Supreme Court blocks controversial overseas voter registration scheme linked to Sánchez government

Spain's highest court ordered a temporary suspension of a government-backed effort to register millions of Spaniards living overseas on the electoral census. The plan relied on an instruction from Sofía Puente, who removed the parliamentary criteria for obtaining nationality, allowing rapid naturalisation. Analysts on the TV debate program criticised President Pedro Sánchez and Minister of the Presidency Félix Bolaños for allegedly pressuring the court to resolve appeals before the next vote, calling the behaviour intolerable in a democracy.

They claim the scheme was designed to funnel expatriate votes toward swing constituencies, notably the Community of Madrid, to benefit the PSOE. The court's precautionary measure was presented as a sign that the judiciary sees clear signs of fraudulent intent behind the reform. The episode sparked alarm within the government, with Bolaños reportedly nervous about the potential loss of the strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.