly leave their homes."

Supreme Court · 2013 Ruling
In 2013, the Supreme Court overturned the local regulation. The court argued that such a ban could increase discrimination against women rather than preventing it, by restricting their freedom of movement and social integration.