El Que Quiera Entender Que Entienda

Speaking of Spain...

Beautiful country. Great food. Friendly people. Best male lovers. Horrible economy. WORST POLITICS.

The Spanish government closed yet another economically and politically successful year (...) with what could be seen as the peak of political jerkness. The political December throw-down was truly one of a kind and managed to squeeze in a couple of well-thought legislative gems right before the end of the year.

1. After barely 40 years of democracy, the Spanish government has decided it is time to "modify" the Spanish democratic model with the help of a new citizen security law - "Ley de Seguridad Ciudadana". (Details on the acts now banned and following stratospheric fines here, embrace Google Translate friends!).

Following the economic hell, growing political vacuum, and trust crisis endured by the Spanish people, diverse grassroots movements together with millions and millions of people have taken the streets in many different occasions (over 6 000 demonstrations throughout the country in 2013) in order to  push for a much needed change.

According to the Spanish right-wing government, the new citizen security law is put in place in order to protect the Spanish citizens from these violent demonstrations and riots. According to the General Director of the Spanish Police (whatever the real translation of his title is...), the behavior of the Spanish demonstrators can only be labeled as "exemplary". Still the Spanish government feels a pressing urge to quite the voices of it's people. According to various critics around the world and my personal opinion, this law is a direct attack against the freedom of speech of the Spanish people, it attempts against the democratic model, and constitutes a giant step backwards. Well done.

2. As a consequence of the ridiculous/unacceptable/catastrophic unemployment rate in Spain, young Spanish citizens are emigrating to find a better future (read: any kind of job) in other parts of the continent and the world (thus learning a first-hand lesson on racism and discrimination long overdue in my home country).

But don't despair! The Spanish government is not worried about the long-term consequences of brain-drain, nor the huge implications of an extremely unbalanced population pyramid. Nop. Instead, when deciding on the 2014 budget, the Spanish government announced on the 26th of December the new law stating how the "young (Spanish) adventurers" without unemployment pay (or whatever the name is in English) and living outside the Spanish borders for longer than 90 days will lose their right to the free medical services included in their Social Security. And just in case these "adventurers" ever think of returning to their home country when tired of working at the Oxford Street McDonald's, this new law also states that the right to regain free medical services will not be acquired until a new employment is obtained. Easy!

3. And last but not least. The price for the most offensive law proposal to gender equality, women's rights, and sexual and reproductive health and rights in Spain goes to: A new law banning abortion in Spain proposed by the lovely, conservative, retrograde and great patriarch Alberto Ruiz Gallardon, Minister of Justice of the Kingdom of Spain! (Ley Orgánica de Protección de la Vida del Concebido y de los Derechos de la Mujer Embarazada).

Undermining all the great efforts made by the Spanish women's rights movement in male chauvinistic Spain during the last 30 years (the new law will basically go back to the law on abortion from 1985), this law not only clarifies the view of the current Spanish government on gender equality and women's rights, it is also a clear poof of the right-wing political wave currently washing over Europe, as well as yet another proof of the power of the Catholic church over Spanish politics.

However, one thing needs to be clear. This law won't prevent new abortions, because as Montserrat Domínguez put it on her open letter to Mr. Gallardon (aka) Spanish politician of the year: "No hay ley que pueda obligar a ser madre a una mujer que, por las razones que sea, no quiere serlo" - No existing law will make a woman become a mother, when she, for whatever reason, does not want to become one. 

Instead, this law will turn Spain back to red on the world abortion map (joining the most gender equal countries of the world as shown in the map below...), while increasing the vulnerability of Spanish women and enlarging an already worrying gender gap. (If you would like to make the Spanish government reconsider this law proposal please sign here).

Happy New Year Spain.
 

www.worldabortionlaws.com

Bueno, hoy si que de verdad me he emocionado escribiendo. Llevaba ya tiempo planificando este post, pero entre que me puse mala y que soy bastante vaga, al final me ha costado un rato. Basicamente he intentado (dentro de mis conocimientos politicos españoles) dar a conocer a la gente de fuera de España (ya que los medios de comunicacion internacionales no lo hacen) las nuevas leyes propuestas o pasadas por nuestros grandes politicos en el ultimo mes. Incluyendo la "Ley de Seguridad Ciudadana", la exclusion del sistema de sanidad español a los "jovenes aventureros" sin paro que pasen mas de 90 dias fuera de España, y la gran Ley Orgánica de Protección de la Vida del Concebido y de los Derechos de la Mujer Embarazada. Y luego he explicado porque todas y cada una de ellas me parecen una gran vergüenza politica.

www.eljueves.es

(El Que Quiera Entender Que Entienda – Mägo De Oz)