Latest news with #Popular Party
New York Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Spanish Officials Condemn City's Ban on Religious Events as ‘Racist'
The Spanish government on Thursday condemned a ban enacted by a city in southeastern Spain on religious celebrations from civic sports facilities, which critics have called a veiled effort to block Muslims from gathering there for religious holidays. The ban was codified as a local law on July 28 by conservative leaders in Jumilla, a city with about 27,000 residents. As it gained attention this week, it quickly became a national point of contention — touching on issues that have consumed countries around Europe, like immigration and nationalism. Far-right demonstrators and police officers clashed for days in another town in the same Spanish region last month, leading to the arrest of the leader of an anti-immigrant group. The measure in Jumilla says that city sports facilities cannot be used for 'cultural, social or religious activities unrelated to the City Council' and stipulates that its goal is to 'promote and preserve the traditional values and manifestations of our cultural identity.' Officials in the national government have denounced the ban, with Elma Saiz, Spain's minister of inclusion, social security and migration, calling it 'an absolutely racist motion.' Spain's Constitution protects 'freedom of worship, respect and nondiscrimination on religious grounds,' she said in an interview with a state-owned broadcaster, Televisión Española. Another top official, Félix Bolaños, called the measure 'contrary to the Constitution.' Members of the Popular Party, the conservative party that approved the ban, have rejected those accusations. 'It is false that the Popular Party is going to single anyone out for their beliefs,' Jaime de los Santos, a top official in the national party, told reporters on Thursday. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
France 24
01-08-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Wave of fake credentials sparks political fallout in Spain
The controversy began on 21 July when Transport Minister Oscar Puente of the ruling Socialist Party raised questions about the academic record of Noelia Nunez, a lawmaker from the opposition conservative Popular Party (PP). Nunez, 33, had claimed degrees in law, public administration and English philology but later admitted she had studied the subjects without completing any of the qualifications. She resigned the following day, saying she had never intended to mislead the public. Since then, more politicians have come under fire for allegedly misrepresenting their educational backgrounds. Among them is Juan Manuel Moreno, PP president of the Andalusian regional government, who was accused of falsely claiming a business degree. Pilar Bernabe, the central government's delegate in Valencia, has been accused of inaccurately stating she held a communications degree. Puente himself has also come under scrutiny for referring to a master's degree that reports say is of a lower academic level than implied. On Thursday, Jose Maria Angel, a Socialist official overseeing flood recovery efforts in Valencia, stepped down after it emerged he had used a fake diploma to obtain a public sector job. On Friday, Ignacio Higuero, a minister in the regional government of Extremadura, resigned after reports revealed he had claimed a marketing degree from a university that did not offer the programme at the time. The growing scandal has triggered a broader national debate about political integrity and the need for verified academic qualifications for public officials. 'In Spain, we continue to suffer from a chronic ailment: titulitis, that obsession with accumulating degrees that, all too often, are nothing more than empty ornaments,' historian Joaquim Coll wrote in the daily newspaper 20 Minutos.
