The latest spate of gender-based murders has sparked a wave of criticism within the regional Parliament

The regional chamber was the scene of a series of speeches in which spokespersons for the five political groups represented have highlighted the deep ideological divide that shapes the response to this social problem. This comes just before the final full session of the parliamentary term, during which a minute’s silence will once again be observed for the fatalities recorded so far this year.

Speaking on behalf of the People’s Party (PP), Toni Martín sought to champion a call for understanding by appealing for institutional unity and urging the various political forces to avoid opportunism on such a painful issue. The PP spokesperson said that his party and the regional ministry of social inclusion regard this scourge as an absolute priority that must be tackled with all available resources, seeking - quite apart from government agreements - to keep institutional management free from partisan noise.

However, this attempt to reach a consensus has been thwarted by Vox’s rhetoric. Its new spokesperson, Javier Cortés, has used the platform to openly question the effectiveness of the law against gender-based violence and the Viogen system. In a speech aimed at undermining the consensus on protecting women, Cortés lashed out at the current legislation, which, in his view, merely seeks to pit men against women. He shifted the focus of the debate towards tougher criminal penalties and blamed immigration for the problem.

This stance has infuriated the left-wing opposition, which launched a fierce attack on the institutional framework emerging in the wake of the coalition agreement. Speaking on behalf of the PSOE-A, deputy spokesperson María Márquez described the political situation as disastrous.

She said the government was "in denial" and raised concerns that support for victims could be jeopardised by the agreement between the two parties forming the government. Márquez denounced parliamentary paralysis and warned of the danger of a rollback in the rights won by women.

José Ignacio García, spokesperson for Adelante Andalucía, spoke in similarly strong terms, demanding that the regional minister for equality, Loles López, appear before the regional parliament as a matter of urgency to set out specific plans to combat gender-based violence. García called on the Andalusian government to take a firm stance and unambiguously distance itself from denialist arguments, warning that a lack of clear responses makes the regional government an ideological hostage to those who deny the existence of this problem.

For his part, Rafael Sánchez Rufo, speaking on behalf of Por Andalucía, described as untenable the fact that the policy agreement between the PP and Vox does not include direct measures to protect women at a time of emergency such as the present. Sánchez Rufo condemned a shift to the right in public debate that disregards the protection of victims.