EFA MEPs Denounce Bias in the PETI Committee Mission to Catalonia

Members of the European Parliament from the European Free Alliance Group condemn the lack of impartiality displayed by the members of the PETI Committee mission in Catalonia.

The Petitions Committee of the European Parliament has conducted a fact-finding mission in Catalonia on the language immersion model. The mission took place from the 18th to the 20th of December, with the goal of inspecting its impact on families moving to and residing in the region, as well as assessing multilingualism and non-discrimination in compliance with the principle of the Rule of Law.

The EFA Group had previously raised concerns about the transparency and objectives of this mission when the agenda was decided. MEPs from the Greens/EFA Group decided to withdraw from the mission alongside members of the S&D Group and The LEFT Group.

Since the mission started, many linguistic groups and trade unions have denounced the accusatory and inquisitive nature of the meetings, condemning the preconceived conclusions of the attending MEPs.

Ana Miranda, EFA MEP, and First Vice-President of the PETI Committee said:

"This mandate, the President of the PETI Committee, Dolors Montserrat, has used the Committee as her own, manipulating the times, the agendas, and even the petitions to prioritize certain ideological topics over others."

"As I've stated on multiple occasions as vice-president of the Committee on Petitions and first vice-president, what has happened with this mission to Catalonia, much like the recent denunciation of manipulation on Galician television, is a profound attack on the diversity and the different political formations of the European Parliament."

"We, as the Greens/EFA group, and I, as vice-president of the Petitions Committee, will file a clear formal complaint about the way in which this committee is being used in this mission."

Diana Riba i Giner, EFA MEP, and Spokesperson of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya in the European Parliament, added:

"Once again, we have witnessed a collusion of the right and the Spanish extreme right against the Catalan people, this time funded by all European taxpayers."

"It's crucial to note that this request remains open due to the obstinacy of its president, Dolors Montserrat. It has remained open since 2017, despite the European Commission repeatedly stating in the last five years that it 'does not have competence' on this subject."

"It is quite unheard of that all progressive groups have boycotted a European Parliament mission."

"Let no one be deceived: in this visit, they have attempted to present what is simply the club of the Spanish right and extreme right, along with their allies from the Le Pen party and the ultras of Law and Justice of Poland, as a delegation of the European Parliament."

"Any MEP knows the rules for a visit of this type. No one can make statements or ratings during the mission. Moreover, the exchanges are in camera; so no one should disclose the details of what was discussed or what the witnesses or guests at the mission said."

"European citizens are paying for the Spanish right-wing hate campaign against linguistic diversity, and this is something we cannot tolerate."

"Through our group, the Greens/EFA, we will demand transparency to know the cost of this campaign of Spanishism."