MADRID: Spain’s leftist government on Monday ordered a town to drop a ban on religious celebrations in municipal sports facilities, a measure critics say was aimed at blocking longstanding Muslim festivities.
The town council of Jumilla, in the southeastern region of Murcia, approved the ban last week with support from the conservative Popular Party (PP), saying it sought to “promote and preserve the traditional values” of the area.
Far-right party Vox had demanded the measure in exchange for backing the PP mayor’s municipal budget.
Spain’s national government swiftly denounced the ban, with minister for inclusion and migration Elma Sainz calling it a “racist motion.”
Territorial Policy Minister Angel Víctor Torres announced on X on Monday that the central government had formally ordered the Jumilla council to scrap the ban, arguing it violates the constitution.
