The Congress of Deputies, meeting circumstantially in the Senate due to the works that are being developed in its chamber, approved this Thursday – 312 votes in favor and 32 votes against – the bill to reform article 49 of the Constitution referred to to people with disabilities.
The parties have known how to maintain, and respect, the exclusion zones previously agreed upon by PP and PSOE for an important advance in social matters that has paused, for a few days, the usual and bitter brawl between blocks.
Once the consensus was confirmed, the President of the Government himself has asked for the floor before the vote. to celebrate the consensus reached: “We all win when we are able to agree in the interest and defense of the general interest.” Pedro Sánchez has acknowledged that he is aware that this modification is “late” and has apologized to people with disabilities to whom the Constitution has referred for “so many years” with such an “offensive” term.
What will be the third reform of the Magna Carta since its approval in 1978 did not achieve complete support due to the refusal of Vox, whose obstinate approaches on equality have led its deputies to vote against this social advance.
Both PNV and Sumar presented partial amendments to the proposal. Although the Congress Board decided, with the majority votes of PP and PSOE, not to admit them for processing for “not adhering to the article” that is being reformed.
The PNV wanted to take advantage of the reform to include, among others, the right to self-determination of “nations” as well as suppress article 155 that allows autonomous governments to intervene. While Compromís presented an amendment to include the recovery of Valencian civil law and Més en Sumar did the same to include in the Magna Carta a senator for the island of Formentera.
After its approval today by the three-fifths required by the constitutional reforms, the proposal will arrive on the 24th to the Senate, where it will foreseeably be debated urgently and in a single reading.
Among other points, the new text establishes the obligation of public powers to “carry out the necessary policies to guarantee full personal autonomy and social inclusion” of the group, as well as “special attention for minors and women” with disabilities. This last aspect is one on which Vox has focused its disagreements due to the “sex division” that they believe the reform entails.
