Government Disputes Over Child Permit Decree: New Developments With Sumar

The Spanish government is currently embroiled in a dispute over the approval of a crucial decree regarding child permits, following increased negotiations between the coalition coalition partners, Sumar and PSOE. Sumar, led by Yolanda Díaz, has called for the Council of Ministers to approve the decree this Tuesday, whereas PSOE is advocating for a more cautious approach, preferring to wait for a ruling from the European Court of Justice on the matter. In an update, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced that the Government will indeed move forward with the extension of child permits as per an agreement with Sumar. This decree aims to address various types of parental leave aimed at supporting families. Over the weekend, Sumar ramped up its communications with PSOE to finalize an agreement on the contentious birth permit decree. Sumar believes that a concrete text is already in place, highlighting their push for immediate approval. However, PSOE has expressed concerns over some unresolved details and suggested delaying the implementation until after summer. The decree proposes extensions to the three types of permits initially suggested by Sumar, though not as extensively as desired. For instance, the current birth permit is set to be extended from 16 weeks to 17, while Sumar initially proposed extending it to 20 weeks. In addition, the decree provides for payment of two of the eight weeks of the parental care permit available to parents until the child turns 8. This payment plan is expected to be effective starting in August 2024—aligned with Spain's obligation to implement the European directive. While Sumar aimed for four weeks of paid leave, this agreement will reduce that to two. For single-parent families, there will be an extension of their permits to a total of 32 weeks, with four weeks available until the child reaches the age of 8. Furthermore, there is a political commitment to increase the birth leave to a total of 20 weeks by combining parental and traditional leave. Despite Sumar's announcement that an agreement has been reached, sources from Moncloa insist that the deal is not completely finalized and that a few minor details remain. The primary source of contention lies in the timing of the decree's advance. Sumar has been adamant that this be presented to the Council of Ministers before the summer break. It has been emphasized by Sumar that immediate approval is critical to avoid incurring daily fines from the European Union starting August 1, which could total over 43,000 euros. Díaz reiterated during an interview that there are no justifiable political reasons for delaying the approval of this significant measure, articulating concerns over taxpayer money potentially being diverted to fines instead of benefiting families. On the contrary, PSOE has cited two main reasons for seeking more time. They argue that politicizing such an important measure in the midst of summer could lead to inefficiencies. Additionally, they are awaiting an anticipated ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union on the European reconciliation directive which encompasses these permits, expected to be released on August 1. PSOE believes that it would be prudent to tailor the decree based on this ruling. As discussions continue, all eyes are on the Council of Ministers meeting set for Tuesday, as the future of child permit regulations hangs in the balance. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2