MEPs ask Commission to act against Spanish “threats” to Catalan mayors

MEPs ask Commission to act against Spanish “threats” to Catalan mayors

President Juncker says that in the event Catalonia were independent, it should go through accession negotiations

Spain’s opened investigation against 75% of mayors in Catalonia for collaborating with the referendum has reached the European Commission. 27 MEPs submitted a parliamentary question to the Commission asking about how they will react to the “judicial and political pursuit” of the mayors.

The text gives also context about the Spanish attorney general, José Manuel Maza. He was recused by the Spanish parliament earlier this year. “However, the Spanish government turned down replacing the prosecutor for its political affinity with the People’s Party (currently in power),” says the parliamentary question.

27 MEPs from 9 different member states

The initiative was promoted by pro-independence Catalan MEPs Jordi Solé, Josep Maria Terricabras and Ramon Tremosa. A number of representatives supported the parliamentary question, including Basque Izaskun Bilbao (ALDE); Flemish Mark Demesmaeker, British Helga Stevens (ECR); Austrian Monika Vana, Latvian Tatjana Zdanoka, (Greens/EFA); German Helmut Scholz, Irish Matt Carthy, Italian Barbara Spinelli, Spanish Maria Lidia Senra and Danish Rina Ronja Kari (GUE/NGL).

Juncker’s position

The European Comission has yet to respond, but its president, Jean-Claude Juncker, supported the Spanish Constitutional Court and Parliament. “Who am I to say that the decisions taken by the maximum judicial authority in Spain and its Parliament are irrelevant?” asked Juncker. Additionally, he said that in the event that Catalonia separates from Spain, it should go through “accession negotiations.”