Universal health care back in force after Spanish court suspension

The Catalan universal health care law is in force again after the Spanish Socialist government lifted its challenge against it on Friday.

The Spanish Constitutional court had suspended it at the former People's Party cabinet request in March 2018.

The law provides for all people registered in any Catalan town to have public and free health care even if they are migrants with no residence permit.

The suspension took place while Catalonia was directly ruled from Madrid. Ever since the new Catalan health minister Alba Vergés took office in June, she has called for such ban to be lifted.

Catalan health minister reacts

"The first I did when I took office was urging the Spanish president, who did not have his cabinet formed yet at that moment, to respect the law that had been passed with a wide majority in the Catalan Parliament," said Vergés after the lift.

"It is a law which guaranteed the right to universal health care provided by law, something the Catalan society is committed to," she added.

Vergés urged Spain for "respect to the Catalan society and Parliament."

14 social laws suspended

The Catalan president, Quim Torra, asked his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez to lift the challenge against 14 social laws passed by the Catalan parliament over the past years and suspended by the Constitutional Court at the former People's Party's cabinet's request.

Sánchez and his executive have been favorable to this demand by Catalonia's authorities.