Consejo de Estado

The Consejo de Estado (Council of State) is a supreme consultative body of the Spanish Government. It provides opinions on draft legislation and other government actions. Recently, the Consejo de Estado has been newsworthy due to its involvement in the government's plan to regularize the status of over 500,000 immigrants. While the government initially celebrated the Consejo's "aval" (endorsement) of the plan, the Consejo has also raised concerns. These include the criteria for determining vulnerability and the process for verifying the criminal records of applicants. The Consejo has requested greater rigor in demonstrating the absence of criminal records and suggested suspending the process if such information is unavailable. Additionally, the Consejo de Estado issued a favorable report on the constitutionality of a proposed reform to enshrine abortion rights in the Constitution, obligating public powers to guarantee access to voluntary termination of pregnancy. This highlights the Consejo's significant role in advising on and scrutinizing key government initiatives.