Feb 16 • 04:40 UTC 🇪🇸 Spain El País

A not so politically divided court: the Constitutional Court rules 80% of its decisions unanimously

The Spanish Constitutional Court has delivered 80% of its rulings unanimously, despite common perceptions of political division among its members.

The Spanish Constitutional Court has garnered attention for its recent ruling patterns, with a notable 80% of decisions issued unanimously. This statistic challenges the prevalent view that the court is deeply divided along ideological lines, especially regarding politically charged issues. While dissenting opinions exist, particularly on contentious topics like amnesty, housing, and taxes, the overall trend points toward a surprising level of consensus among the magistrates.

At the beginning of the year, the court made significant rulings concerning prominent political figures such as former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and Madrid's president Isabel Díaz Ayuso. The decision to uphold the arrest warrant for Puigdemont, for example, was reached with only one dissenting vote. These rulings, while reflecting the court's engagement with pressing political matters, indicate that the justices are capable of setting aside personal or political beliefs to arrive at collective judgments.

This trend of unanimity may have wider implications for the political landscape in Spain, suggesting that the judiciary, particularly the Constitutional Court, plays a stabilizing role in a polarized environment. By demonstrating a capacity for cooperation and consensus, the court could help foster public trust in its decisions, potentially mitigating some of the political tensions currently pervading Spanish society.

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